The Resolutions
Page 26
He felt Jess touch the splotches of paint along his hands.
“So?” she said, bumping against him. “How does it feel?”
“I’m not going to lie and say it feels amazing because I’m still nervous, but . . .”
“But?” Her hope echoed his own.
“I like them, I really do,” he said.
“Do I get to be sappy and say I’m proud of you?”
“You may,” Ryan replied. “I’m kinda proud of me too.”
New Year’s Eve
Nora
NORA LICKED HER bottom lip, tasting the salt.
“Please tell me we are almost there.” Nora was a bouncing ball of energy. It felt like her body would spill over with the excitement. They had to be close.
“We are not close,” Jess said from the driver’s seat, “we are here.” She made a left turn, and suddenly the wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean was before them on the horizon.
They pulled up to Ryan’s aunt’s beach house, parking in the driveway but leaving their bags in the car so they could walk right to the beach. When they finally tumbled out of the car, Nora stood transfixed. There it was, so much blue, not like the sky but darker. The white waves crashed along the shore. Behind her, her friends gathered, and she felt a gentle push forward. Nora took a moment to take off her sandals and dip her feet in the sand, feeling as it spread between her toes and stuck to her skin, traveling with her as she walked forward.
“Come on!” Beth pinched her arm and shot forward, her long blond hair picked up by the gusts of wind. A beat passed, and Nora joined her, the sand scraping against her feet as she ran. She could taste and smell the salt water, the sand sticking to her lips. She passed Beth and felt the water dash to meet her, cold but welcoming. Exhilaration swam up her body, and she laughed, happiness tumbling out the farther she went.
When the water reached her knees, Nora stopped and soaked in the feel of it crashing against her, traveling around her, pulling her deeper. One by one they joined, their splashes and shouts became a song, an anthem. Ryan gathered Nora in his arms and twirled her around, tossing her back in the water. She retaliated with cold water down his back. They stripped out of their clothes, though they were soaked through, and spent the rest of the day dancing in and out.
Nora took in everything, breathing deeply, relishing the feel of the water and sand beneath her feet. She would take it with her when she left, the pull of the California ocean etched into her skin, the sway of the waves would stick with her for days.
“How does it feel?” Beth asked when they stole a quiet moment to themselves.
“It’s better than the dream,” Nora replied.
“Are you nervous about visiting the campus?”
Her heart fluttered. They’d managed to schedule a visit to the Culinary Institute’s campus for January 2.
“No,” she replied. “Not nervous. Hopeful. Excited out of my mind, but no, not nervous.”
How could she be? Days ago, visiting the beach was a dream, and now she was curling her toes in the sand and dancing along the waves with Beth. It wouldn’t be long before she would hear back from the schools she applied to, but she knew, maybe because of this day or the people around her, that the future she dreamed of would be more than just a dream.
“Did you think of a new resolution?” Beth curled her arm around Nora’s as they made their way back to the water.
“Yes.”
“And?”
“To put my feet someplace new at least once a year and kiss you as often as possible.” She smiled at Beth, closing her eyes. “To fill notebook after notebook with new recipes. And to never let things be just a dream ever again.”
Lee
LEE AND DAVID walked along the shore, the water kissing their feet as they did. When David reached for her hand, she did not pull away and her eyes didn’t scan for who might be watching. Instead she shifted until their arms touched as they walked, until eventually they simply looped their arms around each other.
“When do you get the results?” he asked.
“I already got them.”
David stopped, turning to look at her. “You did? What do they say?”
She shook her head, picturing them as an envelope on her desk, even though that’s not what it was. They’d have to go in to her doctor’s office for the results. “Haven’t gone in yet.”
“When are you going?” He heard the second question in his voice—asking if he could go with her, or at least be there for her, it brought a smile to her lips.
“After the holidays.”
She tugged him back to the walk, the calming sound of waves crashing over each other seeping into her body.
“Have you decided which courses you want to take?”
“I haven’t gotten accepted yet.” But yes, she had. She’d plotted out a course schedule at each of the schools she’d applied to, making sure she took every genre course available and even flirting with the idea of screenwriting and directing.
