And for the first time in ages, a text from Mia made Annabelle smile for real.

Yeah well he doesn’t have to take Mr. Derrickson’s tests!! she wrote back, and Mia’s next text came immediately.

Ugh I wish I could force him to as punishment for leaving AGAIN. He’s going to NYC today. He’s like never here anymore.

Annabelle sent back an ugh I’m sorry and checked the time.

She really had to leave for tutoring, but she really wished she could call Mia.

Mia had complained before about how much her dad traveled but not for a long time. This last text felt like the most honest thing either of them had told the other all summer, and Annabelle wanted to capitalize on it. Letting it go felt like wasting a strong start to a race with lazy first strokes.

She thought maybe she could even talk to Mia about her dad if she called her right now. She didn’t like talking about him, so she usually used Mom’s “He’s not in the picture” line. Mia had pushed it one time and asked why not, and Annabelle had said the other thing Mom sometimes told people: that he “had some things to work out before he could be in her life.”

But maybe she could tell Mia the rest. Mia didn’t know her dad, so she wouldn’t get upset or protective like Mom. Maybe Mia could help her figure out whether she wanted to write back or not, and what she wanted to say if she did.

Or maybe Mia would be so busy getting texts from Reagan that she’d barely pay attention and she’d give Annabelle some too-fast, too-definite response. Like “Of course you should see him, he’s your dad.” Or, “Isn’t your life fine without him? Why would you want to risk messing everything up?” Or, “Why don’t you just ask your mom?”

Annabelle sighed. Whether she wanted to talk to Mia right now or not, she couldn’t keep Janine waiting. She’d promised Mom she’d be on time. So she sent Mia a string of hearts and then dropped her things into the basket of her bike and started off toward the library.

But a few minutes into her ride, her phone buzzed with another text, and this one was from Connor.

Hey HB.

Below that, three dots showed her that he was typing.

She pulled to the side of the path to wait for his next message.

We’re getting a ride with Jordan & eating at the pool. Be at your place in 15?

Fifteen.

Fifteen minutes? That’s when her tutoring session started. It would take her almost that long to ride back home and get her things for practice.

She swatted away a bug that buzzed close to her cheek, but as soon as it flew away, another one buzzed over.

It was too late to cancel tutoring. Janine would have left already to meet her at the library. And Mom would completely freak out if she didn’t go.