Page 101 of Icarus

Icarus let his hands fall to his sides, and he stepped closer to Luca again. Luca looked skittish, glanced through the slats between the door out into the bathroom.

“Can I come back home to you both,” Icarus asked, “after Helios and I figure this out?”

“Stop talking to me like that,” Luca begged. “I’m going to college. I got in to Penn State.”

“Are you going to still be dating Celestina when you’re there?” Icarus asked.

Luca blushed, pink this time. Not the angry red Icarus seemed to inspire in him. “I. Well, I hope so. I don’t want to break up or anything. We just got together.”

“Okay.” Icarus nodded. “So she can visit you there. Can I visit you too?”

“As friends?” Luca asked.

Icarus shrugged. “Whatever. I’ll make time for it. Depending on what happens, I might be in Paris, Milan, or New York. You’re a plane ticket away.”

“You’d fly from Paris to visit me at Penn State?” Luca wrinkled his nose in disbelief.

“I would fly from Antarctica to meet you at Penn State,” Icarus said firmly. “I’d take a train, or a bus. I would walk if I needed to see you.”

Luca made a wounded sound, and let his forehead drift down to rest on Icarus’s shoulder.

Stray Cat

Celestina’s house was close to Sorrel’s. They almost traveled the same route, except for a sharp right turn a bit early that led them down Celestina’s block.

She’d gone home early while Icarus and Luca headed to his to try on the harness again. Icarus used some of Luca’s dad’s pomade to slick his hair back and pretended that Luca wasn’t watching him. He’d squeezed Luca’s arm in understanding as he’d walked past.

Celestina’s home was in a big apartment building with a shared backyard.

They could smell the food cooking before they even made it to her front door.

Luca bounced on the balls of his feet, looking more anxious than Icarus felt. But when Celestina opened the door, he settled. Icarus watched Luca’s shoulders drop in relief as he gave her a hug. Took comfort in it as Icarus was reeled forward for his own.

Celestina’s dad was tall and round. He had a big smile and a bigger laugh, and he smacked Icarus hard on the back as he led them to the dining room. Celestina’s mother looked just like her but a bit taller, more muscular. Icarus noticed a few medals and trophies on their living room mantlepiece. Celestina had a little sister, Bonnibelle, who looked about eight and who chattered boldly with all of them for the whole evening.

This house was loud and bright and full, and Icarus shivered into it like it was the first time he was being allowed in out of the cold.

Maple

The dinner table was round and large, unlike the small square table he and Angus ate at. They had a lazy Susan like a Chinese restaurant and the food was piled high in the middle. Black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, roast chicken, corn and peppers, brussels sprouts, garden salad, shrimp and grits.

They sat down and held hands. Connected as they prayed. Heads bowed, together. Icarus’s hand in Celestina’s small one, and his other in Bonnibelle’s even smaller. She gripped him back hard, unafraid, just like her sister.

When they started eating, Celestina’s parents asked him questions. They were easier than he had imagined. Easier than he had spent his entire life preparing for.

“What are you planning to study in college?” “What’s your favorite subject?” “Do you have any brothers and sisters?” “What’s your favorite book?” “Do you play any sports?” “How did you and Stella meet?”

Stella! Oh! A nickname Icarus had never even thought about. A family name.

It was hard to swallow past the lump in his throat, but he managed.

After dinner, they cleared the table. They stacked their dishes by the sink and Celestina’s dad brought out a banana cream pie, milk, coffee, and cinnamon-ginger ice cream.

Luca and Celestina were holding hands under the table and Icarus wanted to weep. He wanted to scoop this entire evening up and eat it with a spoon, taste it on his fingers, save it for later.

Was this what Celestina and Luca came home to every night? Maybe even Helios when he was with his mom? Maybe Sorrel and Aspen and Julian too?

How could he go home to his cold little bed now?