Cohen

She didn't say she loves me, but I have to be okay with that.

   She called me. After almost a whole month, Teegan called me. I knew she needed space and time to get settled into her new life in New York. But my hopes were starting to fade of her actually wanting to talk to me ever again. And it would have to have been something I had to accept.

  But she called. Hearing her voice was the best part of my day.

  I've been spending my days working at the pet store down the road from my mom's house. I'm calling it my mom's house because she bought the house back in the spring. She has been here the whole time. It's Margo's house, too. But it's not mine. I'm just staying here for a while. The pet store is fine. The owners are an older couple who were looking for help a few days a week. It's worked out for me because I had nothing else to do with my time. I miss Rex, but he checks in often. He's been gone for a week and even though he's only two hours away, it feels like he's starting his whole new life without me, too. He invited me to go see a concert with him in a couple weeks in L.A., and my mom said I could take her car. I'm really looking forward to that.

  "Cohen!"

   I hear Margo calling me from downstairs, but I'm choosing to ignore her. We've been getting along fine but since she's not old enough to drive, she's been asking me to drive her and her friends around. I'm not a big fan of that.

  "Cohen, come downstairs!" Margo calls again.

  She sounds annoyed with me so I throw open my bedroom door and head downstairs to see what she wants. It's Saturday afternoon and I'm off today. Margo's weekends are usually filled with hanging out with her friends or going to the mall or the movies, so I'm surprised she's home. My mom's not home. Her car's not in the driveway.

   "What?" I ask my sister, going into the living room where I assume she is.

   She is there, along with her best friend Serena. They are eating a bag of chips and watching TV. Margo looks over at me and rolls her eyes dramatically, as if my presence now annoys her.

  "I called you like ten minutes ago."

  "Yeah. What do you want?" I ask her, confused.

  "Grandma called the house phone, she wanted to talk to you." Margo doesn't seem concerned about this, but immediately I wonder what this is all about.

  Grandma and Grandpa Thrasher, mom's parents, live up in Connecticut. They are in their seventies and used to make the trip down to California a couple of times a year to visit us. We'd go up there either in the summer or for Christmas, too. The last time I saw them was my dad's funeral, and they weren't here for a visit. It was so depressing for everyone.

  Now that I'm thinking about it, I haven't talked to them since then. That was six months ago.

  "Uh, so... what did you tell her?" I ask my sister, who has already gone back to watching TV.

  "I just said you were busy and I'd tell you to call her." She shrugs. "Call her."

  "Wow, thanks, Margo," I answer and shake my head.

  "Yeah, you're welcome. It sounded important," Margo finishes.

  I grab the cordless phone off the base in the living room and go through to the kitchen. Just the fact that my mom has a house phone is weird on it's own, but using it is awkward, too. I have to go over to my mom's calendar where she keeps a list of important phone numbers, and Grandma and Grandpa's number is there. I dial and then hold it up to my ear, waiting.

  "Hello?" my Grandma answers cheerfully. I have no idea if they have caller ID.

  "Hey, Gram. It's Cohen," I say, pulling out a chair to sit down.

  "Oh, Cohen! Hi there! Wait, let me get Gramps to get on the other phone." Before I can say anything, she is calling out and then there's some noises before my Grandpa picks up.

  "Cohen, son, how are you?" he asks.

  "I'm doing good. How are you guys?" I answer, happy to hear from them but also still wondering why they called to talk to me.

  "We heard you spent your summer in Avila," Gram says, not answering my question. "Did you enjoy that?"

  "I did. Yeah, it was pretty great," I tell them, now thinking about Teegan again. "But my sold the house there, so, I'm back in San Diego."

  "What are your plans now, Cohen?" my Gramps asks, his voice serious.

  I don't know where they are going with this, at all.

  "Um, I'm just working for now. I am going to save some money, and... I don't really know," I say honestly.

  They are both quiet. For, like, a whole minute. It's strange.

  "Cohen, we were wanting to bring something up, a suggestion, or... an offer," Gram goes on, and now I know why they wanted to talk to me. But I have no idea what they are about to say.

  "Okay?"

  "We've been talking with your mom. She agrees this would be a good thing for you, if you're interested," Gram says, still not really telling me anything.

  "Cohen, we want you to come and live with us, in Bridgeport," Gramps finally spits out.

  My stomach spins around like it's in a washing machine. I can't breathe for a second. I was not expecting this.

  "You do?" I ask, shocked. "I mean, why?"

  Gram laughs and it's so sweet. "Cohen, you need a change. You need to get away from California, give yourself a chance to experience what else is out there."

  How do they know what I need? Did my mom put them up to this?

  "My mom told you that? That I need out of California?" I want to know.

  "No, not exactly," Gram says. "We just wanted to make the offer. We want to pay for you to go to college, if that's something you want to do. And you can live with us. You know we have that apartment in the basement."

  "It's a very nice apartment, and the lady who used to rent it from us moved out a few months ago. It's been empty," Gramps explains.

  My mind is racing. How could I move across the county and into the apartment in my grandparents basement? But they are giving me a chance to go to college? I haven't put much thought into that, yet.

  "Wow. I mean, I really appreciate all of this. I think I might need time to... think," I tell them, already feeling bad.

  "Of course, Cohen. Talk to you mom, too. Let us know. We were thinking you could even come for a weekend, and see how it you like it? We could go to the city for a day, maybe the Big Apple would convince you to come?" Gramps laughs like he's making a joke, but my brain is trying to comprehend what he is saying.

  The Big Apple? New York City?

  "How far from New York City are you guys?" I ask, trying to sound casual.

  "Oh, under two hours, depending on traffic of course," Gram tells me like this is no big deal.

  "Gram loves going to the big city to see live shows," Gramps adds.

  I have no idea how I hadn't realized this before. In all of our visits to Bridgeport over the years, we've always stayed there and just did local things.

  If I move in with my grandparents, I'd be a two hour drive from Teegan. I could go to college. I have a chance to be happy, for real.

  "I'll talk to my mom tonight," I say, already sure I've made up my mind.

  It's hours later when my mom gets home and I'm so ready to talk to her about this, when I realize that I really have to talk to Teegan, too. I could decide to move to Bridgeport and go to college somewhere in New York or Connecticut, but Teegan being in my life would make it all that much better. I can't assume that's what she would want, though.

  My mom's thrilled when I explain about the phone call.

  "I wasn't sure if they were serious when they brought it up, but it really seems like they want you to go," she says, leaning onto the kitchen counter.

  "Did you tell them about Teegan?" I ask right away.

  She looks guilty immediately. "I only told them about her, how you fell in love over the summer and she's now in New York City for college."

  "Only?" I ask, rolling my eyes.

  "I also told them how you've been sort of just going through the motions since you've been here and you don't seem truly happy. We just want you to be happy, Co."

   I can't help but smile, now. "Thanks, Mom. I think I have to talk to Teegan about all of this, though."

  "You've talked to her, then? Recently?"

  "Last night. We talked for the first time in awhile. She was settling in and everything, but it just made me realize how much I really miss her," I admit.

  My mom grins. "Well, I'll really miss you, but I know we can handle you living away from us. You already did it all summer."

  "You think I should go? Gram and Gramps really want me to live with them?"

  "Well, it's a separate apartment," she says with a laugh. "But yes. And talking to Teegan about it first would be a good idea."

  I cross the room and give her a hug, which she isn't expecting. She hugs me back and pats my back a few times before I pull away.

  "I actually feel like this is something that would be really good for me," I say. "And it's not just about Teegan."

  "I agree," my mom says, then smiles.