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I grinned. “Can you believe she chose that to be afraid of, of all things?”
“Kind of. I’m pretty sure hippos kill more people than pretty much all the other so-called people killers. Sharks, bears—that kinda stuff.”
“Okay, but we live in New York City. I’m pretty sure she’s safe from hippos.”
Luna had been drawing in the corner and decided to join the conversation. “I’m not a baby. I can hear you talking about me.”
“Okay, Miss Big Kid. Answer me this. Our mattress is on the floor. How do you think a hippo could fit under there, anyway?”
“A trap door. Duh.”
Grant held up his palms in innocence. “I didn’t teach her to say ‘duh’ so don’t look at me.”
“I learned it from the guy who sells hotdogs outside our apartment. Duh,” she added.
I walked over to the mattress and lifted it, pointing to the floorboards beneath. “No trap doors. See?”
Luna folded her little arms. “There’s never a trap door anywhere until somebody builds it.”
I hung my head. “Okay. Good luck with her tonight, Grant.”
He saluted. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He plopped his lanky frame down against the wall and stretched out his long legs. Sometimes I felt sad to see him this way because I could still remember so clearly how I thought of him when I was a little girl. He was my giant. My big brother who could do anything he wanted. Now, that version of him had withered away into something mild and sad. But with the money I was earning, and the new position Damon had given me, I’d help him.
I quietly promised myself that I’d use the opportunity I had to help turn his life back around. I’d get him his own place and see him happy again.
Outside, I was surprised to find Damon waiting for me with a bouquet of something green and strong-smelling. I squinted at it but didn’t see any flowers or recognize it. “Are these weeds?” I asked.
He deflated a little. “I thought flowers would be too cliché. They’re also pointless. So I brought you something practical. They’re herbs. I picked them from an organic rooftop garden. It’s dill, rosemary, and thyme. I thought you could make some roast potatoes with them or something.”
I laughed, taking the bundle of wild greenery and sniffing. “That’s actually sweet, even if it’s a little weird. So… Should I go put these in water?”
Damon nodded.
Grant gave me a baffled look when I set all the herbs down on the counter. “I’ll explain later,” I said, giving Luna a quick kiss and hug before heading back downstairs to Damon.
He was dressed in a suit and tie that he wore so comfortably I wasn’t sure he ever took them off. The tie tonight was a navy blue that made his eyes look startlingly bright.
“I see you decided against the steak dress,” he noted as he stuck his elbow out for me.
“Are we walking to our date?” I hooked my arm in his with a little smile. “This is very formal.”
“Dick got lost on the way here. He’s parked like two blocks away. I had to tell him to stop trying to get closer because he kept getting farther every time I tried to guide him.”
I chuckled. “How does he get lost? It’s just a bunch of squares. He’s also been here before.”
“Dick is a shit driver. He bangs up his car almost every week, and I’m starting to suspect he even ran someone over once.”
We joined the late evening crowd of people traveling the sidewalks, heading North at an easy pace. “I’m starting to think you’re nowhere near as hard as you led people into believing.”
“Only when it comes to certain people. I’m just very particular.”
“So I met your particular criteria? Is that it?”
“Something like that. Yes.”
We walked in silence for a while, then. It was just his strong arm hooked with mine and his steady footsteps. There was the occasional honk of a car and the wet sound of tires rolling through streets still wet from the evening’s rain.
It was a beautiful night, and I felt completely alive next to him.
Except I couldn’t relax into the moment and this idea. I couldn’t just accept that we’d arrived, and everything was going to be okay, because I still didn’t feel like the chapter on this Trish woman was closed. I didn’t know why I felt that way, but she loomed in my chest like a blockage—something hard and unforgiving standing between us and where I wanted to be. I knew I was getting close to a solution with her, but I still couldn’t completely shake the feeling of dread.
Maybe it was just that I didn’t trust her not to show up with her arms outstretched and a crazy glint in her eyes—to say no, you shall not pass! It was ridiculous but knowing so didn’t help me shake the feeling.
