Page 31 of Call It Serendipity

“Good to know.” I laugh. Withdrawing a knife from the block on the counter, I cut the sub into pieces for Charlie and drop them down to where he waits eagerly at my side.

“You shouldn’t feed him that.”

“You shouldn’t live off Daddy’s credit card, then he couldn’t rent your home out.”

She looks at me with teary eyes, and guilt immediately pinches itself between my ribs. While I stand behind my statement, my delivery leaves something to be desired.

Coming around to the living room, I sink into an armchair and conjure my most reassuring look. “I’ll help you,” I offer. “We’ll find you a good job, and you can stay at my place until you can afford your own.”

“What if that takes longer than your stay here? Could I still live with you in the city?” she sniffles.

“Of course.” I lean back in my chair and kick my feet up on the coffee table. “But honestly, I may be here awhile.”

Taylor brightens, as if she’s suddenly distracted from her predicament. “You like it here, don’t you?”

I think of coffee shop run-ins and nights on a quiet front porch and football games with mountainous backdrops. “Yeah. I really do.”

“You seem so… relaxed. It’s nice to see.”

“Thanks, Tay.”

“Thanks for your help,” she shoots back, curling her legs up beneath her as she settles into the couch.

I nod, reaching for the remote and grinning to myself when I see that Seinfeld is on.

“I hate how they ended this show. There was no closure,” my sister says, causing my smile to widen. Catching my reaction, she adds, “What’s that look for?”

“If you stick around here long enough for me to introduce you to someone named Claire, you should share that sentiment.”

“Who is Claire?” Her eyebrows shoot up.

“Before you get any ideas, her boyfriend, Levi, will probably be there, too, if you ever meet.”

“Are you making friends? That’s so cute.”

I take a pull of my beer and think about the one name I decided to keep to myself. If I start talking about Lucy, I don’t think I’ll be able to play her off as a friend. And I don’t think I want to try.

19

“Lucy, dear! What wonderful timing you have.”

Claire and I exchange a look as her grandmother motions for us to join her at the table. We’re at Jitters, and Alice isn’t the only one in her usual spot today.

“How so?” I ask as Claire leans in to hug Alice before sitting beside me.

“Well,” she replies, peering over her glasses at us. “Agatha here was just saying she saw you at the game the other day.” Agatha, a member of Alice’s knitting club, nods to corroborate the story.

“Oh, yes I was there.”

Please leave it at this, I will. It seems unfair to enter a conversational trap before getting the caffeine that’s only steps away. I need that caffeine.

“And you weren’t alone,” Agatha adds with a wiggle of her feathery white eyebrows.

There it is. I look over at Claire once more, who is already watching me intently. She’d have every right to be smug right now, to point out that I should have been better prepared for this.

Instead, she looks as worried as I feel.

“I went with a friend,” I tell them.