Page 62 of Napkins and Other Distractions
“Surprise!” I shout.
“Surprise!” Lia repeats from the back. She still has no clue where we are or what the surprise is, but she’s never one to miss out on an opportunity to yell enthusiastically.
“Are you excited?” I ask.
Vincent leans over, takes my hand, squeezes it hard, and with a raw emotion in his voice I’ve not previously heard, says, “Yes. Thank you. Thank you.”
A relaxed smile crosses his beautiful lips, and Vincent covers it with his hand. As I examine his hazel eyes, they widen in astonishment, tears glistening in the corners. I wish there was a way to tuck this moment in my pocket and savor it forever.
CHAPTER 21
Vincent
“Poppy! Look at the giraffe.” Lia skips between us, clasping Kent’s hand as we walk on the sidewalk. What if she wants to hold mine at some point? I pat the small bottle of hand sanitizer in my front pocket.
My heart races and I hope the drawn look of astonishment on my face doesn’t betray how fucking amazing this surprise is to me. Had he planned this with Lia all along, or was this something for me? My hand finds Kent’s shoulder. A quick squeeze is all I’m able to get in with Lia between us, but I hope it conveys how over the moon I am about this.
“His name is Gio,” I say. The giant, twenty-foot giraffe, made completely of LEGO DUPLO bricks, took an entire day to assemble. According to the article I read when the center opened, they constructed it using over 22,000 bricks. I close my eyes for a moment and think of being part of creating something so monumental.
“Gio?” Lia asks.
“Yeah, he was named after a little boy who—” I pause, wondering if she needs to hear the story about the boy who died of congestive heart failure. “—really loved LEGO.”
“Vincent loves LEGO more than … well, almost anything, I think,” Kent says. “I thought this would be fun for both of you.”
As we get closer to Gio, the sign behind him comes into view: LEGO Discovery Center. I have been itching to come here since they reopened last year after a twelve-million-dollar renovation. That would buy a lot of LEGO. Thinking about what awaits us inside, my pulse quickens, and my insides vibrate like my electric razor skimming over my scalp.
“I’ve wanted to come here … well, since forever,” I say.
“Why haven’t you?” Kent tilts his head.
“Technically, it’s for kids. And you need a child to get in. I thought about asking Marvin. He could bring Illona and let me tag along, but it’s a long drive and, well … Illona doesn’t really love LEGO.”
Lia reaches up, pulls at my fingers, and says, “Well, I do. I mean enough.” She smiles, attempting to show me every tooth in her tiny mouth. “I mean, we’re here!”
We buy our tickets and I wait outside the men’s room, while Kent takes Lia to the bathroom. Inside the elevator, vibrant LEGO decor surrounds us as we ascend to the top floor. Lia grabs my hand and says, “I washed after. Real good. Poppy helped me.”
I smile at her and then Kent, and he shrugs. Right now, I am about to spend the day around LEGO. With a bottle of sanitizer, bathrooms everywhere, and Kent with me, I’ve got this. I exhale deeply, and Kent asks, “You okay?”
“More than okay. I can’t believe you did this.”
“I’ve been thinking about bringing Lia here.” Kent shrugs. “As soon as you agreed to join us, I knew this had to be today’s adventure.”
The urge to pull him close consumes me. When the elevator doors open, Lia bolts out, running toward the Build Your Mini Figure attraction, and I clasp Kent’s hand for a moment.
“Thank you.”
“You already thanked me.”
“I know. I may never stop.”
We catch up to Lia and help her pick parts for her mini figure. Kent and I both make our own as well. Giant bins are filled to the brim with hundreds of different variations of components. As she searches, Lia runs her hands through the head bin, creating a cascade of LEGO heads.
“This one is me,” she says. She holds a small head with pink and blue glasses and a huge grin. “When I’m wearing my sunglasses.”
“I see it,” Kent says.
Continuing to dig and search, Lia finally hands another to Kent.
