“I’d love one.”
Sky fell in step next to Mason again, their shoulders touching. “Since when does Sina read romance novels?”
“She doesn’t,” Mason whispered out of the side of his mouth. “I check out romances with my card all the time but this one’s a very spicygayhockey romance. I got hooked on them a few years ago, for obvious reasons.”
“Because you play hockey and they’re good?” Sky confirmed, his tone getting flatter as his focus shifted.
“I think so.”
Sky nodded. “I’ll download it and read it on the train.”
He didn’t seem interested in talking after that or was too distracted, so Mason rambled about the building’s new amenities and various art pieces and installations from local donors and philanthropists. Every now and then, Sky would grab Mason’s wrist and give it a slight tug, signaling that he wanted to stop and get a closer look at something. He found three books and mumbled, “Check these out for me,” before nodding at the kids’ section and tugging on Mason’s wrist. “There better be a train table or you’re fired.”
The library hadtwo.Mason had pushed hard for them because Sky loved them so much when he was a kid.
Still loved them apparently.
“Dude! Can I play with these?” he whispered excitedly and spun to see if there were any children around waiting for a turn.
There weren’t any, but Mason would have run them off if there were. “Go for it. Tell them I said it was okay. I’ll check these out and be right back.”
“Thanks, Mase!” Sky dropped to his knees next to the closest table and began taking inventory and naming the various tankengines. “Where the hell is Percy?” he asked, turning and crawling to check the other table.
Knowing he wouldn’t want to be rushed, Mason stopped at the coffee stand after checking out Sky’s books. He ordered himself a caramel macchiato and a vanilla latte for Sky. They hung out by the train tables for almost an hour, then left when Sky said he was getting hungry.
Everyone at Gino’s was elated to see Sky and pretty pleased that Mason was there as well when they stepped into the small pizza shop. There were only four tables, an ancient soda fountain, a counter along the wall, and stools for extra seating. You could feel the heat of the brick oven and watch as pizzas and calzones were made. Gino’s daughter, Carla, insisted on taking their order and sitting with them while they waited and ate. They had to share a bottle of red wine, of course, and she tried to spoon-feed Sky his vanilla ice cream.
“Don’t be a stranger, my sweet boy!” Carla air-kissed both of his cheeks loudly and gave his right an affectionate pat. “I’m proud of you, you know that?”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.” Sky kissed her cheek before ducking out the front door.
“Always the same, that boy. It’s good to see you two together again,” she told Mason. She was fast for a woman in her late seventies and caught his hand before he could get his card out of his wallet. “Don’t worry about it this time. I’m so happy you two stopped by. You and Skylar and that family of yours probably paid for half of this.” She waved around them and laughed. “Always our most loyal customers.”
“We do eat a lot of pizza, and there’s only one place that makes it the way we like it,” he said as he lowered and pressed his cheek against her right and then her left.
She laughed because there were actually three pizza places in Roseview but Gino’s was the oldest and the other two had changed ownership several times over the years. “You have a nice day, Mason, and give Little Sam a big squeeze from me.”
“Will do,” he said as he left and found Sky leaning against the truck’s hood. “I need to stop by the market on the way home.” Mason opened the passenger door for Sky. “We’re almost out of fruit punch and a few other odds and ends, and I didn’t take anything out of the freezer for dinner.”
Mason closed Sky’s door, then ran around to the driver’s side.
Why does this feel like the end of a really good date?
It might have been the best date of his life, which was a bit strange considering it was just a trip to the library for the week’s book run, some quality time with Thomas and the other tank engines, and lunch at Gino’s.
“What’s up?” Sky asked when Mason slid behind the wheel and buckled his seatbelt.
“Nothing. I was just thinking about what I should make for dinner. Any ideas?”
Sky squeezed an eye shut, then slowly shook his head. “I’m so full right now. My brain won’t go there, but you know what kinds of things I like.”
“How about…?” Mason could cook all kinds of things, and food was one of his love languages. But it was tricky to know what Sky would be in the mood for when it came to dinner. His sensory and emotional batteries were usually pretty low at the end of the day, and his threshold for surprises was at its lowest. “What about something you haven’t had in a while, maybe something Nadine used to make. I’ve been feeding you well since you’ve been here, but you probably don’t eat a lot of home cooked meals in the city.”
“Do frozen dinners and air fried chicken nuggets count if they’re made in a home?”
“No.”
Sky rubbed his temple. “What about… Oh! Can you make a pot roast?”
