Page 47 of Falling for You Again

He wipes his hands and leans to the side, pulling a roll of papers held together by a rubber band from his back pocket. He removes the band and gives me the papers.

“What’s this?”

“Look at them.”

I skim them with a catch to my breath. Artisant’s financial records. Balance sheets, profit and loss statements, account ledgers.

“Did Mom tell you I asked for these?”

He nods.

“What changed her mind?” She told me it was a waste of time to pursue an offer with Uncle Bear.

“Nothing. She doesn’t know I gave them to you.”

“You printed them?” I ask, shocked he even has access to the shop’s QuickBooks. Even I don’t.

“You said you needed them. Want the rest of my sandwich?”

“What? No. You eat it.”

“Maybe later.” Dad rewraps the remaining half of his Reuben. “I’m going to head back.” He’s building a desk. So far, it’s some of the most exquisite work I’ve seen him do. It’s also the last project he’ll build at Artisant Designs. I can’t express how sad that makes me feel.

“Are you working this afternoon?” he asks.

“I think I’m done for the day. Thanks for these,” I say of the papers. And for lunch. And for spending time with me.

He stands to leave and stops at my chair. “My brother isn’t always right, Meli. You deserve a shot.” He claps a hand on my shoulder and walks away.

Two hours later, Emi and I stand in line to order coffee. I’m deep in my head, revisiting what happened at lunch, when Emi nudges me with her elbow. “You’re quiet,” she says, sensing my mellow mood.

Even though I don’t like talking about my parents, this afternoon was bizarre. I have to tell someone.

“Dad took me to lunch.”

“As in invited you and paid for it?” I nod and Emi’s mouth parts in shock. “Did you ask him why the fuck he and your mom ignore you?”

“They don’t ignore me. Whatever,” I say when Emi challenges me with a look. I don’t know why I’m arguing. “Dad waved and Mom said hello. They saw me with Aaron outside the apartment building. They didn’t even ask who he was.”

“Isn’t that good? You didn’t want them to know yet.”

I nod.

“Sorry I missed you when you were there. That Charlie girl can drink.”

I laugh. I’m not surprised Emi was hungover yesterday. “I’m glad you had fun. Anyway, Dad wanted to give me the shop’s financials I’d asked for. I need them for the loan application, and he, shockingly, believes I deserve a shot.”

“Damn straight,” Emi says. “I’m glad someone in your family has some sense, present company excluded.” Her shoulder bumps mine. “So what were you and Aaron doing yesterday? I didn’t think you guys were going to do the hang-out-together thing.”

“It was for only one day.” I tell her about us playing tourist and spending hours at a bookstore before we swung by the apartment to pick up Blueberry.

“That sounds like a date to me ... Hmm.”

“We were just having fun.” Then again, Aaron and I always seem to have fun together.

Emi’s grin is evil, and I’m pretty sure she’s about to say something smart-ass, like how everyone but me can see I’m falling for him, when it’s our turn to order. Since Emi has to return to her office and I want to start reviewing the spreadsheets Dad printed, we order our coffees to go.

“Wouldn’t it be something,” Emi says on our way out the door, “if you and Aaron fall in love?”

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