Karla's face fell at the reminder that Jono would be going soon and she bit back her instinctive question of whether he had to go. He knew as well as she did that he had a music store in town; if he hadn't already thought about it as a possibility for his post-high school career, then there probably was a good reason for it.

"I don't disagree with you, entirely," she said instead. "Just saying that your friends, wherever they are, probably won't begrudge you help, even if it isn't some kind of life or death emergency." Grabbing one of the new bottles of Carling, she toasted him with it before drinking. *You're worth it.*