I barely finish my can of Ensure. But I do feel better after. He doesn’t notice me skipping the vitamins Mom left behind, so I don’t have to worry about faking or lying to him. For some reason, he’s so much harder to lie to than Mom. Maybe because he’s so trusting. He always expects the best of everyone. “Your mom called me last night,” he says as he’s finishing his turkey sandwich. “Said we’d be celebrating tonight. Said it was a surprise. I know it’s not my birthday, so care to fill me in?” I shake my head. Leaving high school and agreeing to my surgery are no cause for celebration to me. He wipes his mouth and leans back. “You sure? It doesn’t have anything to do with a new arrival, does it?” Is he talking about the defibrillator they’ll be implanting in my heart? “Huh?” His eyes go wide for a second and he looks flustered. “Never mind.