He nodded. “And you applied to the school in New York?” When she nodded his grin expanded her heart. “Not that you have to go there, I’m just thinking it would be nice if we were near each other . . .”
She felt David’s thumb rub the curve of her wrist and wished she could take that sensation everywhere she went. Lee had decided that her next New Year’s resolution would be something as simple as taking David out on an official date. Fancy clothes and all.
“I think it would be more than nice,” Lee replied.
Sometimes it wasn’t easy to let herself feel happy, to push away the negative thoughts and focus on the positive. So she kept the image of the path in her head and the people along the way and the goals she wanted to achieve. She kept the feel of David’s hand in hers, the touch of skin to skin, and the swell of her heart when he was near. She pictured her father’s smile and his steady presence that never wavered. She saw Jess and Nora and Ryan, whose faith in her might just rival her father’s. And her mother, who traveled her road with as much love as she could and nothing less than that.
Then finally herself, the lead in her own damn story, the maker of her future, the final girl, and nothing would stop her.
Ryan
RYAN DIDN’T NEED a New Year’s resolution this year. After all, the spring would bring another art course and the summer featured a trip to Taipei with his grandmother.
He couldn’t wait to visit her favorite shops, eat delicious Taiwanese pastries (bringing some back for Nora, of course), and test out new paints.
“That way you can carry your own art supplies,” she’d said.
He watched Jess light match after match trying to start the fire. After one caught she and Ryan sat and watched as the flames consumed the wood, lifting their hands toward the sky. He watched the flames dance off her eyes and reached for his supplies to sketch her hair bleeding into the sunset like a fire goddess.
“Did you think of your resolution yet?” Jess warmed her hands by the fire.
“I don’t think I need one.”
“Oh really?” She pulled a bag of marshmallows from her tote, followed by chocolate and graham crackers.
“Yes, really.” He motioned for her to toss it all over to him. “God bless you.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s a rule that you have to have s’mores by a campfire,” she replied. “You know what’s also a rule?”
Oh, he knew what was coming. “Let me guess? You have to have New Year’s resolutions?”
“So smart,” Jess said. “Plus, look on the bright side, you won’t have us doing it for you this year.”
Ryan shrugged and stood so he could sit closer to Jess. “That was a surprisingly good idea, though.” If they hadn’t given him the push he needed, who knows when or if he’d ever have started painting again. Not to mention the kiss and Blake.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
They tore open the supplies and started to toast the marshmallows, watching as the skin turned brown and
a delicious crust formed. Off in the distance Nora, Beth, Lee, and David walked back, each hand in hand.
His thoughts traveled to Blake and the coming year. He hadn’t been ready before, and not yet, but that’s what new years were for.
It brought a smile to his lips, and he thought of a new resolution for the coming year:
Kiss someone right for you.
Jess
JESS WAITED UNTIL they were all gathered around the fire to tell them.
“I have some news,” she said, and they all settled, turning to her. “A decision that I came to after everything that happened this year.”
The fire crackled between them, filling the silence as Jess took the moments she needed. “I’m going to take a year off.”
“What?” Lee sat up.
“A gap year.” Jess tugged at a strand of her hair. “After senior year, to figure things out and take my time. To be the Jess I should’ve been with that resolution.”
Except this time she wouldn’t say yes to everything, she would listen to herself, value her time, and remind herself she didn’t owe it to anyone. It would be hard, but she had her friends and family and therapy, too. Her parents had insisted, and she was relieved at the idea, to have someone in her corner who would listen without judgment.
She would say yes to the things that brought her joy—like running, her friends, sometimes even bad TV. Heck, especially bad TV. She would say no to overworking her body and things she confused with productivity and achievement.
“You know what?” Ryan knocked his legs next to hers when she sat back down. “That’s a perfect idea. Maybe your resolution this year should be: say yes to Jess!”
“Shit,” Lee said out of nowhere.
“What?”
“That’s the perfect campaign slogan,” Lee said with a laugh. “It was there all along!”
Nora threw sand at Lee.
“But seriously, Jess.” Lee sobered, catching her eyes. “I think that’s pretty amazing and brave.”
Jess shook her head. It didn’t feel brave, but it felt right.
