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I lay on my side as I stroke Blaze’s fur. She closes her eyes, calm and appreciative of my gesture. In the quiet time, I hear the sound of an engine. Blaze can sense the presence as well, but her hearing is poor. There’s a tap on the screen door, and I stand up to see who’s there. I feel her before I see her, and Adriana’s smiling back at me.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” she greets. “I’ve made some homemade treats for Blaze.”
I open the door and let her in. She brushes past me, and this strange feeling hits me. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s best to ignore it.
Adriana kneels to Blaze’s level and strokes her belly.
“What, so no homemade snacks for me?” I tease.
“Here’s the thing, I’m a terrible cook. I mean, I try to cook. It’s okay, but it’s not my forte.”
“I don’t believe you, Adriana. You say that about everything, and I can’t point out one thing you do wrong.”
“You’re not looking hard enough,” she says, and there it is, that self-doubt.
?
?I’m not looking for it.”
Her pats slow down, and I see her body language change. “Elijah once said that he didn’t care if I couldn’t cook as long as I knew how to cook pot roast, that’s all that mattered. He and my brother are pot roast freaks, and I blame my mom, who makes the meanest pot roast.”
“Your mom sounds like a very nice woman.”
“The greatest. I’d love for you to meet—” She stops mid-sentence
I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable. “I would be honored to meet her as your friend.” I place my hand on hers to reassure her, calm the guilt brewing inside of her. Almost instantly, I see her shoulders relax as she tilts her head slightly to stare back at me. Today they reflect a sign of hope, a woman trying her best to fight the odds of life.
“So, this happy place we’re supposed to go to… how about I’ll show you mine if you show me yours?” I offer.
She lets out a laugh. “Deal, you first…”
“You got a few hours?”
“I have two hours before I have to pick up Andy.”
I stand up and reach out for her hand to pull her up. She follows me out the back door until we’re standing on the porch.
“We’re here.”
“Uh… I don’t get it?” she asks, confused.
“When I first came to LA, I stumbled on this place when I was lost one day. I can’t explain it, there’s something that draws me in. The horses, the greenery… it’s so serene.” I take a moment to appreciate the view. “I had no idea it belonged to Hazel, none whatsoever.”
“Lost on the way to—”
I interrupt her with a slight annoyance. “No, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I… I wasn’t really… I mean, I’m not saying it’s wrong, just asking if that’s—”
“Adriana, I said I wasn’t.”
She places her hand on my forearm, a friendly gesture but one I have become so accustomed to, easing my anxious nerves. “I’m sorry, Julian, diarrhea-mouth syndrome. I trust you’re telling the truth.”
“Does it bother you? Let’s face it, we haven’t talked too much more about it, and it’s the giant elephant in the room.”
“I know you loved Charlie. It’s impossible not to. But I love my brother, and they are soul mates. Always were and will be. Redemption, Julian. You saved her.”
