Page 95 of Grace & Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon
“You can talk,” says Ian.
“Yeah,” says Bella. “We’ll play quiet.”
Henry looks at me, helpless. “Um,” he says.
Along with what appears to be a minor head injury, it’s obvious something’s up here, so I point to the ceiling. “Rooms, kids. You can play later.”
“What?”
“But, Mom!”
I say “Now,” and Ian and Bella head upstairs. Harry Styles is briefly torn but then chases after them.
When they’re gone, Henry says, “Wow, you’re good at that.”
“I have questions,” I say.
“All right.”
“You got them a video-game system? Without asking me?”
“Well, no,” he says. “It’s mine. And my brother’s. They’re just borrowing it. I reserve the right to take it back whenever I want.”
“Okay,” I say, “that’s definitely notevergoing to happen. So, thanks for that. I was hoping to ruin their brains. Why do you have stitches? Like, really.”
He touches his bandage. “Bella wasn’t wrong,” he says. “I electrocuted myself and fell. Don’t ever stick your fingers in a light socket, by the way.”
My third question is a medley of questions strung together, but I’m too tired to ask, so I just give him a look of general what-the-hell-ness.
He takes his hands out of his pockets and puts them on his hips. Then he puts his thumbs into his belt loops. It’s like he’s just been given arms and he’s trying to figure out how they work. “Did you get my texts aboutA Christmas Story?” he asks. “Turns out it’s a really annoying movie. That narrator, he’s just too much.”
“What’s up, Henry?” I ask. “It’s been a really shitty w—”
“Sorry,” he says. “I haven’t done this in a long time.”
“Done what?”
“Asked someone out on a date.”
I’m so surprised that I take a step backward and replay what he just said in my mind for accuracy. “What?”
He laughs at himself. “Let me start that over. I prepared a sp…I was wondering. Would you maybe want to go to dinner?”
“Right now?”
“No,” he says. “Notnow,necessarily. Just in general. At a date and time to be agreed upon later. With…with me.”
I can’t help but laugh now, too, because at a certain point you have to tip your cap to just how shitty timing can be. There was a moment quite recently when I’d have said yes right away and dealt with the inevitable train wreck of getting involved with Henry. That feels likeyears ago now, though. “But what about Meredith?” I ask. “What about L.A.? What about…everything,Henry?”
“Funny story,” he says. “Meredith thinks I should be with you. And, as far as L.A. goes, maybe I just…don’t go.”
Harry Styles barks upstairs.
“Henry, that isn’t a good—”
“You know, I don’t even really like dogs,” he says.
“What are you talking about?”
