Page 56 of Sunset Catchers

“When it’s a mess inside your head, what does it feel like?”

“I don’t know.” He regards me patiently. I puff out a breath. “Like there’s this heavy cloud hanging above my head.”

“What do you usually do to make it go away?”

“I usually have outlets to help me deal, but they are unavailable to me right now.”

My head wants to tilt so bad right now. Levi in his work coverall is a sight. And wow, the working of his stubbled throat, as he bobs his head, thinking it over; magnificent.

“Okay. Then, what would make you feel, I don’t know, sunshiny?”

“Sunshiny, really?”, I say, voice flat. Levi shrugs; he’s committing to it.

Raking my teeth into my bottom lip, I think it over.

What makes me feel sunshiny?

Junie laughing at one of my bad jokes. Drinking a delicious iced coffee. Pink sunsets. But the thing that comes out of my mouth is: “Shopping.”

The tip of my ears warm up with presumptuous embarrassment. I know it seems futile, but it does make me feel good to buy items that I love. A non-judgmental smile curls up on his lips.

“I know just the place to bring you.”

Levi’s forearm flexes while he holds the door to the shop open for me.

“After you, Win.”

“Thank you, kind sir,” I reply, while overly batting my mascara lengthened lashes. He shakes his head, but I can see his relief over my improved mood. After I changed into an outfit similar to his own: a t-shirt, a zip-up hoodie and jeans, he drove us to the town where Ben’s café is located.

I gasp happily when I step into the store.

Levi’s presence engulfs my senses when he comes in behind me.

“I thought you’d love this place. Obviously, because there’s a lot of pink in here, but there’s also some very cool stuff.”

He ruffles the hair of his nape, and there’s a light flush to his cheeks. Is he blushing?

Oh my! Please no. The sight of Levi blushing—it is disarmingly charming. My head tilts a smidge. Just so I can better see him; he’s standing so close, you know.

He clears his throat, apprehensive over my verdict.

“It’s…perfect,” I say, with a drop of shoulders.

I don’t think I would’ve even brought myself to a more perfect place. He holds his lips tightly together, pleased.

I walk further into the shop, because we’ve just been standing there and starring for too long. The shop isn’t big; but it is filled to the brim with home decor objects, candles, jewelry, notebooks and cool miscellaneous items. There’s also a small room at the back, filled with colorful clothes. I marvel at every single thing I see.

Levi is the perfect shopping companion; he doesn’t hover, doing his own thing, but he’s also keeping an eye on me because, as soon as I pick up something, he’s there, taking it from me to make sure my hands stay free, holding the basket because he knows I have poor arm strength.

He calls out to me a few times, holding up items that make him think of me, and he’s spot on every time, making me laugh in a goofy way, or throw him the finger when it’s a candle that apparently smells like a Brat girl.

I’m a real life heart eye emoji.

Once I’ve done my rounds, including trying on some clothes, I walk up to the cash, getting my wallet out of my bag while the shop owner rings everything up. It feels good when I swipe my credit card and pay for my new acquisitions.

It’s not something I take for granted: having the means to treat myself. For a bit there, I did struggle with bills while I had to promptly move out on my own. I didn’t grow up poor, but I also don’t come from a rich childhood, and I mean that in more ways than one.

When I step out of the shop, a pink paper bag hanging from the crook of my elbow, the cloud over my head is almost gone, letting the bright late April sun peak trough. The spring blooms hanging from street lamp posts are lovely, and look, a car slowing down and stopping to let pedestrians cross the street instead of honking furiously at them.