Page 143 of The Fall Classic

“And …” He holds the gun and sprays, holding it like he’s posing for a camera. “Done.”

He stands up, and Georgie and I both snort.

Frost is covering both eyebrows thick enough that he looks like he walked outside in the middle of a snowstorm. He spots his reflection in the phone and then grabs it and brings it right up to his face.

He starts wiping at his eyebrows, and small flakes of ice fall off of his brows, while others cling.

Lucas is looking at the frozen flakes on the counter in horror.

“DID I FREEZE MY EYEBROWS OFF?”

I clutch the counter, laughing, as Georgie laughs, but with real concern on her face. “You’re fine! It’s just the ice!”

I put my hand over his eyebrow and hold it there.

“Dang, that is cold,” I say, feeling the ice crystals melt against my skin. I take it off and then show him his image on the phone. “There, you big baby. You better?”

He holds a hand over his other eyebrow and then looks at himself on the phone again. “Whew,” he says, shaking his head and laughing. “That was awesome.”

I grab the torch from the counter before he can try it again.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Georgie

Idon’t know how Logan’s mom handled such long absences from her husband without closing her heart the way my mom did. Logan is so warm and loving in his texts and calls and FaceTimes, and I want to match his energy in every interaction.

It’s so much harder than I expected.

But then, he had loving examples showing him how to do it every day. He watched his mom keep her heart open and his dad go to such great lengths to stay present and involved while working away from home.

Closing my heart off would only be a Band-Aid over a wound, anyway, one that would fester. Sunlight, as they say, is the best disinfectant. Being open about how I feel keeps the wound clean so it can heal.

Right?

I have to believe that’s right.

And it’s that choice to believe that makes me send him a tired selfie at 4:58 AM before opening the truck.

Georgie

I miss you more than I miss sleep.

Also, I turned in my final five minutes before midnight and it already got graded. I officially have three credits left in my degree! I will be a college graduate by Christmas!

Logan answers a couple of hours later, which is understandable given the time difference and the fact that only serial killers would willingly wake up in the four o’clock hour.

Logan

You will be taking a nap today, right?

Georgie

No, but my FINAL CLASS EVER doesn’t start till next week, so I’m planning to go to bed at 8. Does that work?

Logan

Only because you used caps.