“It’s brave, I promise you.” Lee stood, sitting next to Jess. “And I’m happy because we need you. Not sure what we’d do without you.”
NEAR MIDNIGHT, THE drinks overflowed as they laughed until their voices carried in the wind and the rhythm of the waves curled around them.
Lee and Nora danced around the crackling fire until Ryan joined with Jess. She held on to the memory until she was sure it would never fade, knowing that every moment of doubt that trickled out was not as strong as the people around her. And when she closed her eyes she could see, with every certainty, the days of happiness and possibilities that awaited them together. Always together.
References
The information referenced regarding Huntington’s Disease was cited from the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. For more information on this disease, its symptoms, and how to get tested, visit www.hdsa.org.
Acknowledgments
TWO YEARS AGO, after a series of highs and very-low lows, I decided I needed a change before the lows got even lower. I packed up everything I owned and stored it in my sister’s basement. I then spent the next two years traveling from place to place, spending time with those I loved, refocusing on the things that mattered to my grumpy-hermit self.
I wouldn’t have been able to do this if it wasn’t for the support of my family, who made sure I always had a place to stay and never missed a chance to guilt me into coming to visit them. Gracias. Los amo.
To my friends Annie and Adam, who insisted I move in with them because it would be so cool, I love you both very much, even though you woke me up in the middle of the night to correct my Warcraft reference.
A big thank-you and lots of hugs to Janice Wang for all the late-night chats about family, life, and whatever random thing popped into our heads at the time. It has been a pleasure getting to know you more this year and I look forward to more talks soon.
Thank you to my Penguin Ladies Emily X.R. Pan, Bri Lockhart, and Kaitlyn Davis for all the support, book talk, and love.
A big book hug to my amazing friends Sylvie Larsen, Kathryn Holmes, Ghenet Myrthil, Colleen Lindsay, Benjamin Andrew Moore, Mara Delgado, Lana Pattinson, Karen Jung, Clarivel Fong, Kiana Nguyen, and many more, who read drafts or simply listened to me when I needed reassurances I wasn’t messing everything up. Thank you to Shenwei Chang for their thoughtful advice and guidance.
Thank you to Patrick Murphy, who is always there, from first to final draft to the chats about branded pencils, and the long random thoughts that amount to half a sentence in the book.
To Alexandra Arnold and Rebecca Aronson, who continued to push me to dig deeper draft after draft until I very much disliked both of you for a solid day before I realized you were right. This story wouldn’t be what it is without you.
Thank you to Katie Fitch for this awesome cover that makes it look like I wrote the Latinx version of The Breakfast Club. To Bess Braswell and Michael D’Angelo on the marketing team and Haley George in publicity for helping this book find its audience.
A big thank-you to my agent, Kerry Sparks, for always being in my corner and making sure I believe in my own publishing future as much as you do.
In addition to a nomadic lifestyle, these past two years brought with them an unwelcome health diagnosis, the result of which led me to concentrate more on my physical and mental health. So to those living with, surviving, fighting, or struggling with a disease, disorder, or illness: I see you, I’m there with you, and I love you. You are not alone.
And finally, please don’t forget about Puerto Rico. The road to recovery will be very long and we need all your continued support. There are many ways to help, including donating to the Hispanic Federation’s UNIDOS Disaster Relief and Recovery Program (via their website at www.hispanicfederationunidos.org) or supporting local organizations, some of which can be found via www.losambulantes.com/help-puerto-rico.
About the Author
Photo by Clarivel Fong
MIA GARCÍA was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but now lives in New York under a pile of to-be-read books. Mia earned her MFA from the New School. You can find her at www.mgarciabooks.com or on Twitter @MGarciaWrites.
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Books by Mia García
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The Resolutions
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Copyright
Katherine Tegen Books is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
THE RESOLUTIONS. Copyright © 2018 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
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Cover art by Stocksy/Studio Firma
Cover design by Katie Fitch
* * *
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018952187
Digital Edition NOVEMBER 2018 ISBN: 978-0-06-265689-6
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-265682-7
* * *
1819202122PC/LSCH 10987654321
FIRST EDITION
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