Page 49 of The Lost Book of First Loves

A valid point, she had to admit. They never seemed to run out of things to tell each other.

“I think it’s a marvelous idea,” Sylvia said. “A dull task is always more enjoyable if you have someone else to talk to while you’re doing it. When I was a girl, my dad had a cherry orchard. Every June we spent dusk to dawn picking those darn cherries. I never minded the work because my sister, your grandma, Xan, would always join me and we would talk and laugh and eat cherries.”

Sylvia laughed now at the memory. “We ate so many during those summers and got so sick that now I can’t stand cherries unless they’re baked in a pie.”

“Thatisa lovely way to eat cherries,” Ali said.

“Isn’t it? I can think of few things I enjoy more than a warm cherry pie with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream.”

“Next time, I’ll be sure to bring you a cherry pie from the bakery.”

Sylvia made a face. “That wasn’t a hint, you know. I’m sure the cookies you brought are delicious. In fact, you should have one now. It might give you strength to tackle the job ahead of you.”

“I got them for you, though.”

“I insist you both have one.”

“Fine,” Xander said. “We’ll share one.”

He reached into the bakery box and pulled out one of the sugar cookies. He broke it in half and gave her the bigger half, as he always did. She sometimes thought that was a habit from a tumultuous childhood spent looking out for his younger sister.

The cookie was as delicious as it had looked, not oversweet and with a slight almond undertone. She finished hers in only a few bites, thinking she was definitely going to have to avoid that bakery or she would gain twenty-five pounds from sugar and butter.

Fortified now, Xander led the way to his bedroom off the family room. Walking down the stairs into the cool, dim basement brought back a flood of memories.

They had spent so many happy hours here at that old-fashioned big-screen TV that seemed as big as a chest freezer and probably weighed ten times or more than the current ultraflat big-screen TVs.

Besides video games, they used to love watching movies. She remembered one summer when they had binged all twentysomething hours ofLord of the RingsandThe Hobbitextended cuts and another when they had watched every singleStar WarsandMarvelmovie out at the time.

The furniture was the same as it had been through their childhood, a big green sectional with recliners on either end.

“Sylvia said she really only comes down here to vacuum and clean up toys after her grandkids or Lindsey’s kids have been over to play.”

“I hope she never changes it. It’s retro cool now.”

He led the way into his bedroom and memories again jostled through her mind.

“Oh, my word. Talk about a time machine.”

“It’s notthatbad. I’ve taken down all my jazz and soccer posters.”

She gestured to the mess on the floor. “How can I help? Do you have a system going here?”

“The usual. Save, recycle, toss.” He pointed to three boxes lined up in front of the mirrored closet doors.

She saw his reflection in the mirror and thought again how kind the years had been to him.

She had always thought Xander was a cutie, even back in the day when he was skinny and shy and had braces. Try as she might, she hadn’t been able to get any of her friends to see it.

Now they did.

She knew from reading the comments on his social media that Xander had a big following among women, including several she knew personally from here in town who had completely ignored him in high school.

She loved seeing it. Good for Xander. It was about time the rest of the world saw what she always had.

“You really don’t have to help me,” he said.

“Too late. I’m here. I hope you’ve already taken out all your porno magazines.”

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