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“Where are you guys?” Barry called a few minutes later as Shale traded her towel for the hoodie and yoga pants I’d brought in for her. “What happened to the bed?” he asked, making us look at each other. “Did you spill a water bottle or something?” he asked, and Shale had to press a hand over her mouth to keep her laughter in.
“Yeah, Bar, we spilled a water bottle,” I said as I moved out of the bathroom.
“Huh. Okay,” Barry said as I followed him into the kitchen, where to-go containers lined the kitchen counter. “What’d you get?”
“I went to the diner,” he said. “That way, I could get a little bit of everything. So, we got grilled cheese, fries, mozzarella sticks, patty melts, pancakes, and matzo ball soup.”
“Matzo ball soup?” I asked, surprised.
“Have you ever had diner matzo ball soup? It’s good stuff. And cole slaw, of course.”
“Gross,” Shale said, lip curling.
“Gross?” I asked, brows raising. “Cole slaw is the shit.”
“Pickles are good. Cole slaw is trash.”
“Hate pickles,” I said.
“You’re the perfect match,” Barry declared. “Oh, what’s that?” Barry asked, pointing toward my side.
Looking down, I saw a spot of blood seeping through my shirt.
“Oh, yeah. I was grazed,” I reminded him, shrugging it off. “No biggie.”
“Yeah,” Barry said as he popped a fry into his mouth. “It wasn’t as bad as I thought,” he claimed. “I have one of those edibles, though, if you need some.”
“That’s probably not a good idea after getting whacked on the head like that,” Shale said. “Speaking of that, shouldn’t you be getting a scan or something?”
“I’m fine,” I insisted as I took the half of the grilled cheese Shale passed to me.
“Your dad is kind of a badass,” Barry declared.
“Yeah? You should track him down and insert yourself into his daily life,” I suggested.
“He’s kidding,” Shale insisted. “He shows his love with sarcasm,” she added.
“You’re gonna pay for that,” I said low enough that only she could hear.
“So… what now?” Barry asked.
“Now… life can return to normal,” I said. “You go back to your place and your work. Shale opens Deja Brew up.”
“But we still hang out, right?” Barry asked, sounding like a sad, lonely little kid.
“Yeah, man, we still hang out,” I said.
“I know things will be different now that you’re a couple,” he added.
My gaze slid to Shale, who sent me a small smile.
Neither of us denied it.
We were beyond that.
“But I like our dynamic. We’re a good team,” Barry went on.
“We are,” Shale agreed. “I always wanted a little brother,” she added. “Junior too,” she claimed.
