“Why not?”
“I’ve just got a few things I’m working on. I’ll be there tomorrow.”
“Since when do you work on anything?” James laughs, but Finn doesn’t answer him.
I borrow a couple cups from the cupboard above the sink and take my time filling them with water. I like James, but I wait for him to go. If I come down, he’ll talk, maybe want to play AA, and I don’t feel like entertaining him right now.
I’m slow walking down the stairs, the two glasses filled with water in my hands. They’re my excuse for taking so long. “Hey,” I say to Finn and hand him a glass. “Was that James?”
“Yeah, he couldn’t stay,” Finn says, and his smile makes me think he’s happy I waited for his friend to go too.
12
“Holy crap, you did it.” Finn’s jaw is slack and his eyes are wide.
Hours later, Danny and Marley have both returned from work, and are probably in bed, while Finn and I stand back to look at our tree—finished. The trunk has roots stretching out across the wide bench, then circles up with the binding of each hardbound book showing. It grows upward and leaves dangle from the many branches—some connected to the actual branch, others attached to the window.
“Let’s look from outside,” I say, unable to hide the giddiness I feel.
“It’s dark.”
I flip on the lights that showcase the window and Finn laughs.
“I didn’t even realize we had a light there.”
We hurry out the door, but before I can stand back and look at my creation, I have to move Danny’s table and chairs. Finn doesn’t tease me like before, but grabs the edge of the light metal table and slides it to the other side of the store where Danny’s morning view won’t be nearly as good.
I back up into the empty street and Finn follows me. My grin is overwhelming. I couldn’t lessen it if I wanted to. I’ve never ventured to create anything so big—unless you count that volcano that Cytha and I made for Hawaiian prom last year, but it didn’t have the details that this baby does. It was just a bunch of crepe paper draped down from a basketball hoop.
I hold out my phone for a picture, making sure the tree and the name of the store are aligned just right in my screen. Then, I study the photo for a moment.
“Esther, this is so much cooler than I thought it would be.”
I laugh because I feel the same.
“Here,” he says, holding out his hand, “let me take your picture with it.”
I go to hand him my phone, but pull back. “We did this together.” I wave him closer and he doesn’t argue. Finn crouches next to me, his cheek an inch from mine. I hold out the phone and we bend a little, adjust a little, until we see our tree fully in the screen. Finn’s cheek presses to mine and we smile.
When we enter the store, Danny and Marley are standing on the bottom landing of the stairs. Danny’s right hand is flat on top of his head, his mouth gapes open, while his other hand runs over and over his carrot beard. Marley’s blue eyes are wide and her cheeks swell in a grin.
“Wow.” Danny’s hands fall to his side. “Just wow. I—wow.”
Marley blinks finally. “Esther, this is—”
“Amazing, right?” Finn finishes for her.
My face flushes with the attention and praise. I chew on my inner cheek, hold my hands together in front of me, and say nothing.
Marley peers at Finn and drives up her glasses with the back of her hand. “So amazing.” She walks a little closer. “I had no idea—when I told you ‘window display’ I thought maybe a few books with a creative twist. This…this is a work of art.”
Danny slides his phone from his front shirt pocket and takes half a dozen pictures from different angles.
“Esther, get in there.” Marley nods to me.
My stomach turns to knots. “Not without Finn,” I say, pulling on his shirt sleeve.
This time we stand side by side, a few inches apart—most likely looking like a line up—while Danny snaps a photo.
“Will you send me those?”
Danny stares at his phone, but gives me a thumbs up.
Marley studies the tree. Her eyes are so much darker than Finn’s, but her blue glistens with excitement.
I twist my hands, jittery under their examination and praise. My phone blinks with the time and I realize I’ve been at the shop for eleven hours. Crap—I’m finally enjoying myself in Jackson, but there are a set of parents waiting at home for me, staring at their clock. “I need to go.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Finn’s brows raise in question.
“Okay.”
We step outside and the cool air is like a cold glass of water. The stars fill the black sky as if they’re never ending and the halfmoon hangs back, giving the night just enough light. And of course, my tree glistens in the lit picture window.
“I want just one more—just you,” he says, holding up his own phone.
I roll my eyes, but stand to the side of my window and attempt a true smile while Finn snaps one more picture.
“Thanks,” he says, holding up his phone. He steps over to the glass door and I walk to my car.
“See you, Finn,” I say, unable to give my tree another glance with him smiling back at me.
Rodrick and Summer sit at the kitchen table when I walk into the house. My uncle’s frown is prominent.
“Hey,” I say, stepping into the room.
Summer’s smile is small.
“Guess I’ll head up to bed.”
“Esther, wait,” Summer says and then stares pointedly at Rodrick.
“What have you been doing all day? It’s your day off. We haven’t heard from you once.” Rodrick wipes a hand down his tired face.
“I was at the shop.”
“Doing?”
“I built a window display.” I pull out my phone to prove it to them. But the only pictures I have include Finn. Luckily, Danny sent me the one of us standing side by side, so I can show them a photo that doesn’t have me cheek to cheek with a boy.
“You built that?” Summer’s right brow lifts. “That’s really beautiful Esther.
“It took all day?” Rodrick asks, barely looking at my photo.
My defenses rise. “Yes,” I say, “and most of yesterday.”
“No wonder. He is cute.” Summer holds my phone a little closer.
Rodrick pulls her wrist until he can see the picture more fully, now. “Is he the reason it took two days?”
“No,” I scoff. I want to tell him it’s none of his business, that I’ve been taking care of myself a long time and I don’t need his worry or self-righteous tones. But I don’t. “If you’d actually look at my project, you’d see it’s pretty intense. Finn works with me and he helped.”
“I just—I’m trying to understand why you would come live here and then never spend any time with us. We love you, Esther.” Rodrick sets my phone on the table. “We want get to know you better, if you’ll let us.”
I swallow past the lump in my throat, but my brain isn’t going to be able to let go of what he’s said. Stubborn Taurus. “I came to live here because you forced me to. Technically, you are my legal guardian, at least for the next ten months, and you said I had to come here.” I snatch my phone from the tabletop and fold my arms. “I was perfectly happy to stay home with my school, and my friends, and Smitty.”