Page 188 of The Waiting Game

“Huh,” Jonah said. “How long have you been planning that?”

She shrugged. “Since my trip to the emergency room.”

“What?” Jonah said. “But Felix and I weren’t even dating at the time. We weren’t even fake engaged.”

Her eyes twinkled behind her glasses. “No, but that nice nurse did a great job helping set you two up.”

“What?” Jonah blinked at her. “What are you talking about?”

“Tyson, my nurse. I asked him to play along. I’d noticed Felix checking you out, Jonah, so I thought I’d give you both a little nudge.”

“You clever, scheming woman,” Felix said with an appreciative grin.

She beamed. “I did good.”

Jonah laughed. “Yeah, I can’t argue that.”

After they finished the puzzle, Jonah suggested they take a stroll out to the shed. “This feels like a hammock discussion,” he said, linking pinkies with Felix.

Felix smiled. He was pretty sure they were both on the same page about the house, but he couldn’t think of a better place to talk through it. “Sounds good.”

When they were cuddled up in the hammock with Jonah’s head on Felix’s chest, Jonah sighed, content. “This is so much better than lying head to foot.”

“Yeah, I don’t have your stinky feet in my face anymore,” Felix teased.

“Hey! My feet were never stinky!” Jonah protested, laughing.

The squabbled for a few minutes, nearly upending the hammock twice before they settled.

“So,” Jonah said. “What do you think?”

“I think your grandmother is a conniving woman and I’m impressed.”

Jonah poked him in the ribs, making him squawk. “About the house!”

“I kinda love the idea,” Felix said. “I mean … this has always been our place.”

“Well, I wasn’t planning to move into the shed permanently,” Jonah said.

“I don’t mean just this.” Felix gestured to the space around them. “The whole house and property. We have so many memories here. It’s a great place to raise kids someday. I’m not sure I can really see any downsides.”

“No, that’s a good point,” Jonah agreed. “It’s just a big step for me. Admitting that Grandma is getting older. That maybe her life is changing too. Her needs are different.”

“I know.” Felix tugged him closer and kissed his hair. “But it could be the start of a lot of good things for all of us. Nancy and Grandma Ji-min won’t be as lonely.”

“And I suppose we’ll be just down the block if they get up to too many shenanigans.”

Felix chuckled. “True.”

“And we could have her over for dinners and stuff.”

“Of course!”

“We could maybe have Charlie redo the primary bedroom for us.” Jonah shuddered a little. “I mean, call me weird and uptight but I can’t quite picture having sex in the room my grandparents conceived my mother in.”

Felix shook his head. “You’re definitely weird, although I wouldn’t necessarily say uptight. And how do you know it was in that room? It could have been here in the garden shed.”

“Oh God, Felix, why did you have to put that image in my head?” Jonah moaned. “Fuck!”

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