Page 189 of You've Got Hate Mail
“I’ll make sure The Cluckinator doesn’t peck off anything important.”
Ten snorts in his sleep, then snores again.
“Are we gonna leave him down here?” Cricket asks.
Now that, I grin at too. “Icouldcarry him, but I’d rather bring him a blanket.”
“What did he do to Mabel?” she whispers.
“Honestly? Don’t know. She won’t tell. But it was something.”
Pip’s head tilts against my shoulder, and she lets out a long snore.
Could be she’s asleep.
Could be we’re boring her.
“Back soon,” I tell Cricket.
She blows me a kiss.
And I walk out of the cellar with Pip, feeling like I’m dancing on air.
Cricket and I aren’tdating.
We’re not formal or official.
We simplyare.
And I like it more than I thought I could.
33
GROUNDBEAVER DAY
Cricket
Once Heath returns,he and I sit with Ten for a solid three hours.
Ten sleeps and snores.
Heath and I whisper stories to each other about our own most drunken moments.
He plays with my hand, pausing to kiss me every few minutes.
I tell him more about growing up under the crushing expectations set by my parents and their stories about my sisters.
He tells me more about the legal battle over Lav with his in-laws and the complexities of his marriage to Ava, how it likely wouldn’t have been great if she’d lived, but how he’s never felt safe to say that out loud before.
To acknowledge that sometimes, people aren’t suited, even if you love them and want to take care of them.
I fully get why he’s so hesitant to date, from the weight of the world that he already carries to the scars left from his in-lawstrying to take his daughter to the insecurities that come with a lot of years of feeling like a relationship failure.
And I hope we can save this place so that we can keep taking our time finding ifwefit.
Ifwesuit.
Or if we’re just in a moment in time where we each need right now.
