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“You’re everyone’s favorite, Butterfly,” he shot an intentional wink.
He could’ve told Mama Meg what was happening and who I was with. Surely she knew Parker was on this case, especially since his father, Al—a legal savant—was so invested in keeping up with Parker’s career. Parker was considerate, but more so than that, he was thoughtful and looked out for me, even when I wasn’t here.
“Thank you,” I said quietly, captivated by his control in the kitchen and the vein in his bronzed arm that bulged as he lifted the skillet, flipping the golden sourdough onto the plate.
“You’re welcome.” He reached for a large knife, slicing the sandwich into two steamy halves with a crunch. “I hope it’s good. This is my first time making it actually, and you caught me practicing… I just wanted it to be perfect before you came back,” he said, still professionally dressed from a late night of work, preparing a dinner I originally thought was just for him, but was intentional for me. He placed the plate on the counter and smiled, “For you.”
I looked down, conflicted, knowing Parker was probably hungry, but gave me the sandwich regardless.
“For you, too,” I said without a second thought, patting the seat by my side. “Come sit with me, we can share.” I handed him my other half as he walked over, taking my first big bite of food since this morning.
For a while, all there was, was crunching. Comfortable, quiet, chewing. For the first time today, I took a deep, relaxing breath.
“So… did you have fun last night?” Parker asked swiping crumbs that fell onto his lap.
“Umm… you know, not bad.” I shrugged, sparing the obvious details.
“Not bad? Hmmm… let me guess, no pizza and horror movies?”
I laughed, “Actually, I’m not sure if Alejandro even likes horror movies.”
“Well, I’m sure he likes pizza…”
“I hope so. Who doesn’t?” I asked, realizing I didn’t even know that. I knew he liked bacon; he had it this morning. He was a tequila fanatic, a cherry enthusiast, but outside of hot dogs from a New York street vendor—the first true meal I ever shared with him—I wasn’t sure what else he actually enjoyed eating. Jesus, the realization was almost embarrassing, essentially admitting to Parker that I barely knew Alejandro.
“He seems like a pineapple on pizza kind of guy,” he teased. “You know, considering he’s from L.A.”
“Is that what they do over there?”
“Eh, it’s the West Coast. Who knows what they do? I only know us.”
“Us as in New Yorkers? Or us as friends?” I watched as Parker’s audible chew turned into a rough swallow of jagged bread.
He waited to reply. “Just… us,” he confirmed quietly.
I didn’t know why that made me want to cry.Just us?
Our story?
There was so much we shared, this sandwich being the least of them. Our time, our passions, our loves and hates. Parker knew me as the person, not as the trauma I lived, and I always wanted to keep it that way.
“There’s a lot about us… between us,” I replied.
“A lot of foods included.”
“And plays.”
“So many plays,” he laughed.
“And other things… like the tooth fairy?” I reminded, the story of how Parker would bring a quarter to school whenever I lost a tooth. I never got one under my pillow, and he knew that.
“I told you already, the tooth fairy got used to you sleeping over at my house. Honest.”
I smiled at all he had done, at all I knew about him and us.
God, there was always something about Parker that I could never find in anyone else. I think it was his smile; a forever unchanging bookmark to the boy I spent my entire life with. Sure, he matured, his assertion more confident, his face more defined with sharp bone structure, but I could still see the kid in him, the one who used to wear comic book shirts and who’d drive me around on the pegs of his bike.
I caught Parker quietly studying my face, his charming grin sheltered by the way his palm mantled his cheek. What was he thinking about, and did it have to do with why I was home so suddenly? Typically, he’d give his two cents on my situation, but this time he didn’t. For now, I wasn’t the subject of his protection, but rather, the partner of his attention, and for some reason it made me want to share something about myself—not everything—but just enough.
