Chapter 24: The Only Group Chat

On the first Sunday of June I put four chairs around a table built for two.

Nate had carried the fourth one up from the dry cleaner's back room, with the owner's blessing and a threat about returning it.

He was in my kitchen now, in an apron I didn't own, stirring something that was supposed to be gravy.

Ledger sat on the windowsill, supervising.

"Your brother's late," Nate said.

"My brother's twelve minutes early. He's in the car."

"Why is he in the car?"

"Because he's nervous."

I went to the window.

Colby was sitting behind the wheel of the blue Civic with the engine off, holding an envelope in both hands.

I watched him take a breath and get out.

He came up the stairs two at a time and stopped in my doorway with his collar buttoned wrong.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi."

He held out the envelope.

"It's the first one," Colby said. "Hundred a week, four weeks. It's four hundred. The check from Hartwell, and I signed it over."

I took it.

It was a plain white envelope, not very thick, and he had written my name on it in block capitals.

"Thank you," I said.

"You don't have to say that."

"I know I don't."

He grinned, and it was the first time I had seen the real one since he was fifteen.

"Also I'm taking Intro to Accounting," he said. "At night. January. I already signed up."

"Good," said Nate, from the stove. "Your sister will check your math."

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