Page 1 of Those Two Words

prologue

PATRICK

TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO

“We can’t be in here,” a hushed voice says from behind me. I fumble to open the door as quietly as possible, but the jangling of keys is going to get us caught soon if I don’t hurry up.

Turning around, I shush my best friend, who scowls back at me. Annoyingly, she’s two inches taller than me, and I only know this because our moms measured us against the stockroom door frame this afternoon. I’ll be taller than her soon, though, because Mom says I take after my dad and he’s really tall. Plus, I’ll be seven next month and she’ll still be six until August.

“I know that, YoYo, but there’s no more candy left at the buffet. I’m sure there’s some Starburst in my dad’s desk.”

“My name is Johanna, for like the gazillionth time, you dork.” She’s trying to whisper but isn’t doing a good job.

I try to hide my giggle. Obviously, I know her name, but teasing her is my favorite thing to do. Well, after playing with my Hot Wheels.

I try another key, and when it doesn’t get jammed in the lock, I let out a little cheer. “AH-HA! Quick, come in before someone hears us.”

“Well, they have now, Patrick. You’re like a foghorn,” she says as we hurry into my dad’s office, and I push the door shut behind us. Hoping the loud music from the party covers up any noises of our break-in, I turn to face Johanna. Her long blonde hair is up in two twisty things with some shiny stuff wrapped around them. I told her she looked like an alien bride, and she told me I smelled like her grandma’s one-hundred-year-old cat. She’s wearing a sparkly silver dress and shoes to match her hair. She’s very shiny, but I suppose she looks kinda pretty. My mom put me in a long-sleeved button-up shirt, tie, and pinchy shoes. She said I look handsome, but I feel dumb, and the tie around my neck is starting to strangle me.

It’s New Year’s Eve and the first ever party being thrown at our dads’ new restaurant. It’s fun and all, but they keep playing really old music about love and other mushy things.

It’s dark in here, but Johanna glows in the corner of the room as I tiptoe over to the desk. Her dark blue eyes glare at me, hands fisted at her sides—she looks a little mad. “I’ll only help you look for the candy if you let me have all the orange-flavored Starburst.”

“Fiiiiine. But I want to be the first one to hold a sparkler at midnight. Deal?”

“Deal.” She walks over to me and holds out her hand. I spit into mine to seal the deal, but before I can close it around hers, she jerks away.

“Ewwwww! Gross, Patrick! I’m not shaking it now. You’ll give me cooties,” she cries. My other friends think it’s weird my best friend is a girl, and I get it when she doesn’t like to do cool stuff like this. But most of the time she’s pretty awesome.

“I will not, and like it matters, anyway, when we’re husband and wife, you’ll have to do lots of gross things with me. Like holding my hand and trimming my nose hairs. That’s what Mom does for Dad,” I say with a shrug.

“Yes, but that’s when we’re married. I can’t hold it now, silly, you haven’t asked me yet.”

What’s the big deal? I think as I wipe my hand on my pants.

I walk around my dad’s desk and pull out the chair tucked underneath, revealing the drawer hopefully full of candy, and pray he forgot to lock it. Taking a deep breath in, I pull with all my strength. I have a lot of it because Mom says that I eat more vegetables than Graham, so he won’t be as strong as me. Booth eats lots of vegetables, but they’re blended up since he’s still a baby. I must not have eaten enough green bean casserole tonight, because when I pull on the drawer, it doesn’t budge.

With a frustrated sigh and sad expression, I look up at Johanna. “I’m sorry, I think he locked it.”

“I did,” a voice booms from the shadows.

“AHHHHHHHHH!” Our high-pitched screams bounce around the small office.

A deep chuckle comes from the now-open doorway. Johanna’s and my parents are standing there laughing at us, but I can’t tell if my dad’s angry face is serious or not.

My palm slaps against my forehead when he holds up the set of keys I left in the lock.

“What are you two weasels up to this time?” Johanna’s mom, Valerie, asks.

She’s tucked underneath the arm of Johanna’s dad, George, and rests a hand over her big round belly that looks like a basketball. Johanna hopes it’s a girl, but I think it’s a boy, which would be great. I’m so glad it’s just my brothers and I, no stinky sisters for me.

My dad has a sleepy Graham in his arms, while my mom has Booth strapped to her chest. I have no idea how they’re both sleeping with the party going on.

I peek over at Johanna, who looks so nervous she might puke. She kinda looks like Casper, the ghost from that movie we watched the other week. I quickly try to come up with an excuse as to why we’re in here.

“Umm…YoYo had to go number two, so I said she could use the toilet in your office.” Good save.

“PATRICK!” My shoulders shoot up to my ears at Johanna’s screeching.

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