“This is not about whether you go to Hawaii.”
“It kind of is.”
“No.”
“It is about an adult making a decision that hurt you and lying to me.”
“But if I wasn’t here…”
Marcus’s heart clenched.
“Do not finish.”
She looked at him.
“If you were not here, my life would be worse in every way that matters.”
“Camille thinks the boys come second because of me.”
“You heard?”
She nodded.
“How much?”
“Some.”
Marcus cursed himself.
Maya looked scared.
“She’s right.”
“About what?”
“You do more stuff with me.”
Marcus breathed.
“Maybe.”
“You come to my school more.”
“Maybe.”
“You know all my friends.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t know Jordan’s new best friend.”
Marcus did not.
Maya continued.
“Camille knows mine.”
That hurt.
“Does that make what she did okay?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“Adults can be wrong about one thing and right about another.”
“That is annoying.”
“Yes.”
She stared at the blanket.
“Do Jordan and Eli hate me?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“I don’t.”
She looked alarmed.
Marcus smiled gently.
“I can’t read their minds.”
“But nothing I’ve seen says they hate you.”
Maya whispered:
“Jordan gave me his headphones.”
“I saw.”
“And Eli gave me smoothie.”
“He ate most.”
“He gave me one bite.”
“Heroic.”
She smiled.
Then:
“Can we still go somewhere someday?”
“Yes.”
“All five?”
Marcus paused.
“I hope so.”
She noticed.
“You used to promise.”
He felt that.
“I only want to promise things I can control.”
Maya thought.
“Can you promise you won’t go on the trip without me?”
“Yes.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
He hooked his little finger around hers.
She fell asleep holding it.
Marcus did not.
The next morning he found Jordan on the back patio at six thirty.
The boy sat with a basketball between his knees.
Marcus brought two glasses of orange juice.
Jordan accepted one.
“You mad at me?”
Marcus sat.
“No.”
“You canceled because I told Mom about basketball.”
“No.”
Jordan looked skeptical.
“She said that’s why she got mad.”
“Your feelings mattered.”
“What she did was her decision.”
Jordan stared at the yard.
“I didn’t want Maya to stay.”
“I know.”
“I was excited she wasn’t going at first.”
Marcus waited.
Jordan’s face tightened.
“Not because I don’t like her.”
“Okay.”
“Because I thought maybe you’d hang out with us.”
Marcus swallowed.
“You thought I wouldn’t if Maya came?”
Jordan shrugged.
“You always have to make sure she’s okay.”
“Her mom died.”
“I know.”
“My dad drinks.”
There it was.
Not shouted.
Not weaponized.
Just placed between them.
Marcus nodded.
“Yes.”