Page 78 of Emergency Exit
“Well, so am I,” said Harper hesitantly, “and you seem to like me. Why can’t you like her?”
“I do like her! But Forest and Rowan, they’ve always been… Rowan and Forest always made it clear when we were growing up that we had to fit in and be normal.”
“Yeah, well, I would have said the same thing. I’d have been afraid someone would call CPS.”
“What?” Ash didn’t understand what she meant, which was probably a bad sign. Harper always had a logical throughline. What was he missing?
“Your mom and her drinking? They were probably afraid that you’d get taken away if someone found out.”
Ash felt his mouth swing open, and he floundered for words.
“No! No. No?”
“I’m probably wrong,” said Harper. “I probably misunderstood.”
Ash was still staring. “You don’t misunderstand things,” he said at last.
“I have Harper Moments.”
“Yes, you sometimes miss things because you’re paying attention to other details, but you don’t misunderstand.”
And now Ash was forced to think that maybe it wasn’t Chloe he’d misunderstood—perhaps it was Forest. But that couldn’t be right.
“There they are!” said Alberto, coming by the table, his round belly covered in a white apron and carrying a decanted bottle of wine that he swirled as he walked. “I talked to Romeo. Don’t worry. I know what you need—more wine!”
Ash laughed. “I don’t know...”
“No, trust me, I know. Romeo saysbig family day,and that means wine.”
Harper laughed. “It does at my house, but I think Ash just needs more chocolate.”
Alberto topped up her wine glass with a wink. “One tiramisu coming up.”
“Well,” said Ash, “since you insist.” The idea of coffee-drenched chocolate and cake did sound appealing. Alberto laughed and made his way toward the kitchen.
Harper picked up her glass. “Actually, I used all of youroh, I forgot my glasstechniques with my family. They kept trying to pour me more, but I couldn’t do it. Wine might be for when you get homeaftera big family day.”
“Oh,” said Ash. “I’m sorry.”
Harper looked confused.
“I only use those with people I don’t trust, and I don’t feel safe,” said Ash. “Is that how your family makes you feel?”
Harper made the face she usually made when she felt called out but didn’t know what to say. “They give me a headache,” she said at last. “It’s fine.” She added the last part in a rush.
“That’s not fine. I’m sorry.”
“Seattle is better,” she said, sounding desperate. “I’m fine.”
Ash took a second. Harper didn’t want to be pitied and felt uncomfortable talking about her family.
“Well, we are at sea level—we literally have more oxygen. So obviously, Seattle is better than Denver.”
Harper giggled, which was what he’d been hoping for, and reached for her glass again, but she frowned as she put it down.
“I do feel safe with you. Seattle really is better.”
Ash felt like she’d given him the biggest compliment of his life. He felt like the Grinch, with his heart growing to three times the size of his chest.
