Page 43 of All the way home

At least they get a response in seconds.

Kieran:

I am one thousand percent sure that’s not your business

“I told you.” Crossing her arms, Rena shakes her head. “Kieran would never—”

Another response rolls in.

Kieran:

Zach Loren. Knock yourself out

Lucas:

And where’s he from

Kieran:

Nosy bitch

I’ll ask

Rena pinches the bridge of her nose.

Kieran:

Owen Sound. Just googled it (not weird) it’s the middle of fucking nowhere

Lucas laughs, low and pleased. “Hell yeah. You try Instagram, I’ll try Facebook.”

“No one uses Facebook anymore.”

“Maybe Zach Loren from Owen Sound does.” Lucas scrolls through his phone. “Okay fine, I’ll google him.”

Despite her better instincts, Rena sighs, opens Instagram, and types his name into the search bar.

If he’s on the platform, it’s impossible to tell. None of the few public Zach Loren accounts are him, and the other two are private with indeterminate profile photos: one is a zoomed-out photo of somebody on a lake; the other is a close-up shot of the moon.

“Bingo,” Lucas says moments later. “Found a picture.”

He hands over his phone. On his screen is a much younger Not-Josiah—Zach—with a saxophone slung around his neck. Next to him is a South Asian girl with long, straight hair holding a pair of enormous mallets and sporting a wide smile that’s 90 percent braces.

Under the photo there’s a brief description: L. Zach Loren and Maragatham Agarwal, Owen Sound Secondary Jazz Recital.

“What do you think the ‘L’ stands for?” Lucas muses, pulling his phone back.

“This isn’t our business.”

“I’d argue it definitely is.” After a moment, he grins, tilting his phone. “Aha! See? The girl he was with has a public profile.”

Rena elbows him in the ribs, hard. “You followed her? Seriously?”

“She won’t notice!” he exclaims. “She’s got, like, a gazillion followers.”

“You’re awful,” she tells him, without heat.

The girl—Mara, according to her Instagram profile—does have a lot of followers. Eight thousand, and for good reason. Whoever she is, she’s got an appreciation for aesthetic. Most of the profile is comprised of well-crafted urban photography; Rena recognizes the slanting red brick of the Gooderham Building and the distinctive spindle of the CN Tower in Toronto in her feed.