Chapter 24 - The Road Out of Town
Nolan had driven forty miles north.
In Wade’s car.
Without a license.
I learned all three facts while trying not to scream.
Tessa called me from Joan’s classroom.
“Nolan texted me.”
“What did he say?”
“He’s at his grandfather’s old cabin.”
I closed my eyes.
Wade’s father had died four years earlier.
The family still owned a small property near a lake.
“Why?”
“He said he needed somewhere nobody was waiting for him to choose.”
That sentence explained too much.
Between Dana.
Wade.
School.
The Northline mess.
The strange new family arrangement.
Everybody had been praising Nolan for becoming mature.
Maybe we had forgotten maturity still gets tired at sixteen.
I called Wade.
He immediately wanted to involve police.
I understood.
Then he remembered something.
“The road ends at the cabin.”
“So?”
“He can’t go anywhere else without passing us.”
We drove together.
That was not comfortable.
It was necessary.
Dana followed in her car.
No one argued about who had the right to go.
Progress.
The cabin sat behind bare trees near gray water.
Wade’s car was parked crooked beside it.
Nolan was on the porch.
Alive.
Uninjured.
Furious.
Wade got out first.
Then stopped himself from running.
“Nolan.”
“I know.”
“You took my car.”
“I know.”
“You could’ve killed—”
Wade stopped.
He breathed.
Then tried again.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Is anyone else hurt?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
Dana approached slowly.
Nolan saw her.
His face closed.
“I didn’t ask you to come.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because you’re my son and you disappeared.”
“You disappeared.”
The words struck like a door slamming.
Dana stopped.
Wade looked away.
I remained near the cars.
This was not mine to fix.
Dana nodded.
“You’re right.”
Nolan laughed bitterly.
“Everybody keeps saying that now.”
She flinched.
“I don’t know what else to say.”
“How about why?”
She took a breath.
“Why I left?”
“Yes.”
“Because I was selfish.”
Nolan stared at her.
No long explanation.
No unstable marriage.
No money.
No distance.
Just the word.
Dana continued.
“I was unhappy. I wanted a different life. I told myself you were better with your dad because he was stable. Then every month I stayed away made it harder to admit I was choosing not to come back.”
Nolan’s eyes filled.
“That’s it?”
“No.”
“But that’s the important part?”
“Yes.”
He looked at Wade.
“And you?”
Wade frowned.
“What?”
“Why didn’t you tell me she called?”
“Because I wanted to protect you.”
“From knowing my mom wanted to talk to me?”
“Yes.”
“That wasn’t your decision.”
Wade closed his eyes.
“No.”
Nolan turned toward me.
I almost stepped backward.
“What?”
“You knew she was coming back.”
“Yes.”
“Before me.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
There it was.
My turn.
“Because she asked to tell Wade first, and I thought your parents should handle it.”
“Did you think I should know?”
“Yes.”
“But you still didn’t tell me.”
“No.”
I felt every adult excuse lining up.
Not my child.
Not my place.
Trying to be respectful.
All true.
None changed what he experienced.
“I’m sorry.”
Nolan nodded.
Not forgiving.
Receiving.
That was enough.
Then Tessa’s voice came from my phone.
I had forgotten she was still connected.
“Can somebody put me on speaker?”
Despite everything, Nolan laughed.
I did.
Tessa said, “You’re an idiot.”
“Thanks.”
“You drove forty miles without a license.”
“Yes.”
“You could’ve texted me before stealing a vehicle.”
“I did text you.”
“After.”
“Technicality.”
“Also, if you die, I have to find somebody else to carry my tripod.”
Nolan wiped his eyes.
“Your compassion is overwhelming.”
Then Tessa’s voice softened.
“Come home.”
Two words.
No lecture.
Nolan looked at the road.
Then at his parents.
“Whose home?”
Nobody answered immediately.
That was the real question.
Wade finally said, “Mine, if you want.”
Dana added, “Mine when you want.”
I said nothing.
Then Nolan looked at my phone.
“Tessa?”
She answered.
“The apartment’s too small and Mom buys terrible cereal.”
“True.”
“Come there first.”
I smiled despite myself.
We left Wade’s car at the cabin.
He drove Nolan back in mine.
Dana followed.
At the apartment, Tessa opened the door.
Nolan stepped inside.
She hit him in the arm.
“Ow.”
“That was for the car.”
Then she hugged him.
That was for everything else.
Wade and Dana stood in the hallway.
Neither tried to claim him.
For once, they waited to be invited in.
Nolan looked at them.
“Pizza?”
Dana nodded.
Wade nodded.
We ate around the kitchen table.
Six people.
Too many chairs.
Too many histories.
May you like
Not enough space.
And somehow, nobody asked Tessa to move her project off the end.
