Mack nodded.
Nora thought.
“Then why didn’t you come to his funeral?”
The question arrived cleanly.
No malice.
Mack looked toward Jenna.
She did not save him.
Good.
He answered:
“I didn’t know in time.”
“Why?”
“Because your dad and I stopped talking.”
“Why?”
“Because I was stubborn.”
Nora considered.
“Dad was stubborn too.”
Mack smiled.
“Very.”
“Mom says I got it from him.”
Jenna laughed.
“You did.”
Nora looked toward Mack.
“Were you his best friend?”
Mack stared at the lake.
“Once.”
“Then what?”
He thought.
“Then we forgot being brothers still requires maintenance.”
Nora frowned.
“Like motorcycles?”
He looked toward her.
“Exactly.”
“Can you fix it after somebody dies?”
Mack’s chest tightened.
He looked toward Jenna.
Then back.
“Not with them.”
“But maybe with what they left.”
Nora seemed to accept that.
She handed him the dandelion.
“For your patch.”
Mack looked confused.
Nora pointed toward A.P.
“Dad.”
Mack slid the stem carefully behind the patch.
The yellow flower looked ridiculous against black leather.
He kept it there until it fell apart.
The Road Home grant paid Jenna’s deposit on a small two-bedroom duplex near Rebecca.
Not luxurious.
Safe.
Clean.
Near a school.
The remainder covered overdue storage fees, two months of childcare, and part of the van repair.
Jenna found work three weeks later at a medical billing office.
Better hours than her previous job.
Lower pay initially.
Enough.
She told Mack by text.
Got the job.
He replied:
Good.
Then:
Do I say congratulations or is that annoying?
Jenna smiled.
Congratulations acceptable.
He sent:
Congratulations.
No emoji.
Mack did not trust emojis.
Nora started at a new school.
The first month was difficult.
New students asked too many questions.
Why did you move?
Where’s your dad?
Why does your brother have a different last initial on his daycare bag? He didn’t; a classmate just misread it.
Children could create interrogation from nothing.
Nora learned to say:
“My dad died.”
Direct.
It made people stop.
Sometimes too quickly.
One girl named Ava became her friend because she responded differently.
“My grandpa died.”
Nora said:
“That’s different.”
Ava nodded.
“Yeah.”
Then they talked about something else.
Perfect.
Mack visited twice during those months.
Never unannounced.
First for Eli’s second birthday because Nora invited him.
He arrived carrying a small wrapped box.
Jenna looked suspicious.
“How much?”
“Relax.”
Inside was a wooden toy motorcycle.
Twenty dollars.
Nora inspected it.
“No wheels come off.”
“They better not.”
Eli immediately threw it.
Mack caught it.
“Good reflexes.”
The second visit happened after Nora’s school assignment.
FAMILY HISTORY DAY.
Every student had to bring an object or story about someone in their family.
Nora wanted the photograph.
Jenna hesitated.
Not because of the biker image.