Page 96 of Good as Gold
I get out of bed and shuffle to the kitchen, where I start the coffee brewing. It’s ten o’clock on a Sunday. The family group chat already has a few entries on my behalf.
Alec got his in late last night, I see. He must have been working at the bar.
Alec
I’m first in line to say Happy Birthday! #Winning
Benito
Loser. It’s not even his birthday yet in Colorado.
Alec
He was born in Vermont so it counts.
Benito
[Eyeroll emoji, followed by a cake emoji.] Happy birthday from Alec’s bar. If you were here I’d let you beat me at darts.
I’m suddenly super homesick.
Birthdays are the worst. They make you broody.
There’s a sudden knock on my door. So I stomp over to the entry hall and look through the peephole. And there’s Lissa standing in the hallway, wearing a Colorado Cougars sweatshirt.
Uh-oh. Problem?
When I tug open the door, she shoves a box of donuts in my direction, and they’re still warm. “Happy birthday, old man!”
Oh.
Oh, shit. I take the box and turn away from her, because my damn eyes are suddenly wet. “Thank you,” I stammer, retreating into my pad, composing myself as I walk toward the kitchen to put the box down.
She doesn’t follow me, though. I turn around again, and she’s peeking into my space. “Can I come in?”
“Of fricking course,” I say gruffly. “Want coffee?”
Her smile has faded as she closes the door behind her. “I just thought you might have company.”
“Nah.”
She crosses to the counter and studies me while I bump around getting mugs and milk out of the fridge. “Are you all right?”
With a sigh, I set everything on the counter and turn to her. “Yeah, baby girl. You just caught me off guard. I was thinking about your daddy when you knocked. And donuts…”
“Were your thing,” she says softly. “That’s why I brought them. Didn’t mean to make you sad.”
My eyes fill again, and I swipe at my face. “You’re the best. I swear.”
“Oh, Matty.” She comes around and grabs me into a hard hug. “I miss him too. All the time.”
“Yeah.” I sigh. I kiss the top of her head and take a deep breath.
“Want to hear something weird?” she says, stepping away from me to grab a mug. “I had a dream about him, and he told me to get you the donuts.”
I almost drop the coffee pot. “What?”’
“Yup.” She shrugs. “He was holding his snowboard under his arm, and he said, ‘Don’t forget Matty’s birthday. We always do donuts.’ And then he walked away.”
