Page 8 of Love Always
“I go into the classroom and explain to the children a little bit what it’s like to be autistic. And then,” the sigh that escapes sounds wearier than I’d like it to, “I have to talk with Cory.”
“But he can stay in school, though?”
“For now.”
She tries to jostle my shoulder in a show of camaraderie. “See? That’s a good outcome.”
Claire is a lovely person. She’s sweet and kind and gentle and knows how to soothe a snarling dog, but she can also be so optimistic I want to grind my teeth.
“For now, yes, but I do have to deal with this and it’s complicated.”
“I’m not saying it’s not complicated. I’m just saying you handled yourself well.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do if he gets kicked out of school.”
“You’re not there yet, so don’t worry about it.”
I want to answer with that’s easy for you to say, but it would come across as sharp and unloving and everything else I’m trying to change about myself, so I say nothing.
“I do have some good news,” she says. “Finn’s decided to do a leaf peeping weekend.”
“What does that mean?” I pour some cream in the travel mug that she’d set out on the counter.
“It means he’s trying to put together a weekend to welcome leaf peepers up from the flatlands. Every single room is booked for two weeks, so he wants to start opening up to the community and do cookouts.”
“And you had nothing to do with this?”
“I’m not saying it won’t soften his image a little. He was pretty stand-offish when he arrived last year. He’s going to call them Peeper Parties.”
“Oh my God. Cory is going to think that’s a pretty funny name.”
“I came up with it.”
“Gimmicky?”
“You bet.” She finally finds the lid to the commuter mug and snaps it on. “You just—” and she then tries to demonstrate how to use it. She’s channeling her inner big sister.
“I know how to flip the thingy,” I say and to prove it, I take a sip.
“Anyway, a bunch of people from the office are coming up, Bryce, Jackson, who I don’t think you’ve really met yet, the really blond one?” She runs water in the sink and squirts dishwashing detergent from a little plastic bottle our mother used for the same thing. They both hated big bottles.
“Yeah. No, just briefly.”
“Nic and a woman named Sophia who’s visiting from the Boston office.”
“Nic’s dating her?” This surprised me. For some reason I can’t imagine Nic dating. He’s too elegant.
“No, no, they are just coming up together from Boston. Anyway, I think it will be fun and you’re all invited. I thought Cory could help me groom Salty and braid his mane. He seems to like doing that. What’s wrong?”
“What?”
“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Is the new guy coming?”
Her arms are deep in soap suds. “Why do you always act like you don’t know his name? Yes. Mateus is coming too. I’m sorry I forgot about him. The three guys are going to crash here, Sophia’s booked a room at the Inn, Chloe’s going to stay with Bryce out at the cabin on Rock Island. I’m going be next door with Finn.” She pauses and looks at the ceiling for a moment. “You know, I’m beginning to feel like I’m going to eventually lose my clinic anyway. It’s just going to become the apartment of the Bros.” She finishes scrubbing out a roasting pan.
I’d gotten lost somewhere in litany of sleeping arrangements.
