Suicide Notes

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Anna-

Shaking, I reached for the doorknob, chiding myself on being so nervous. Swinging the door open, it was Caleb standing on the porch, hands shoved in the pockets of his faded jeans, his black t-shirt, with multiple skulls and crossbones, stretching nicely across his broad shoulders.

With a flick of his head, he tossed his hair out of his eyes and smiled—his nerves clearly showing through as he glanced past me and into the hallway. "Am I too early?" he asked, eyes reverting back to me.

"No. You're right on time."

He made no move to enter, continuing to stare at me. Dropping his voice, he whispered, "Have they said anything about me coming to breakfast? Do they think it's weird?"

I couldn't help but grin as a small laugh escaped me. "Not a word. You'd think you'd been coming here to eat with us every Saturday morning."

He sighed heavily. "Well, that's good, I guess. Are you ready to do this?" For some reason, it made me feel strangely comfortable knowing he was as nervous about this as I was.

I nodded. "Yep."

Smiling, he stepped closer, his eyes drifting over me. "You look gorgeous." He leaned forward and kissed my cheek as I snorted.

"I'm in yoga pants and a tank top."

"You're in black yoga pants and red tank top that says Rockstar. That's hot . . . and amazingly accurate." He lightly kissed my lips this time, before moving next to my ear. "And that tank accentuates your breasts very—"

"Are you going to let the boy in or keep him at the door all day?" My mom's voice interrupted him.

Caleb quickly jerked away as she rounded the corner and I felt myself flush furiously over his comment. Stepping aside so he could enter, I watched as he easily greeted my mom. "Thanks for having me over, Melanie," he said, giving her a hug.

"We should've done it sooner. How're you holding up, sweetheart?" My mom pushed back to stare into his eyes, concern evident on her face.

"Okay, I guess. It hasn't been easy."

Mom released him and gestured for us to follow her toward the kitchen. He turned and waited for me to close the door, and then followed me. Dad was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper. He folded it and stood to greet Caleb. "Great to see you again, son," he said as they clapped each other on the back.

"You too," Caleb replied cordially. "It doesn't happen enough these days."

"Yeah. It's easy to let work, and life, get in the way," Dad said, sitting back down. Caleb held a chair out for me, before sliding into the seat next to me. My mom sat next to Dad, having already laden the center of the table with waffles, fresh fruit, syrup, whipped cream, and orange juice. "How's your family doing?" my father asked, picking up the plate of waffles and taking a couple, before passing it to me.

"Honestly, I don't really know. I'm afraid I've been a little absent lately. I'm planning on going over there after I leave here to make sure Danica is okay."

My parents didn't even blink at the obvious slight against Hank in his comment. It was no secret that there was no love lost between Caleb and his dad.

"I saw Danica at the grocery store the other day," my mom announced, dishing food onto her plate. "She looked so fragile, as if the slightest thing might shatter her to pieces. She left before I caught her, so I took a casserole by for them, later on. We spoke for a couple of minutes, but it seemed like the visit made her nervous. Not that I blame her. Our hearts have been broken over Jessi. I can't imagine what it must be like for your mom."