Chapter 36: Work then Play

I slipped on a blue and gold LA Rams shirt and a pair of shorts with an elastic waistband that were clearly baggy, but not falling around my ankles. As I tied the t-shirt in a knot on the side so it didn’t completely engulf me and folded down the waistband of the shorts, I thought about how I could make Luke feel more at ease. Clearly, something rattled him, and although I didn’t know what it was, I felt confident Luke couldn’t scare me away.

When I returned, Luke sat on the couch, waiting for me. “Not quite up to Lyle’s standards, but it will have to do,” I said indicating my outfit. Luke threw me a strained smile. I sat down next to him and took his hand. “It’s OK. I’m not going anywhere.”

He looked at the far corner of the room, not meeting my eyes. “This is a little hard to talk about.” I nodded. “You know how I told you my sister drowned? Well, there’s more to the story.” I sat back and listened carefully, trying not to make a sound so Luke would continue.