The Whole Way Home by Sarah Creech

Author:Sarah Creech
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2017-06-06T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

Shades Pulled Down

Jo remembered a late-summer night when she, Rob, and J. D. had finished practicing their little bluegrass ensemble in J. D.’s barn, and his mama invited them to stay for dinner. J. D.’s mama used fine ingredients in the foods she cooked—Jo had never seen balsamic vinegar before and wasn’t too sure she should eat something black on her fresh garden greens, but she refused to ask what it was, afraid of sounding poor and ignorant. She felt a little bit out of sorts around J. D.’s family. Jo’s home was only half the size of the barn J. D. had for practicing music.

After dinner J. D.’s parents put a Ray Price record on their phonograph and moved the antique sitting room furniture to the side so they could dance together. Mrs. Gunn closed her eyes and rested her head on Mr. Gunn’s shoulder. J. D. looked like his mother, with his dark curly hair and blue eyes, and that dreamy way he looked out of them. Jo couldn’t remember her own parents ever caressing each other, but they had so many of Jo’s cousins running around all the time it was hard to even remember her parents in the same room together.

J. D.’s nose and cheeks turned a muted red as he watched his parents moving together in slow time. When the song ended, Mrs. Gunn came over to J. D. and petted his face. “My handsome boy.” Then she turned to Rob and Jo and said, “I’ve always known he was special, knew it when he was growing in my body. I’d talk to him and he’d kick right back. We were talking together even then.”

She kissed him on the forehead and with her face close to his, she said, “Don’t you ever forget that, okay? Don’t ever forget how special you are.”

Mr. Gunn came over and took her by the arm. “You spoil him.”

She tousled his hair. “Can’t help it.”

Mr. and Mrs. Gunn retired for the night and left them all a little uncomfortable from that sudden affection. But Jo never doubted that J. D. was special or that he would become famous, if that’s what he wanted. It was what he’d wanted, no matter what he thought of his life now. The city of Los Angeles moved past her window in a blur of palm trees and neon lights until the driver finally pulled in to her hotel and dropped them off at the entrance. People stared at J. D., Jo, and Marie as they entered the open-air lobby, where a concrete fountain filled with live pink flamingos greeted them all. Jo overheard a passerby ask her friend if it was really them. The hotel staff at the reception desk waved as they walked by. Marie stumbled along between them.

More people approached J. D. and Jo in the lobby. A teenage girl said, “I just saw you guys on YouTube. That was awesome. Will you do another song like that?”

“Maybe so,” Jo said, and then raised her eyebrows at J.

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