Chapter Twenty-Nine Clover

Chapter Twenty-Nine Clover

Monday morning, December 25, 2023

If getting arrested by an air marshal wouldn’t delay her even further, Clover probably would’ve tried to fly the plane herself.

Everything took too long. The countless calls to her airline. The drive to the airport. The flight itself. Clover needed to

see her dad, and she needed to see him now.

Knox met her at the airport. “It’s not a heart attack,” he told her again, as she buckled her seat belt. Hours earlier, he

had said the same thing, but she needed to see for herself. It was early in the morning, but he drove her straight to the

hospital anyway.

“Thank you for calling me,” she said. “And for making sure he was okay.”

“Of course,” he said. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “You know I’m always gonna be here for you two.”

Clover squeezed his hand back. “I know,” she said.

An hour and a half later, Clover hurried through the corridors of the hospital, while Knox stayed at the nurses’ station, asking questions. “Daddy,” she gasped when she finally saw him, lying in the hospital bed looking so much older than his fifty-seven years. An IV stuck out from his right arm.

Jimmy opened his eyes and turned his head. “Baby girl,” he said. He let out an oof as Clover ran to him, wrapping her arms around him. “I’m okay, sweetheart, I’m fine. Just old, like you tell me.”

“The doctor said it was your blood pressure,” she said.

“The Black man’s disease,” he muttered. “It got a little high last night, but nothing to worry yourself over. You didn’t have

to come all the way back from your trip.”

Clover ignored him. He already knew how she’d respond, so no point in lecturing him about it. Instead, she kept her arms wrapped

tightly around him. They stayed like that for a while, her head on her father’s chest, with his hand on her back. She let

herself feel comforted by the steady rhythm of his breathing, of the proof that she hadn’t lost him yet. “Daddy,” she said

after what felt like hours.

“Yes, baby girl.”

She took a shaky breath, already feeling the tears prick her eyes. “I miss Mom.”

“I know,” Jimmy said. “I miss her too.” When she lifted her head to sniffle, he brushed the tears from her eyes, and then

he squinted. “Did you pierce your nose?”

“Oh,” Clover said. “Um, yes.”

He paused to consider it. “It looks good,” he said, finally. He nodded in approval. “Your mama would like it.”

She laughed. “You think so?”

“Mm-hmm,” Jimmy said. “Your mama would like everything about you, Clover. Brave, smart, fiery. You’re everything she raised

you to be.”

Clover looked down. “I’m not sure about that,” she said.

Jimmy looked at her for a long time, and then he shook his head. “Is this about why you and Knox broke up?”

Clover’s head shot up. “Mom told you about—”

“Mama and I didn’t keep secrets from each other. You know that.”

“Daddy, I... I don’t know what to say. Or how to explain everything.”

Jimmy gripped Clover’s hand and brought her closer. “You ain’t gotta explain yourself to me. I’ll tell you exactly what I

told your mom, Clover. That you are the best of both of us, and the only thing we’ve ever raised you to be is happy.”

Clover felt something in her chest break loose, and tears began to fall freely from her eyes. “Daddy,” she whispered.

“We love you, Clover. You understand that? And you know what else?”

“What?”

“Your mama had a tattoo of a snowflake, and I ain’t gonna tell you where. Point is, don’t you worry about that nose ring.”

Clover didn’t know if she was laughing or crying, but she hugged her father anyway, feeling for the first time in too long

like she was exactly who her parents wanted her to be.

Soon they lay on Jimmy’s hospital bed together as he asked about her trip, and Clover responded as honestly as she could about her new friends, and about Hailey, and then about Beth. She wondered when her dad would stop her, ask for more details, ask if she was sure. But he didn’t. He just listened and held her close. Clover leaned into him and, finally, allowed her heart to rest.

Once the nurse shooed her away, Clover made her way down to the waiting room. Knox was still there, which didn’t surprise

her. What did surprise her was another woman, the near spitting image of Beth except with long twists and winter clothes.

Bee, Clover reminded herself.

