Page 54 of Unwanted Vows

Maddy kisses me, and I kiss her back.

“Shower?” she suggests.

“Good idea,” I agree.

We splash together under the blessedly generous hot water, soaping each other’s backs. The whole thing has a slightly surreal feeling, as if I will wake up any moment and find these last few weeks to be another dream.

“Pinch me,” I say.

Maddy gives me an odd look, then reaches down and pinches the inside of my thigh.

“Ouch!” I yelp.

“Just a little payback for the last nine years,” she says. “Anyway, you asked.”

“So I did,” I say. “You’ve made it pretty clear that I am not dreaming.”

“I promise I’m not,” Maddy says. “Besides, I’m hungry. I never get hungry in dreams.”

“We could probably go see what kind of food is in the kitchen,” I say. “I didn’t have any to bring, but I guess the movers packed all your supplies.”

“All I had and more besides. There is stuff in those cupboards I never, ever saw before.”

I laugh. We dress and go out to the kitchen. By the time our enterprising young artist sticks his head out the door of his room, we have cannoli, a mixed veg salad, and angel food cake ready for mashed strawberries.

“Wow!” Paul exclaims. “That looks great. But come see what I made.”

We troop into the boy’s room. And stand amazed.

“Like it?” he asks.

“Love it,” Maddy said. “But I didn’t know you could draw that well.”

“I can’t,” the boy says. “But that projector thingie Aunt Rylie got for me is the best. You put the picture you want on it, shine it on the wall, then trace the outlines.”

I gaze up at the wall. It is a fantasy scene of a cliff, with an ocean below, scraggly trees up the cliff face and on its top. Leaping from the cliff is the Last Airbender, portrayed in classic cartoon style.

“This isn’t right from a book or comic,” I say. “Did you use AI to create the picture?”

“No, of course not.” Paul tipped up his nose in scorn. “Where would be the fun in that? It isn’t finished. I’ve got lots more to do, but I think it’s a good start.”

“I think so, too,” Maddy said. “What do you think, Andrew?”

“I’m not sure I could do this even with a projector and AI assistance,” I say. “Is the story your favorite?”

“Well,” Paul hedged, “I like it a lot. But I also like True Grit.”

True Grit I remembered from when I was in elementary school. A local theater had school matinee specials, and showed all the old classics.

Paul turned off the projector. We could then see that many parts of the picture were unfinished, and that some of the parts in progress were quite different from the original. The kid had talent. No matter what happens between Maddy and me, I want to give him every opportunity to develop it.

We go back to the kitchen and sit down to eat. I store this away in my memory, hoping that this is one thing I will not forget.

WINE TASTING

MADDY

“I’ve never seen so many people in one place,” I say. Kate and I are standing on a second floor balcony overlooking the Quinn Orchard and Vineyard showroom. Booths line the outer walls, displaying choice produce. But the pièce de résistance is the slightly elevated platform where the wine tasting will take place.

---