Page 25 of Old Habits

“Ask what?”

“You have questions, right?”

“One or two,” I confirm.

“Then, go ahead.”

“All right.” I take a sip of my drink first. “I’ll start with the most important question. How are you, Jovie?”

She cracks a smile. “I figured the most important one would be ‘where have you been, Jovie?’”

I shrug. “I figured baby steps.”

Jovie nods once, gently biting the edge of her mouth for a moment. “I’m okay,” she says. “Being on my own was rough at first but I got the hang of it.”

“So, you were alone?”

“For the most part.” She exhales. “What about you? How are you, Will?”

“I’m okay,” I answer. “I’ve got a good job, supportive parents, a cool nephew, a loving sister — who, by the way, is really unnerved by your sudden appearance.”

Jovie smirks. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah, she does not like you being here.”

“She never did.”

“Any idea why?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Her smile fades. “It sounds like you still like it here.”

“Yeah, Clover’s great,” I say. “It’s quiet, simple…”

Jovie’s eyes start to roll but she stops them. “I’m sure that’s great for some,” she says. “But there’s a lot more in the world than Clover, Kansas.”

“I’ve heard that but…” I shrug. “They call it The Forgotten Paradise for a reason, right?”

“Deceptive marketing?” she quips.

“Come on, Jove.” I chuckle. “Tell me one place you’ve been that’s better than this.”

She goes silent and presses her lips together. Her nail taps against the table before she reaches for her glass.

I’ve already opened the door. Might as well walk on through.

“Where have you been, Jovie?” I ask.

“Around,” she answers.

“Is that really all you’re gonna give me?”

“Yeah.”

“One day you were here and the next you were gone. You didn’t tell anybody you were leaving. Even your dad was blindsided.”

“And everyone else threw a goddamn party.”

“Just…” I lean forward. “Forget about everyone else. I’m asking for an explanation. I mean… don’t you owe me that?”