Page 61 of The Last Goodbye

“I think your son only cares about one thing right now, and that’s his sister’s happiness. He knows she wants you there.”

She set her glass down, and she stared at me. “When he was a little kid, he’d stay home from school with her if she was sick. He learned how to make scrambled eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches when he was just seven years old. He used to cook for me when I’d come home drunk. He was so young, but I swear he was born a little man.”

Because he didn’t have a choice.

My heart ached at hearing her talk about a young Bass, and the fact that he’d had to grow up so quickly. How he had become the parent to Jovi.

And that was why I was here, right?

Because Bass Bennett wanted his sister to be happy on her big day. She deserved it—and he deserved it, too.

My stomach knotted. I knew I needed to make this happen.

“You can’t change the past, Jenna. You can only control what you do moving forward. I’m not asking you to change your life, or quit drinking, or make promises to anyone that you can’t keep. I’m just asking you to show up to graduation tomorrow morning for your daughter, because it’s important to her.”

“I can’t book a flight with no notice, can I?” She looked at me as if she was actually contemplating this.

“Sure. People do it all the time.” I pulled out my phone and started looking up flights.

“I just don’t see how it’s possible.”

I continued to search airlines. I needed to make this happen. “There’s a flight leaving tonight, and it’ll get you in late, but you can sleep on the plane and then sleep a few hours at the hotel, and you’ll be ready to go in the morning.”

She squeezed her eyes closed and sighed. “I can’t afford all that.”

“I’ve got tons of points. I’d be happy to book your flight and your hotel. If I do that, will you give me your word that you’ll be at that graduation?”

“I have to pack and get to the city to catch the flight. I don’t even have a car, not that I could drive in this state anyway,” she said. She pulled out some crumpled dollar bills and tossed them on the bar before turning to me for an answer.

“I’ve got you. I’ll drive you. Let’s go pack a bag and get to the city. We don’t have much time.”

“You’re serious? You don’t even know me,” she said, her eyes wet with emotion, which caught me off guard.

“Sometimes we all need a break, Jenna. This is yours. What do you say?”

Sometimes we all need a break.

Those were the words my mother used to always say to anyone who was going through a hard time, and she’d always be there to offer help however she could. I blinked a few times as I thought about her and all the amazing things she’d done in her short life.

“I’d really like to be there. Let’s do it,” she said.

Relief flooded me. She was going to do it. This was going to happen.

I didn’t know why I was doing this. Maybe because I understood how important this day was for Jovi, a woman I’d never met, but I’d heard a lot about her. Maybe it was because I liked Bass Bennett. He was a good man, and he wanted this for his sister. Maybe it was because I knew what it meant to want someone to be there for those big moments. Or maybe it was my mother’s voice, always urging me to do good with the opportunities I’d been given.

I wasn’t sure of my reasons, but I had zero hesitation. I got her birth date and her other information and booked her flight, as well as a hotel right by the airport.

I drove her the short distance to her home, where I waited in the car while she packed a bag. I picked up my phone.

She’ll be at the graduation.

Gracie

You’re kidding me.

Nope. I found her and she wants to come.

Gracie