Page 62 of Book and Ladder
BTTP: I think it was Thoreau who said, “good fences make good neighbors.”
BTTP: Correction. It was Frost.
A man who knows Thoreau and Frost and uses them to encourage others? Sweet mother of Moses, I’m toast.
M&M: So you think I should build a fence?
BTTP: At least metaphorically. Draw your lines and hold them.
Lines with Patrick? Ha! He’s right there on the other side of the wall as I type. But I’ve given my annoying neighbor enough rent-free space in my head tonight, so I shift the topic.
M&M: So … what did you do tonight?
BTTP: Work earlier, then routine stuff around the house. You?
M&M: Another setup, as in a date.
BTTP: Another one?
M&M: Apparently it’s monsoon season.
BTTP: Ha. Verdict?
M&M: Parent-approved. Not me-approved. He was genuinely nice. I wish I felt more.
BTTP: “Nice” is the baseline, not sufficient. There has to be a spark.
M&M: Sometimes I wonder if my standards are too high.
BTTP: Don’t settle. Especially not in love.
If only he knew how I’m feeling. Not only crushing on him, but …
M&M:Sometimes I just get … lonely.
BTTP: I understand. We all get lonely. Those feelings are real, and beyond uncomfortable at times—but never a reason to lower your standards.
M&M: Agreed. I’d rather live alone than settle.
Chapter 18
Patrick
… There is nothing that lifts the spirit
and strengthens the soul more than
a good bowl of chili.
~ Harry James
My older brother,Declan, gets one week during the season when he’s “off.” It’s called a bye week in football. And he tends to spend at least part of that time with family to decompress from his high-demand lifestyle as a pro player.
This morning he showed up with a grocery bag in one arm, and he’s basically commandeered my kitchen.
“So, living next to Daisy Clark … How’s that workin’ out for ya?” Declan asks with a look of obvious amusement dancing across his features.
“Pretty much how you’d think.” A groan rises from my chest before I can stop it.
