but there had been a big fight about the wedding and the ex and there was a lot of puffed-up pride stuff still going on.
Em kissed back.
“You two are making me queasy,” I said.
Sean had headed back to Sam’s place to pick up Thoreau and a change of clothes, then was coming back here. It was like Sean already lived with me, but making it permanent seemed to be tempting the fates a little too much for my liking.
Em, apple in hand, laughed as she sat next to me in Dovie’s morning room, which was my favorite room in the house. It was dark now, but in the morning, sunlight flooded this room, filling it with happiness and life as it bounced off the blue walls, the overstuffed furniture, the knickknacks Dovie had collected over the years. This was the room where Dovie spent most of her time, and it showed in everything—the indent in the seat of her favorite chair, the teacup on the table, and the crossword puzzle folded, unfinished, on the floor near the fireplace.
Rufus trotted over, sat in front of Em, then dropped his chicken on the floor and his head in her lap. She rubbed the underside of his chin.
“He likes Em,” Dovie said. “Give him to her.”
“Okay,” I said. “Congrats! It’s a boy!”
Em, wild-eyed, looked between us. “Dovie, you do realize I live here, right? Don’t you remember the halfway-house comment?”
Dovie snapped her fingers. “Marisol.”
Marisol Valerius was my other best friend. She and Em had been part of my life since we were little things, running amok on the beach as topless toddlers. The topless thing hadn’t lasted (except in Marisol’s case), but the friendship, after a rocky start, had.
Marisol was a veterinarian who often left her unadoptable charges at my place, which explained my three-legged cat, Grendel, and my one-eyed hamster, Odysseus. Turnabout would be fair play. “I’ll call her.”
“He is sweet,” Em said. Rufus looked up at her with adoration. “And when I find a place of my own, it would be good to have some company.”
“I was kidding about the halfway house!” Dovie quickly said. “Don’t go thinking about moving out because of that.”
Em bit into her apple, chewed. “It’s about time I start looking, don’t you think?”
The conversation brought me back to Sean and his apartment hunt. He was due at my place in less than an hour. How easy it would be if he just stayed … forever.
“No,” Dovie said. “Tea, anyone?”
My nerves were jumping. “I’ll have some.”
Em’s red hair had been pulled into a sloppy bun atop her head. Her full cheeks glowed with happiness. She’d put on some weight since the breakup, but she was happier than I’d seen her in a long, long time. “How’s school?” She’d recently quit her job as a pediatric intern to go back to school for a degree in elementary education.
Em smiled. “Really good. Spring break starts in a couple of days.”
“Are you going anywhere?”
“I’m a little old for spring break, don’t you think? I’m going to rest, relax, and catch up on my reading.”
“Exciting.”
She bit into her apple, ignoring me.
“You should go somewhere, not mope around here.”
“I’m not moping.”
She was totally moping.
“Besides, where would I go?”
“Anywhere you want.”
“Not Paris.” Rufus lifted his eyebrow as she took another bite of apple. She broke off a chunk and gave it to him.
“Definitely not,” I agreed. She was supposed to go to Paris on her honeymoon—which would have been this week if the wedding hadn’t been canceled. No wonder she was moping. “But anywhere else.”
“By myself?”
I hated the thought of her going alone, but it was better than the alternative—moping here alone. “Why not?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I have a lot of reading to catch up on.”
In the kitchen, Dovie made a snoring noise.
“Hey!” Em said.
“Live a little,” Dovie said. “You’re only young once.”
“Why do I feel ganged up
Em kissed back.
“You two are making me queasy,” I said.
Sean had headed back to Sam’s place to pick up Thoreau and a change of clothes, then was coming back here. It was like Sean already lived with me, but making it permanent seemed to be tempting the fates a little too much for my liking.
Em, apple in hand, laughed as she sat next to me in Dovie’s morning room, which was my favorite room in the house. It was dark now, but in the morning, sunlight flooded this room, filling it with happiness and life as it bounced off the blue walls, the overstuffed furniture, the knickknacks Dovie had collected over the years. This was the room where Dovie spent most of her time, and it showed in everything—the indent in the seat of her favorite chair, the teacup on the table, and the crossword puzzle folded, unfinished, on the floor near the fireplace.
Rufus trotted over, sat in front of Em, then dropped his chicken on the floor and his head in her lap. She rubbed the underside of his chin.
“He likes Em,” Dovie said. “Give him to her.”
“Okay,” I said. “Congrats! It’s a boy!”
Em, wild-eyed, looked between us. “Dovie, you do realize I live here, right? Don’t you remember the halfway-house comment?”
Dovie snapped her fingers. “Marisol.”
Marisol Valerius was my other best friend. She and Em had been part of my life since we were little things, running amok on the beach as topless toddlers. The topless thing hadn’t lasted (except in Marisol’s case), but the friendship, after a rocky start, had.
Marisol was a veterinarian who often left her unadoptable charges at my place, which explained my three-legged cat, Grendel, and my one-eyed hamster, Odysseus. Turnabout would be fair play. “I’ll call her.”
“He is sweet,” Em said. Rufus looked up at her with adoration. “And when I find a place of my own, it would be good to have some company.”
“I was kidding about the halfway house!” Dovie quickly said. “Don’t go thinking about moving out because of that.”
Em bit into her apple, chewed. “It’s about time I start looking, don’t you think?”
The conversation brought me back to Sean and his apartment hunt. He was due at my place in less than an hour. How easy it would be if he just stayed … forever.
“No,” Dovie said. “Tea, anyone?”
My nerves were jumping. “I’ll have some.”
Em’s red hair had been pulled into a sloppy bun atop her head. Her full cheeks glowed with happiness. She’d put on some weight since the breakup, but she was happier than I’d seen her in a long, long time. “How’s school?” She’d recently quit her job as a pediatric intern to go back to school for a degree in elementary education.
Em smiled. “Really good. Spring break starts in a couple of days.”
“Are you going anywhere?”
“I’m a little old for spring break, don’t you think? I’m going to rest, relax, and catch up on my reading.”
“Exciting.”
She bit into her apple, ignoring me.
“You should go somewhere, not mope around here.”
“I’m not moping.”
She was totally moping.
“Besides, where would I go?”
“Anywhere you want.”
“Not Paris.” Rufus lifted his eyebrow as she took another bite of apple. She broke off a chunk and gave it to him.
“Definitely not,” I agreed. She was supposed to go to Paris on her honeymoon—which would have been this week if the wedding hadn’t been canceled. No wonder she was moping. “But anywhere else.”
“By myself?”
I hated the thought of her going alone, but it was better than the alternative—moping here alone. “Why not?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I have a lot of reading to catch up on.”
In the kitchen, Dovie made a snoring noise.
“Hey!” Em said.
“Live a little,” Dovie said. “You’re only young once.”
“Why do I feel ganged up
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