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"Nope. I've made up my mind," he says. "And, once my mind's made up, there's absolutely no turning back. Now, say 'ah.'"
I open my mouth up just the tiniest bit.
"No way," he says. "Wider."
I open my mouth all the way up and as soon as I do, he shoves as much as the pizza into my mouth as he possibly can. He starts to laugh and after I'm over the initial shock, I begin to laugh along with him.
"Why'd you do that?" I ask through the food. I try and cover my mouth but there's no helping it. I'm sure my face is a mess.
He shrugs. "I like watching you laugh."
I shake my head, not fully understanding his words. "Why? That makes no sense."
He just looks at me with a small smile. "It does to me." The moment passes between us as we hold one another's gaze again. Just like before he breaks it and flips the television to another channel.
"Oh!" he exclaims. "I Love Lucy!" He turns to me expectantly. "Tell me you've seen this show?"
I shake my head. "No. Never."
"Never even heard of it?"
I shake my head again.
"Okay. I Love Lucy reruns and pizza it is," he says to me.
We spend the entire evening together, neither of us mentioning what I'd shown him earlier in the day or what he had spent his entire afternoon doing. By the time we finally get to the third episode and the pizza is done, I'm laying on the floor on my stomach, using my elbows to prop up my head, and not even thinking about my dead parents.
We're watching an episode about Lucy going deep sea fishing. She starts struggling with the pole in her unique fashion. I'm laughing out loud at the situation. For the first time in my life, I feel safe, full, and carefree.
I turn back around to look at Teddy and find him completely asleep on the edge of the couch.
I sit up and grab the remote off the coffee table to switch off the television. I make my way over to him quietly, but he cracks an eye open anyway.
"I wasn't sleeping," he says. "I was just resting my eyes."
"I don't think you should drive," I say to him. "I think you're too tired."
"Are you okay if I sleep here?"
I nod my head. "Yes."
"Cool," he says, closing his eyes again. "I'll sleep here."
"No," I say and he opens his eyes.
"No?"
I hesitate, not sure how to ask him what I really want. "Will you?" I start to say.
"Are you sure you're okay with me sleeping next to you?" he asks, correctly guessing what it is that I want from him.
"Yes," I say. "I think it may help with the nightmares."
"Okay," he says, getting up off the couch. "Go on and get in bed. There's clean clothes for you in the bag over there," he says, pointing to the front door. "I'm just going to grab a shower and then I'll be right in."
"Okay," I say, grabbing the bag. The door to the bathroom closes and I hear the shower turn on. I walk into the bedroom and turn to look at myself in the mirror on the wall.
I still see the same sad, skinny girl that I saw before, but for the first time, I start to notice the little things that Teddy pointed out to me.
