Until the Stars Fade

Chapter 6

After our first date at Giada's, Asher and I have been pretty much inseparable. He stops by the store when I'm working, usually towards the end of my shift so he can walk me home. Sometimes he brings me lunch and we eat sandwiches and walk through the historic homes and make up stories about the people that live in them. I still stare wistfully at Gogo's old house and tell Asher tales of my childhood there.

My parents and I lived with Gogo and PopPop until I was five when my parents got jobs in Atlanta and we moved there. Mostly we lived there so my parents had help with me while they were in med school at University of Florida-Jacksonville. Both Gogo and PopPop were cardiologists so everyone had busy schedules, but between nannies and preschool, they all somehow made it work. It was lonely when we moved to Atlanta because I missed my grandparents so much and all my neighborhood friends, but my parents put priority on their jobs. If they got jobs at a medical school and teaching hospital, they would have more opportunities to travel to underserved areas and follow their dream of working for Doctors without Borders.

After working a few years, my parents were able to take some sabbatical time for their first trip to Africa. Some of the doctors take their whole families, but my parents didn't care for that idea, so they shipped me back to Jacksonville to stay with Gogo and PopPop. I was elated.

That was the beginning of my summers in Jacksonville. Gogo hired a babysitter for me, a college student who let me go swimming, took me to the park, shopping, basically whatever idea we came up with and every day seemed more fun than the one before. At this point in their careers, my grandparents were well established and could make their schedules more flexible. They always took two weeks off during the summer and would spend every day taking me to the beach or swimming in the pool with me. PopPop would walk me into town for ice cream and Gogo took me on her Thursday lunch dates. The summers were over before I knew it, and then it was back to Atlanta to go to school and hang out with different babysitters there. My parents worked so much I hardly saw them and they definitely never signed up to volunteer at school or go on field trips. So, all year I would count the days and months until I'd be back in Jacksonville.

Now, after spending these last weeks with Asher, the thought of going back to Atlanta makes my stomach hurt. Even though he's going to start filming his show in another month and will be super busy, the thought of being five hours away makes it hard to breathe.

Tonight, Gogo, Asher and I went to the movies together. Gogo had been wanting to see a documentary about penguins and asked Asher and I to accompany her. Not exactly a romantic evening when your grandma is along, but the film was actually really good and then she treated us to ice cream afterwards.

After saying goodbye to Asher at the ice cream shop, Gogo and I started walking home. Halfway home, her phone rang. She pulled it out and showed it to me, it was my dad calling. I have a biweekly Skype call with my parents just to check in, but mostly I think they call because Gogo told my dad he had to check on me. If it wasn't for Gogo, I'm pretty sure my parents would be fine going all summer without seeing me or hearing my voice. At this point, I'm pretty used to their ambivalence to me. Sad but true.

"Max, dear, how are you?" Gogo smiled as he talked to my dad. Even though I know she wishes my parents were more involved in my life, she's still incredibly proud of my dad and the work he and my mom are doing.

"Well, yes, Kinsley is here, we are walking home after seeing a movie tonight. Why don't I have her Skype you once we're inside. Ok. I see. I'm sure that's the case."

I couldn't hear what my dad was saying, but the look on Gogo's face told me she didn't exactly like what she was hearing.

"Yes, dear, I understand. I'm glad you and Olivia are doing well. Be sure to call again soon. Kinsley will call you in about 10 minutes. Love you son." She hung up her phone and dropped it back in her purse.