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“Pretend weddings?” Ellister’s face scrunches. “With your boyfriends?”
“No.” I laugh a little. “With myself. Well, and Fannie, Lannie, and Pinko.”
“Who?”
“A few stuffed animals in the audience. Fannie was a rabbit. Lannie, a bear. And Pinko was a pink elephant.”
“And where was your groom?” He’s making quick progress of his apple, the red peel disappearing as he whittles it down to the core.
“I didn’t have one.”
“How can you get married to yourself?”
“Haven’t you ever played make believe? Where you act out a fantasy?”
From the blank look he’s giving me, I’m guessing not, and he confirms it when he slowly says, “No, not that I can recall.”
“I was just a little girl,” I explain, a bit embarrassed. “I don’t even know why I told you that. It was always my secret. Anyway.” I move on from the overshare and motion to the tree. “My dad was so surprised when the half that was left came back even stronger the next fall.”
Juice glistens on Ellister’s lips. “How can one half survive when the other does not?”
“I don’t know. That was nearly twenty years ago. We keep waiting for it to die. Eventually, I’m sure it will, but in the meantime, it keeps surprising us by continuing to survive.”
“It’s too bad people are not so resilient.”
“What makes you think they’re not?”
“Perhaps because they have the choice to give up. Maybe the tree doesn’t know that’s an option.”
My feelings are suddenly a little hurt, because it sounds like he’s talking about me. “Is this supposed to be a pep talk? Because if it is, it sucks. I’m not choosing anything.”
“No, Hannah.” With sincerity in his eyes, Ellister sounds serious when he says, “I wasn’t referring to you or your illness. I mean the people who want the easy way out. The ones who will make a deal with the devil to achieve their goals. I’ve seen their greed, their willingness to sacrifice others to get to the top instead of working their way up.”
“Like your boss?” I just can’t stop the snide remark, but Ellister doesn’t seem offended in the least.
“Yes. Exactly like him.”
“You don’t sound very fond of him.”
“I’m not.”
“Then why don’t you quit?”
“I’m indebted to him. Long ago, I was one of those foolish people who agreed to a bargain, and now I can’t escape.”
“Like you signed a contract or something?”
“Something. Some deals are written in blood.”
I tilt my head. “You know who you sound like?”
“Who?”
“Great Grandpa Waylon. You two definitely could’ve had some chats.” Opening a little bin I keep on the cart for trash, I gesture to it. “You can throw the core away here.”
“Thank you for feeding me,” Ellister says after tossing it.
He attempts a smile. It’s not even close to the blinding one he gave Faith, but it’s something.
