Page 39 of Drawn Together
“I hate that.”
“Me too.”
It’s silent for a while.
“He was my boyfriend.”
“Who?”
“The friend from high school. He was my boyfriend for eight years.”
I don’t know why, but the thought has me cackling hysterically. Lennon starts laughing, too, and we’re holding our stomachs, gasping and pulling for breath.
“Where is he now?”
“In my hometown in Maine with his soon to be wife, I think.” I know.
“Is he why you moved here?”
I’m not sure where to even start with that.
“Partially, I think—”
Fletcher's arm comes into view, setting an orangey-pink drink in a to-go cup next to my plate, before putting an empty box down on his own side.
Stephan slips into the other side of the booth, slinking an arm around his girlfriend. Lennon breathes in deep and leans into him.
“What did we miss?”
I don’t know why, but the thought of talking about Austin to Fletcher has my skin feeling all itchy. Lennon must recognize that too, because she shrugs, reaching for her water.
“Not much.” She smiles at me.
Both men look at me to confirm, and I shrug.
“Yeah, not much.”
Fletcher really, really liked mushrooms.
Fourteen
Wordoftheday:sonder
Definition:the feeling of realizing that every other person you see has a life as vivid and complex as your own
The AC is blasting cold air down my shoulders, and I am suddenly wishing I had brought my sweater with me, but I am mid-dragon voice, and dragons are way too cool for thick cardigans.
Thirty tiny eyes stare up at me as I flip from page to page. Their little huffs and gasps as Mikey gets closer to the Dragon’s evil lair are undeniably adorable, but I have no time to take them in. Lennon is passing snacks around, keeping an eye on all entrances and exits, like I’m on tour and she’s my professional bodyguard, ready to knock out any five-year-olds that dare to get on my stage.
We have spent the last week or so completely flipping this place into an autumnal haven. I strung slow-flickering fairy lights around the posts of the columns holding the store up.Lennon has taken to taking all our children’s fall reads and placing them around the glass display holders for the kids and their parents to take in. We went as far as making this week's snack October-themed, including pretzel sticks, chocolate chips, candy corn pumpkins, Chex Mix, and Bugles—which Lennon calls ‘witch fingers’ and likes to put them on to scare the kids.
My eyes catch the round clock resting above the reading nook area—it’s got little skeleton bones for the hands—telling me I needed to start walking five minutes ago to meet Fletcher on time. But Mikey and this dragon are really taking their sweet time. Unfortunately, some young readers are a little too locked in, and if I were to, let’s say, accidentally pinch four or five pages together to skip a few scenes, they would instantly clock it.
The book props on my lap, resting under my chest, and sits atop my thighs as my hands quickly sign along with the words I've memorized for years.
There is only one little reader that is hearing impaired here—she has a cochlear implant and can take in most of my words—but still, I want her to feel just as included as everyone else. Her big blue eyes track my every sign with a wide grin, and that alone feels worth it.
“Mikey reaches up, grabs the silver holder and—” I make an eeeeech noise, and the kids snicker.
