Page 89 of Hero for the Holidays

“Sure,” she said.

Fia tried to read her book, but she was just going over the words. Over and over again. They meant nothing. They felt like nothing.

Then Landry texted to say that the pizza had arrived.

“Come on,” she said. “It’s time to eat.”

She bundled Lila out of the pool and took her into their room to get changed. Then, when they were in their pajamas, she knocked on Landry’s door.

He swung it open. “Come on in.”

“What movies are there?” Lila asked.

“There’s a couple that are still in theaters. Superheroes.”

“Lame. But okay,” said Lila.

“How about this one? It’s a mystery. Big cast. Should be fun.”

“Oh yes, that.”

They got the pizza and the bottles of Coke. For some reason Fia felt so restless she couldn’t stand herself.

“I’m going to go get some ice,” said Fia.

She got a bucket full of ice, filled her cup all the way to the top and poured her soda in. Which was exactly how she needed the ratio to be for her to enjoy the drink.

Then they settled into watching the movie.

About midway through, her ice began to wane.

“I need to go get more ice,” she whispered. “You don’t need to pause it.”

She got up from the bed she had been lounging on, and Landry sat up from the bed he was on. She waved a hand. “It’s fine.”

She slipped out of the room and walked down the hall, and only then did she notice how much tension she was holding in her chest.

Definitely Landry’s fault.

She went to the ice machine and then turned and nearly ran into him.

She clutched the ice bucket to her chest, her heart thundering. “What are you doing here?”

“I decided I wanted popcorn,” he said, gesturing to the vending machine behind her.

“Oh. Of course. Right.”

“We haven’t had a chance to talk about today.”

“No. We’ve been too busydoingtoday.”

His blue eyes were too sharp. Too keen. She was afraid he could see that she was thinking less about the adoption than she should be, and more abouthim.

“You good?” he asked.

“I’m great.”

She was. There was just the tension. But that didn’t need to mean anything. It didn’t need to be anything.

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