“Take your time. If you don’t think you can make it, I can always carry you up the stairs.”
I tossed him a droll look.
“Hey, I did it once, I can do it again.” He tipped his chin up and stuck his chest out. “Maybe this time you’ll actually be aware of it. I might be a Pooh Bear, but I have the strength of a grizzly.”
Oh, I totally believed he could, but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. I pulled my mask down and whispered, “Doesn’t count. Was out of it.”
“Still happened,” he countered.
“Who is…peacocking now?” I shot back with a wince.
He offered me a little snicker that let me know our battle of insults was not over. The moment we were inside his ramshackle apartment, I collapsed on the couch, trying not to cough but unable to hold back. He set a box of tissue on the coffee table, and I plucked one, pressing it to my mouth as I gagged and hacked.
He pushed a bottle of water in front of me. “Okay, I’m going to run to the pharmacy and fill these prescriptions. I’ll also pick up some more Tylenol and lozenges. Is there anything you want?”
I nodded, opened my mouth to speak and started coughing again. I pulled out the phone and texted him.
ME: Nail filer and hand moisturizer with aloe.
He frowned at his phone as if my request was unexpected. “Alright. If you think of anything else, text it. I won’t be gone too long. Drink your water and rest. I’ll bring back some food.”
I texted as he left.
ME: Yes, Daddy.
SEAN: Good boy.
I couldn’t help smiling at that, an involuntary reaction that annoyed me.
The couch had been made with a sheet thrown over the cushions. Several blankets were folded on the armrest along with a few pillows as if he’d expected me to be staying here a while. My backpack was sitting on the floor next to the couch and I tugged it into my arms, holding it close to me. I was angry with myself, and maybe a tad with him because I hadn’t thought about it once the past three days. When I wasn’t sleeping, I was bickering with him over texts.
I pulled out my notebook stuffed with musical notes and ideas. I ran my fingers over the marks, remembering where I was and what I’d been doing when I’d written them down. I’d always wanted to compose my own piece and my notebook was the beginning of my opus magnum.
It was hard being so far away from my life’s work. I wanted to go through my composition line by line to make sure it was all there, but exhaustion hit me. I slipped my hand into the ripped lining of my backpack and pulled out a polished wooden box. I flipped it open and brought my grandmother’s pearls to my nose. They still smelled like her–baby powder andDiorissimo. Her voice echoed in my mind, telling me about how my grandfather had given them to her on her birthday when they’d first started seeing each other.
I knew then, Miho, he was the one. You can’t describe that kind of feeling, but you’ll know it when you find the right one.
I slipped her pearls back into the box and hid them in my pack. I was a good boy and drank some of the water he’d left for me, my throat protesting. I toe’d my shoes off and cuddled up on the couch with a fluffy pillow and promptly passed out.
The sound of the front door closing jerked me awake and I blinked dumbly at the figure for a long moment, confused about where I was. Burying my face in my hands, I prayed I had nowhere to go but up. I didn’t think I could handle any more shit piled on top of my shoulders.
Sean pulled up a chair by the coffee table and tore open a brown bag. He pulled out plastic bowls wrapped with Saran. “Picked us up some phó.”
He uncapped the bowls and set one in front of me. I couldn’t smell anything, but the hard-boiled egg, leafy herbs, and noodles looked good. Too bad I wouldn’t be able to taste much, either. He opened a container and held up a thin slice of raw beef with a pair of chopsticks.
“Meat?” he inquired. I nodded and he laid several strips in the soup. “The heat of the broth will cook it. Have you ever had pho before?”
I shook my head.
“Well, it’s delish. Eat what you can.” He dug into a little white bag and set some pill bottles on the table. “Antibiotics, decongestants, and Tylenol.”
I took the required medication, determined to get better and plunked my spoon into the phó, watching as the broth filled the dip. The heat was nice going down my throat and not as painful as the other day. I tried some noodles, focusing on the texture. Sean seemed pleased, offering me a lopsided smile as he enjoyed his own food. We ate in silence, and I watched him work his chopsticks to perfection. I couldn’t imagine eating something like this and keeping a long beard impeccable, but he made it look easy.
I touched his arm gently to get his attention and rasped, “Thanks. Don’t let it go to your head, but seriously, thank you.”
He set his bowl down and sucked in a big dose of air. “I don’t know your circumstance and I won’t pry, but I want you to know you can crash on my couch as long as you need, amirite?”
I nodded, looking down. Only a few more months. I could tough it out.
