“She’ll be okay.” But he wasn’t as sure that Blaise would be, which worried him. She was taking his leaving very hard. “I’ll stay in touch with Salima,” he promised. “We can text each other on her voice-texting phone, or she can call me. And you can call me whenever you want.” He hoped she would, but he had the feeling she wouldn’t, and he was right. She knew she had to let him go now to lead his life and find his path, with the woman he wanted. She wished it had been her. She was certain he would stay with Megan. He had invested too much time in her not to.
After they hung up, it was strange knowing that she was in the apartment with him, and not together. Her bed was so empty now. He might as well have been back at Caldwell. He had already left her life, and she was setting him free, because she loved him. All that remained now were the last agonizing details. She lay awake for hours that night, thinking about him. And in his room, Simon was thinking about her too. He had never felt worse in his life. He missed her acutely, even before he left, and he cried himself to sleep that night, as Blaise lay silent and awake in the moonlight in her room. They were worlds apart.
Blaise ran into Simon in the kitchen the next morning when she went to get a cup of coffee. He handed it to her out of habit. She suddenly felt a thousand years old, and assumed she probably looked it, and no longer cared. Simon hated to see her so miserable but didn’t tell her how beautiful she looked or how much he loved her. And Salima came in seeming depressed while they were talking. Her mother had told her the night before that Simon was going back to Caldwell, and a new girl was replacing him, and Salima had cried when she told her. But she was relieved that her mother was letting her stay home instead of going to Caldwell. But she was heartbroken to be losing Simon from her daily life. Salima went to see him in his room after her mother told her.
“What about you and my mom?” she asked him bluntly.
“That’s kind of on hold for now,” he said vaguely, in an apologetic tone.
“You mean it’s over?” Salima looked sorely disappointed and even more so that he was leaving and on such short notice.
“I don’t know. It’s complicated. I have to work some things out, and your mom probably won’t want to wait while I do. It’ll take some time.”
“I think she loves you, Simon,” Salima said softly. She could hear how sad he was, and her mother’s cheeks had been wet when Salima hugged her after she explained that Simon was going.
“I love her too. And I loved my three months with you. I’ll send you text messages every day.” She could write hers by phone, and receive his by voice.
“Will you come to visit?” May seemed an eternity away to her, when he finished the school year.
“If it’s okay with your mother,” he said respectfully. “We’re going to miss you at Caldwell. It won’t be the same without you.” But Salima was happy to be staying in New York. She had a wonderful new life there, thanks to Simon. And she didn’t want to go back to the cottage there when Abby died. But she was worried about his replacement.
“What if Becky is a drip and we don’t get along? I had so much fun with you.”
“So did I.” He smiled. “Your mom can find someone else if she has to, from one of the schools here. But I think Becky will be fine. Give her a chance. You weren’t all that happy about me in the beginning either.” They both smiled at the memory of Salima’s early defiance.
Becky arrived while all three of them were in the kitchen, carrying one small suitcase, and she looked daunted by the group. She said hello to Simon, he introduced her to Salima and they shook hands, and then he introduced her to Blaise, who looked somber as she looked her over. She was too upset to give her a warm welcome, and Salima was no better. Becky looked worried when Simon showed her to her room next to his.
“Did someone die, or is that because you’re leaving? They look really sad,” Becky commented as she set down her suitcase, and looked around the tiny room, and then back at Simon. “I guess they don’t want you to go.”
“I’m sad too. They’re really nice people. Just give them some time. They’ll warm up. This is a big change for them. It was an adjustment for them to have Salima at home, and when Abby died. Now they’re used to me, so you just have to keep her busy, and establish a relationship with her yourself.”
“I’ll try,” Becky said shyly. Her personality was more like Abby’s than his.
“Don’t baby her,” he warned her. “She likes to get out. And she still won’t use a cane, or a dog. You can work on that with her.” Becky nodded. She had long blond hair she wore in a braid down her back, and big, frightened eyes.
“What’s Miss McCarthy like? Is she scary?” Becky had thought so when she walked in, but Simon knew she was just sad.