Because of You

18

Returning to Harper was surreal. After having seen Charlotte in the ICU, with numerous cords and tubes attached to her body and her existence only being assured by the constant beeping coming from her monitors, life changed. The problems that existed prior to Charlotte's hospitalization didn't seem like problems at all. They were annoyances that Lo realized she blew out of proportion. Chores, curfews, and being without a car had become things that she wished were her biggest problems. This newfound perspective fast tracked Lo to maturity and also solidified her feelings for Foster. Everything that took up space in her mind was discarded, except for him. Her love for him only grew as she dealt with the fact that she might lose her mother.

Foster met her at the bus station that evening, relieving Mr. Eaton of having to chauffeur Lo from the station to home. He stood, leaning against his father's silver Accord with sunglasses on, shielding his eyes from the setting July sun. He was consumed in a new book, too engrossed to realize that the bus had pulled into the station.

Lo stepped out into the humid air and placed her hand above her eyes, searching for the Eaton Roadmaster, but couldn't find it. Her head scanned the lot from left to right before she spotted a young man, long and thin, with his nose deep in a book. She wasn't expecting to see Foster and raced toward him, giggling.

The sound of quickly approaching footsteps broke his focus and he tilted his head down to peer out over his sunglasses. He released the book from his grasp, laying it down on the hood of his car, and opened his arms wide enough to encircle Lo and her traveling bags.

He kissed the top of her head and said, "Hi there."

"I didn't know you were picking me up!"

"I called your grandpa this morning and asked if it was okay."

Lo released her hug and looked up.

"I'll bet he was happy to get out of pick up duty."

Foster smiled and said, "Yeah, he didn't mind."

They kissed each other, Lo on her tippy toes in order to reach him.

Foster grabbed her bags and his book and put them into the car before opening her door.

Once they both adjusted themselves in the car, they kissed again. After three days without each other and only one phone call, they were desperate to hold one another.

"I missed you so much," said Foster.

"I missed you too," Lo admitted.

A moment of silence resided between them. Foster was eager to know how Charlotte was doing, and Lo was afraid to tell him.

"How's your mom?"

She took a deep breath and prefaced him with a weighty-eyed look. She fidgeted with her fingers, trying to find the right words to say. She didn't want to cry or get too emotional. She'd done that for the last three days. Foster reached his hand over to her shoulder and started gently rubbing it.

He changed the subject.

"Look what I started reading," he said, grabbing the book on the back seat.

As he leaned over, his cologne drifted to Lo's side of the car and made her feel at ease. She wanted to grab a hold of him again and just stay like that forever.

He held up The Handmaid's Tale and Lo snatched it from his hands.

"You started it?"

"Sure did," Foster said, "It's already insane!"

"I told you! Just keep reading."

"Oh, I'll finish it soon. I can't imagine how it's going to end," said Foster.