As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti

Author:Chelsea Sedoti
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2017-11-08T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Countdown: 10 Days

Sometime during the night, Uncle Jasper found his way onto our living room couch. His mouth is hanging open, and I have the urge to throw something in it, see if it’ll rouse him from his drunken stupor.

In the kitchen, my mom is in a coupon-cutting frenzy. Scraps of paper fly around like confetti.

“Looks like Jasper had a rough night,” I say to her, crossing to the fridge for a glass of orange juice.

“As usual,” Ma replies in a clipped tone.

“Why do you always rescue him? Maybe it would do him good to fend for himself.”

“Because he’s family, Eldon,” she says. “I may not always like what Jasper does. I may not always like him. But I love him, and you do everything you can for the people you love.”

Ma’s speaking in an even tone, but it sounds like she’s barely holding back rage. Uncle Jasper doesn’t usually get her so worked up.

“Uh…is everything OK?” I ask.

Ma slams down her scissors. “Did you know about Fletcher?”

I guess the secret is out.

She glares at me with eyes that are red and glassy and burning with fury. “Did you know he got a second chance? A stranger gave him a second chance, and my own son won’t do the same for his sister.”

I don’t speak. Because what could I possibly say?

I’m sorry, I think. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’m letting you down, but I can’t save Ebba, and the longer you pretend I can, the more painful this is going to be.

“Ma—” I begin quietly.

“Don’t, Eldon. I don’t want to hear it.” She rests her elbows on the table and puts her face in her hands. I expect to hear sobs, but she’s silent. She’s waiting for me to leave. She can’t even stand the sight of my face.

I slip out of the kitchen without getting my orange juice. I couldn’t have stomached it anyway.

• • •

“It’s like he was resurrected,” says Merrill.

We’re on our way to Vegas. I’m sitting shotgun, and Norie’s in the back seat, leaning forward to hear us better.

“He wasn’t resurrected,” I say. “He wasn’t dead yet.”

“From what I hear, he was pretty goddamn close. What was Penelope thinking?”

“I think it’s honorable,” Norie chimes in from the back seat. “Penelope made a huge sacrifice for Fletcher.”

“How can you say that?” Merrill replies, swerving a little. I consider asking him to pull over so I can drive. “She played God. You can’t possibly be cool with that.”

“Or maybe God wanted Fletcher to have a second chance.”

Merrill glances over at me. “Come on, Eldo. Back me up here.”

I haven’t worked out my feelings though. I think about Penelope’s haunted expression. The fear and regret that she couldn’t hide with an optimistic smile. We always assumed you couldn’t wish to resurrect or kill someone because it’s too complicated. Like the wish cave doesn’t have that much power, yeah? But maybe there’s more to it than that.

Right before Fletcher jumped, he must have been dead in his own mind.

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