She sat and took out her phone and scrolled through the conversations she’d had with David. He was probably getting on the train at that very moment. And in about twenty-four hours, she would see him face-to-face. The thought thrilled her and frightened her at the same time.

The phone rang and it startled her. She picked up and heard Courtney’s voice. “Can you believe he’s going to be here tomorrow, Mom? I can’t wait!”

Melissa found her favorite chair and sat. “Yeah, it’s going to be great to see him, isn’t it?”

“The best,” Courtney said. “Do you think he’ll want to stay with us after he meets us? Or maybe come to the house and stay over the summer? Can we ask him? We’ve got the extra room.”

“I don’t know, spider monkey. Let’s try to keep our expectations low and see how it goes, okay?”

“Aww,” Courtney said. “Can’t you text and ask him?”

“Not now. Let’s just meet first and then see what happens.”

“Is Shawn coming to pick me up?”

“Yeah, he’ll be there soon. He’s finishing his breakfast.”

“Okay. Mom, I’m so excited.”

Melissa smiled. “See you soon, sweetie.” She hung up, then rocked back and forth on the chair, clicking her nails against the back of the phone.

“So Brian and Azure know about David coming, right?” Shawn said.

“Yeah, I told him when I dropped Courtney off.”

“What was his reaction?”

“You know Brian,” she said. “I don’t know what’s going on in there. Or if anything’s going on.”

“Maybe Azure will help him see the value of reaching out.”

“Maybe,” she said.

Shawn grabbed his hat and opened the door. “Okay, I’m heading over there. We’ll be back in an hour.” He gave her a knowing look. “Melissa, you need to tell him before he gets here.”

“I know,” she said, looking away. She didn’t need to ask who he meant.

Shawn stared at her without moving. That unnerved her.

“I know,” she said again.

He closed the door and she sat with the phone in front of her. She didn’t know if David would accept his sister when they met. What if he stayed distant from Courtney and the two didn’t click? What if he treated her like someone who didn’t matter to him? The last thing Courtney needed was another disappointment in her life.

Then she had a flicker of a thought that felt like hope. What if instead of the worst, David accepted Courtney? What if he didn’t reject or ignore her but showed kindness? What if he really became her older brother and took an interest in her? Would being raised by Susan and Jimmy provide that kind of thoughtfulness and grace? Was that too much to ask of an eighteen-year-old?