Page 64 of The Waiting Game

But Felix was a fast reader, so he’d probably appreciate it if Grandma Ji-min kept him supplied with books. Not that he couldn’t buy his own but Felix and Grandma Ji-min were both avid readers—more than Jonah ever was—and she liked buying Felix books.

She always had.

The next package Felix opened was a brass picture frame that held two photos, hinged in the middle so it could stand on its own on a desk or dresser.

“Hey, check this out,” Felix said and Jonah shifted closer to him on the couch to peer at it.

It was a photo from when they were in Atom-level hockey, and they must have been ten or eleven at the time. They were in their gear on the ice, goofing around after a game they’d won.

Felix had a toothy grin with an overbite—his braces must have come after that—and Jonah had been in an awkward stage of growth and his limbs looked all wrong for his body.

They were both mugging for the camera in a silly pose, cheesy grins on their faces.

Jonah turned his attention to the other photo and laughed, realizing it was a nearly identical shot from when they were both older.

They had on their University of Toronto gear and had probably been twenty or twenty-one at the time. It was a perfect recreation of the first photo, complete with silly pose and cheesy grins.

Jonah’s grandparents had done that numerous times throughout their lives, urging Felix and Jonah to recreate the goofy shots from their childhood together.

At the time, they’d both found it ridiculous but Jonah was glad to have those photos now. They were good memories to have. Maybe they should do another set this year and keep doing it every decade until they were too old to manage it.

“I love that,” Jonah said softly, suddenly aware of Felix’s thigh pressed against his own. It was so familiar he’d hardly registered it.

“Yeah, me too.” Felix glanced over and Jonah’s breath caught at the soft, warm look in his eyes. “We’ve had a lot of good times together, haven’t we?”

“The best,” Jonah whispered, too choked up to manage more.

Felix slid a hand onto Jonah’s thigh and squeezed, leaving tingling sparks in his wake. He didn’t let go for a long, lingering moment.

It wasn’t until Felix pulled away and looked at Grandma Ji-min that Jonah could breathe again. “Thank you. I love this. I’ll put it on my bedroom dresser.”

She smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”

The final gift from Grandma Ji-min was enormous and Felix eyed her. “What on earth did you get me?” he asked as he shook it lightly.

“Well, open it up and find out!” she said.

Curious too, Jonah stayed close, helping Felix maneuver the box as he unwrapped it carefully.

They both burst out laughing when they saw the contents.

It was a Korean snack box filled with cookies, chips, pies, drinks, noodles, candy, coffee, and tea.

“First, I love this,” Felix said, pawing through the contents. “Second, our nutritionist is going to kill me.”

“Don’t eat it all at once!” Grandma Ji-min chided. “Especially not during the playoffs. You have a little treat every so often and make it last.”

Felix made a face. “Historically, moderation hasn’t been my strong suit but I’ll try my best, eh.”

He hugged the box against his chest, face bright with happiness, and Jonah fell just a little more in love with him.

“Okay, are you going to open my gift now or just spend all night snuggling your snacks?” Jonah teased.

Felix stuck out his tongue but he did set the package on the floor, then grabbed Jonah’s gift from the coffee table.

Jonah tried not to fidget impatiently as Felix unwrapped it, careful as always.

When it was open, Felix shot him a bemused look. “You got me a hobby of the month club?”

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