Bee stood up and stuck out her hand. “Hi,” she said. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.” She grabbed two paper bags

and lifted them for Clover to see. “I brought you guys sandwiches. I figured you must be hungry, since you just got off the

plane.”

“Oh,” Clover said. “Thank you, that’s sweet.” She laughed a little. “That’s something Beth would do.”

Bee frowned. “Is it?”

“How has the Vacate been for you?” Clover hurried on, wishing she could bite off her reckless tongue.

“Oh, it’s been—” Bee and Knox spoke at the same time. They looked at each other. They looked at Clover.

“It’s been great,” Bee said.

Clover looked at them both with a gnawing suspicion, but her phone distracted her. She looked at the caller ID. “Oh, it’s...”

She cleared her throat. “It’s Beth.”

“I heard that you two had gotten along well,” Bee said, and Clover wondered if she’d talked to her sister.

She glanced at Knox guiltily. “We did.”

Knox looked at her and then he looked at Bee. There was a mix of emotions on his face, and in that moment, it became clear that all three of them had had a very adventurous two weeks. Quietly, Bee excused herself, and Clover and Knox were left sitting beside each other in the waiting room, alone but for a middle-aged white woman, the telltale sounds of Candy Crush creeping from her phone.

After a few moments of silence, Knox cleared his throat, and for only an instant Clover saw the five-year-old boy who became

her best friend, blue eyes peeking out from beneath messy brown hair. “So,” a very adult Knox said now, his voice low and

shy.

“So,” she said. She reached out a hand, and he hesitated before grabbing it between both his palms.

“So,” he said again. “Beth, huh?”

Clover felt her brown cheeks brighten. “Yeah.” She took a deep breath. “And Bee?”

He nodded slowly. “I think so.” He put his head back and looked up at the white ceiling above them. Another silence passed

between them, this time gentler and more forgiving. He closed his eyes tight and then opened them again. “I can’t believe

we fell for a set of twins.”

Clover let out a bark of laughter. “Oh my god, you’re right.”

“Right? Like, we won’t get married, so instead let’s find another way to get involved in the same gene pool.”

“Wow,” she said. She leaned her head back like his. “That’s ridiculous.”

“You know what your mom would say, after she got used to the idea?”

“What’s that?”

“The Lord works in mysterious ways.”

This time, Clover laughed so hard she felt tears come to her eyes. “Knox,” she huffed out between “Oh my god, why?” He grinned

at her, holding her hand with a flexed arm to keep her from tipping over completely. When she could finally collect herself,

he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and leaned his head against hers.

“It’s good to hear you laugh,” he said softly.

She smiled. “It’s good to hear you making jokes again.” She moved her head so she could look at him. “It’s not weird to you?

The... me... being with a woman... thing?”

He took a sharp inhale of breath and then let it out slowly. “It’s weird you being with someone else in general. But no, I’m

not exactly surprised. I’m pretty sure I almost lost you to that girl in high school.”

Clover almost knocked his head back as she shifted to look up at him. “You knew about Hailey?”

“Ah, right. Hailey. That was her name.” He frowned as he remembered. “I mean, I knew the way she looked at you, the few times

you tried to get us all to hang out with each other. And the way you looked at her. I didn’t want to regret not saying anything,

so I took my shot.” He looked down at her. “And I’m glad I did, even if it didn’t last.” Then he cleared his throat and looked

away. “Do you... do you regret it? Choosing me over her?”

Clover thought about it for a moment. Then she shook her head. “That’s the thing, Knox. Even if we’re not together like that, I’m always going to choose you. Every day.” She closed her eyes when she felt his lips against her forehead and his arm tighten around her shoulders.

Then: “It was the trapper hat.”

She frowned. “What was?”

“Bee falling for me. I wore the trapper hat one day, and she was smitten.”

“I hate you so much, Knox.”

“I know. I don’t know how you can stand me.”

He winked at her, and she laughed again, her heart feeling full, and light, and whole. “Lots of love and whiskey, Knox Haywood,”

she said. “Lots of love and whiskey.”