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"It’s not Conner, is it?" He sounds so disappointed in et near that assle again after what happened"

"Sorry, but I had to check Soo back to people even when they’ve done unthinkable things to the back to her soo back to her all the tied for my help I’d always say it was the last tioing back to her still?" I’m shocked and kind of appalled

"Not to live with her or anything," He quickly says, "just to see if I can find her and see if she’s okay I mean, I know she did a lot of fked up stuff, but it’d be nice to know if she was dead or alive"

"I know," I agree quietly "I wish I could find out where she is too, without actually having to talk to her I wish you never had to go through that stuff with her"

Silence stretches between us I’ that night I got a phone call from him, the one where I decided it was time for him to come live with uilty--still do--for the stuff he went through Stuff he sometimes talks to me about but I’m sure I haven’t heard all of it

I finally clear o back to Conner I can promise you that"

"I know you’re not," he says "I just… worry"

"Me too" I touch a small scar on my upper arm It’s so faint that hardly anyone notices it unless they look really hard I notice it all the tiuy I met at Habitat for Humanity His name is Tristan and he… Well, I barely know him, yet I feel like I need to help hiap of silence passes between us again, I wonder if he thinks I’m crazy If I worried him even more

I don’t want hiuy rote on our cupboard?" he finally asks "Was that the guy you had a dreaht?"

"Yeah You know about hiain by his awareness of what’s going on in my life

"Yeah, just like I know you fall asleep in front of it all the ti so much Just what else does he know? "Well… Yeah, it’s the sauy"

"Okay, so what do you need to help hiive advice without more details, Av"

"With sobriety stuff He has soain

Or if he’s reh I love you, and you’re super good at taking care of stuff," he says "You’re not a sponsor Nor do I think you have time to be one You already have too much on your plate"

"Yeah, I know, but…" What am I supposed to say? That I had this drea my help That ever since I caht back to help somebody That I had to in order to pay for what I did That I’ht be that somebody I’m supposed to help "What if I want to help him? Not just for hiives ratification?"

"Then I’d say it was a whole different story because you deserve soratification," Jax replies "But you should make sure"

"Make sure of what exactly?"

"That it’s what you want to do You already do a shitload of stuff for other people One of these days, I’"

"I’ain," I proirl any about life andsure you take care of yourself before you take care of others"

"I will I promise I just need to do this… for whatever the reason may be"

"Then let me know if you need any help"

"I will" I hear soo Want to go out to dinner later? I know the cupboards are in desperate need of restocking"

"Sounds like a plan, but only if you let rimace "But next time it’s on me Deal?"

"Deal See you at home"

"Okay And Jax?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for the talk You give good advice"

"Anyti my problems to him, but still wish I had so on so h"

"You do I prohtest bit better after the phone conversation, but getting out of the car still proves to be probleet the door open and plant rab the box of cupcakes and approach the door to his roohten my shoulders, then knock

I can hear soers that no one else is here except Quinton and Tristan, like say, a drug dealer, druggies, or anything else that has to do with drugs

Seconds later, the curtain on thenext to the door is drawn back and Quinton glances out After I wave at hi and the door swings open

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Quinton asks He’s wearing a tank top and I notice a tattoo on his ar with: no one

I wonder what it means