and the relay to keep the center open for another year. I didn’t say anything before, because I didn’t want anyone to panic, but I thought we were going to have to shut the doors six months from now.”
I exhaled hard, hand rubbing at my chest. “Things were that bad?”
“Yeah.” Mike’s face softened. “But with all of your help, we’ve got a whole year ahead of us, at least. A year of being open can change everything.”
“S-so what’s the bad news?”
“The bad news is that I looked at the references you sent me, and I don’t think they’ll work.”
Knowing that Mike had been short on time, I’d reached out to some local ASL and special education teachers in the area to see if anyone was available for part-time help. I’d received some responses, with one caveat: They all needed to be paid.
I could see where this was going, but had to ask, “Why not?”
Mike shifted uncomfortably. “We have enough money to keep the center afloat, but we don’t have enough to hire someone, even part-time. And without extra help, I just don’t know what I can do about Andrew. It’s not getting better, Javi.”
My mind raced almost as fast as my heart. “We c-can’t give up on him.”
“I’m not giving up on anyone, but I don’t think I can help him, either.”
Another fundraiser this close to the tattoo flash event one wasn’t possible. But how else could I get the money? I remembered Reagan saying I was close to booking my tattoos six months to a year out. That was good money, and I didn’t need a lot of extra cash, so maybe I could lay some of it out myself. “I’ll m-make a d-donation. Use my money t-to hire someone.”
“Absolutely not,” Mike said, softening his refusal with a gentle smile. “You’ve got a heart of gold, Javi. But I can’t take that much of your money. You already do so much around here. I’ll… I’ll think of something. But I wanted you to know the truth of where we were at.”
“Thanks,” I said, knowing that was the best Mike could offer me right now.
I stood up, suddenly feeling as if I were carrying an extra ninety pounds. Which, I imagined, was about how much Andrew weighed. As I left Mike’s office, I saw that Gordo must have moved. Going in search of him, I tried to keep myself steady.
Andrew was a special case to me—I saw so much of myself in him. When he got upset, I understood why so well that it ached. Having a disability and having to fend for yourself made everything ten times harder. On a good day, at that.
I refused to let Andrew down, but I needed new ideas on how to make and keep that promise.
When I got to the art room, I found Gordo sitting with Andrew at one of the tables. I watched them for a moment, the thrill of seeing them together helping to melt some of the anxiety I was feeling. Gordo was showing Andrew how he scanned in sketches to color and perfect them in a manipulation software. I wished I had seen different jobs I could do with art when I’d been Andrew’s age. While I was flattered by Andrew’s interest in tattooing, and I loved my job, it was important to me that he knew he had options.
I walked up, clearing my throat. Gordo scanned my face, his brow crinkling with concern. I gave a quick shake of my head, not wanting to draw Andrew’s worry just yet. Wary of Andrew’s ability to lip-read, I moved to where Andrew couldn’t see me speak.
“Andrew’s b-been getting into a lot of fights and acting out. He needs extra help and Mike just t-told me that even with all the money we raised, they can’t afford a t-translator or c...c-caregiver.”
Gordo reached out and took my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I’m sorry, Javi, that sounds really hard. Let me put out some feelers to see if I know someone willing to help.”
Just hearing the validation of my feelings was enough, but his offer to look for help as well had me over the moon. Impulse gripped me like fists on my shirt, dragging me in a rush to plant a big kiss on Gordo’s mouth, my hands cupping his face as if I could catch the kiss like a butterfly. Each kiss with Gordo felt better than the last. Kissing him felt right in a way that kissing