know he did,” I said.
“He bought my first leather knee pads at the hardware store when I was twelve,” she said softly.
Travis did not move away from the drink machine. He looked down at the concrete floor between his boots and stayed silent.
“Put your warm-up jacket on,” I said, reaching down to unlace her volleyball bag. “Your grandfather will be at the side door before six.”
“His hip was bad at breakfast,” Kaylee said. “I saw him limping when he brought the mail up the driveway.”
“He will be here,” I repeated.
The locker room door swung open, and three lowerclassmen came out carrying mesh ball bags toward the gymnasium stairs. They called out good luck to Kaylee as they passed, but she only nodded her head once without raising her eyes.
I stood up and looked at Travis. “We need to go upstairs.”
Travis pushed himself
