Chapter 41

CHAPTER 41

A fter everybody but Darius left, I kept thinking about Ozzie waiting to tell us he loved us until he was dead.

"What?" Darius said into what was evidently too long a silence for him.

"Ozzie," I said. "You know, he was always there for us. Grumpy, of course, but he was never mean. And if I ever had a problem, as soon as he knew about it, he'd fix it. And then gripe at Mom for not telling him sooner. So, I guess he had been telling us he loved us all along."

Darius nodded. "Just in his own macho way."

"Max told my mom that Ozzie was some sort of super-spy who'd done lots of exciting things."

Darius nodded again.

"Like your dad," I said. "Max told her your dad was like a legend."

Darius raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything.

"You didn't know?"

"I knew he was a retired something," Darius said. "But come on, do you see my dad ever saying ‘I was a legend'?"

"No," I said. "But Max says he was, so he must have been."

Darius frowned a little. "You know, Max may not be a completely good guy. I know you like him, but I think he's done some . . . not good things."

"Then they needed to be done," I said firmly. "Everything I've seen him do has been good. I love it that he sticks close to my mom now like Maggs sticks close to him. Mom doesn't need to be Cheery Boost all the time anymore. She's actually happy. She even tried Selfish Day, during which, of course, she worked. She has a ways to go on the ‘selfish' thing." I thought about Mom. "She hasn't started dancing again. But I think she's working on some bottle thing, so that's an improvement. And she's smiling for real now. Max is a good guy."

"Just . . ." Darius paused and I waited until he finished with ". . . be careful around him."

"He has a good dog," I told him to end that conversation. "A good dog would never be with a bad man."

"Right." Darius didn't roll his eyes at me, he's not rude, but it was in his voice.

"And now I have transportation," I said, changing the subject fast. "I love Ozzie's old truck, and did you see how Marley reacted when I told him about the truck? He acted like I'd won the lottery. Although actually, I already won the lottery earlier."

"Inheriting the building?" Darius said.

"No." And then I told him about the bank account Ozzie had given me.

"That's great ," he said, grinning at me. "Good old Ozzie."

I'd loved Ozzie and now I knew Ozzie loved me, too. He had always been there. He'd taught me to ride a bike and to be aware of everything around me when I was on it. Same thing when he taught me to drive. "No matter how careful you are, Poppy," he'd say, "there's always some dumb fuck out there who's dangerous. In front of you, to the side, behind you, so be aware." And I always was now. He'd taught me to shoot the shotgun when I was twelve. That had probably been a clue there was something more going on with him, but I was twelve. I just thought it was cool.

"Poppy?" Darius said, and I realized I'd been thinking again and not talking .

"Everything is going to be great from now on.," I told him. "You know, as long as Max doesn't leave. I have to make a plan for that."

"Forget Max," Darius said. "So now that you have wheels, do I still get to pick you up every morning?"

"Duh," I said. "How else am I going to get kissed before school?"

"Oh, I'd find a way," Darius said, grinning at me.

He would, too.

Everything was going to be just fine.

As long as Max didn't leave.