really noticed girls’ clothes before, at least not in the way I am right now. I’d been attracted to Mia since I was thirteen, and she wore nothing but oversized tees and shorts. But now? Now I’m convinced she’d look good wearing a potato sack.
“You what?” Laney asks, and I realize I’m staring at Mia, the glass halfway to my mouth. The odd part? Mia’s staring back.
“I, uh… I’ll call you back,” I say into the phone, and don’t wait for a response before hanging up. It’s as if my voice pulls Mia from her daze, and her eyes shut tight before opening again.
I down the water in one hit, then lower the glass. “You look nice.”
Mia looks down at herself. “Thank you,” she says, but it comes out a question.
Finally forcing my eyes to look anywhere but at her, I busy myself with rinsing out the glass, the entire time wondering why she’s dressed like that. Before I can ask, she calls out, “Papa! You ready?”
“You can’t rush handsome,” he says, appearing in the living room. He’s wearing slacks, a tweed jacket, and a bright red bow tie.
“You look dapper, Papa,” Mia says, moving toward him.
He looks cute. Like little old man cute. He reminds me of the old man in Up. Grinning at the thought, I ask, leaning on the kitchen sink with my arms and ankles crossed, “Where are you guys headed?”
Mia turns to me, and she’s smiling, too. “Church. You want to come?”
My answer is instant. “No, thanks.”
Mia tilts her head, assessing me, and I don’t know what my reaction was or what vibe I’m giving off. “They have a potluck,” she tries to convince.
It’s the first time she’s willingly asked me to join her anywhere, and I should really make an effort. But I can’t. Not with this. “I’m good.”
“Okay,” she sing-songs and turns to fix her grandpa’s tie.
John smiles warmly at her. “You take good care of me, baba. Like your nagymama.”
“I try, Papa,” she says, then faces me again. “Papa visits with friends after church, and I hang out with Holden, so we won’t be back until after dinner.”
“Got it.”
I spend the rest of the day working on the porch and writing a list of other things that’ll need doing. Once this job is over, I plan on either fixing or replacing the gutters and then working on the siding. As I walk around the house, I notice the barn and question if there’s anything in there I can use to save John some money. When I go to open the door, it’s locked. I predicted it would be, but John showed me a set of keys that should open every lock. I go through each key one by one; some of them fit, but none actually turn. I’d seen Mia come out of there a few times now, mainly in the morning and sometimes at night, so maybe she took the key. Either way, I’ll be sure to check with John tomorrow.
The day goes by quickly, and before I realize, I’ve skipped lunch, and it’s already dinner time. As if on cue, my stomach rumbles. After packing up the tools, I take a quick shower and head off, ready to see my second favorite girl here.
Miss Sandra notices me as soon as I walk in, even though the diner is busy. Most of the people gather at the outside tables, so I still have the inside somewhat to myself. “Your booth’s free, baby, go ahead,” she calls out, and I nod, make my way to the same table I sit at every night. Miss Sandra already knows my order, so I know she won’t be back to ask.
I settle in, paperback in hand, and find where I dog-eared the page. I open it up, making sure I crack the spine. Lucy hates the way I treat her books. She wants them pristine, as if they’ve never been touched. I disagree. Books are meant to be read, spines worn from looking over the same passages over and over. Sometimes, when I’m really into a book, I highlight sentences and write in the margins. Those are the books she’ll inevitably gift me and buy another copy for herself that will sit on a shelf and never truly be appreciated.
I’m only two sentences in when the bell above the diner door dings, letting in an influx of noise from outside. I look out the window and realize the people hanging around outside are kids my