chapter 16

A few days passed without a word from or about Jesse. I was so worried about him that I

couldn’t eat or sleep. Not knowing whether he was alive or dead, the anxiety was overwhelming

me. I tried calling him a few times, only to get no answer.

When my phone finally rang with a call from his number, I was ecstatic.

“I’m recovering,” he assured me. “Don’t worry.”

I thanked him countless times for fixing Julie’s truck, silently thanked God that he was

okay, then hung up the phone.

After that we talked sporadically, but texted each other every day. I thought it was best to

let him recover at his own speed. I really wanted to see him and would have paid him a visit, but

his mother didn’t want anyone stopping by until he was fully recuperated. “Doctor’s orders,” he

joked, though it was technically true.

* * *

Before I knew it, a month had passed by.

Jesse had a part-time job at the local zoo. When he told me that they were hiring, I filled

out an application, interviewed well, an