Page 51 of Poinsettia Lane

Everly: Awww, he looks like he really wants to help though!

Asim: More like he wants to eat. You’d think I never feed him, the way he begs.

Asim: How has your day been?

Everly: Good. I met up with Frankie and we went book shopping.

Everly snaps a quick picture of her book stack with the river in the background and sends it to him.

Asim: Not quite the view I was hoping for, but still looks nice.

Before she can second guess herself, Everly picks up the book she was reading and opens it, angling it in front of her face with just her eyes peeking out over the top and snapping a couple selfies, then sorting through for the best one and sending it to him.

Everly: Better?

Asim: Better…

She can practically hear the growl in his voice and she smirks to herself, surprised she isn’t feeling more upset that he had to cancel their plans. Maybe she didn’t react more strongly because he has a valid reason. Whatever it is, she’s grateful today is turning out to be a pretty good day, despite the last minute change.

Everly: How’s the wiring?

Asim: Frustrating. I think I’ve got it but I might need to hire someone to come take a look if this doesn’t fix it. It’ll be at least a couple more hours before it’s good enough for now though, if I’m lucky.

Everly: I wish there was something I could do to help.

Asim: Chatting with you is enough, and seeing my favorite brown eyes has already brightened my day. You’re perfect.

Everly blushes, glad she could do something to brighten his day too. He returns to work and she returns to her book, reading for another half hour before packing up and heading home. Everly walked downtown from her house to meet Frankie earlier, so she walks the paved trail along the river before cutting through downtown again toward her place. She hasn’t had a day to relax and enjoy herself like this in ages.

As she walks, she reflects on how her body feels lighter, like a weight has been lifted from it. She takes in the blue sky above her, the chatter of birds in the trees, and tips her face up to feel the sun on her skin. Placing one foot in front of the other, she takes slow breaths, savoring the sense of peace and contentment in her soul.

Everly decides now is as good a time as any to try Addison, so she gives her a call and it connects after the second ring.

“Hey, sis," Addison says.

“Hi," Everly smiles, marveling that this is her life now. “How are you?”

“Bleh.” Addison makes a noise similar to a cat spitting up a hairball, and Everly recoils from her phone in disgust.

“What… what?” Everly says.

“Just, you know. Life! It’s happening, and I’m not loving it at the moment.”

“What’s going on? I thought things were good last time we talked.” Everly looks around in confusion, as though the manicured lawns surrounding her are privy to Addison’s secrets.

“It’d be easier to tell you what isn’t going wrong," Addison mumbles, sounding forlorn. “Work is stupid, girls are dumb, boys are dumber, and my favorite fish died!”

“You have a favorite fish?”

“Had. Ihada favorite fish. I no longer do. Because it’s dead," Addison says.

“Right, I’m sorry.” Realizing she stopped walking at some point, Everly shakes her head and pointedly starts moving her feet forward again. “Uh, do you have… other fish?”

“No. It was a betta fish. They don’t like other fish.”

“Oh, um.” Everly is at a loss. This is new territory for them and she isn’t sure what Addison needs or wants from her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Those must have been the magic words, because Addison goes off. Everly does her best to listen, but she has a hard time following along with the many names Addison is throwing out. Apparently there’s drama between some co-workers and her boss which is making her life infinitely harder at work, as well as some sort of love triangle that happened with a girl she was most recently dating (Everly wonders if this is the one Addison broke up with right before Christmas) and a boy she dated before the girl (maybe?) and Everly has never been so grateful to see her driveway and the comfort of home.

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