Page 54 of Daydream

When Grayson and I both went off to college, Gianna always said she wasn’t going, even as a little kid. She said she wanted to learn how to look after plants, so our conversations switched to trade schools whenever she’d ask. Everything was good until we realized she hated school because she didn’t have the support she needed, and she incorrectly thought working with plants wouldn’t need much studying.

“It’s far too early for her to be doing college tours, Mom. She’s barely a sophomore. Why can’t she wait until next year?” I say.

“I know, honey. But I don’t want to discourage her. Her new friends are talking about college and it’s got her excited, and if that’s what she wants, I don’t want her to think we’re not supporting her.”

I feel bad for my mom because she’s trying her best to be a good stepparent. I know she worries a lot about doing the wrong thing, and about Lucia thinking that she treats Gigi different from her ownchildren or is less supportive of her goals. “I can, but could we have this talk again after spring break? I could talk to her while we’re on vacation and we can go from there.”

“Sure! Thank you, Hallebear. I’ll let you get back to your study session.”

When I’m back in the familiar surroundings of Gigi’s bedroom, she appears to have gotten over her earlier tantrum. “Well? Did you get her to change her mind?”

Why she’s so intent on piercing herself I’ll never know. “I’m working on it, kid.”

“You are such a bad liar,” she says, rolling her eyes.

When I finally close my laptop, both my own work and Gigi’s work now complete, my head feels like it’s melting. Henry, still claiming to be unwell but also claiming to be hungry, gives me a long list of things he wants when I place an order for takeout to be delivered.

“Do you need attention, sympathy, and a cure?” Henry asks, peeping at me from beneath the forearm he lays across his eyes.

Rubbing my tired eyes with my palms, I nod. “Yes.”

“Come join our pity party,” he says, putting Joy on his chest and shuffling to the edge to create a gap between him and the back couch cushions.

There’s no graceful way for me to get into that space, and when I try, Henry pulls me down onto him so I’m half in the gap and half on him. I’m forever wondering when this level of contact became the norm for us, but I’m scared that if I ask him it’ll stop.

“Why is Joy in the pity party?” I ask, reaching to run my hand down her back.

“She’s an empath,” he says.

“Is that so? I’ve had an empath cat this whole time and didn’t know.”

“Uh-huh. The fact you didn’t know is another reason she should live with me,” he mumbles, resting his chin on the top of my head.My mouth opens to argue back, but he quickly interrupts. “I don’t want to hear about Robbie’sallegedallergy.”

“Why do you like her so much? I mean, I love her because she’s my cat, but why do you like her so much?”

“Question time is over,” he says, tucking a stray strand of my hair behind my ear.

“Please, Henry. One more. You promised me round two.”

The three of us lie together on the couch in the quiet of my house. I begin to think maybe he’s ignoring me, or he’s fallen asleep, but then he holds Joy to his chest as he rolls onto his side so we’re almost face to face.

She hates her new spot between us and runs off, settling in her seat on the back of the couch cushions, leaving the two of us stomach to stomach, my nose level with his chin. He looks down as I look up, watching his mouth as he wets his bottom lip with his tongue. “Because she’s sweet, and I like her funny little personality. I love when she’s affectionate, and I love that she lets me hold her as much as I want to. She makes me feel calm and I like that she likes me, too.”

“She’s a very good cat like that,” I whisper, because talking loud feels like too much with how close we are.

“She is,” he whispers back.

There’s a moment when our breathing synchronizes and our eyes meet that I think maybe Henry Turner would be an experience I wouldn’t survive. That having him talk about me the way he talks about Joy could devastate me beyond repair.

But then the doorbell rings, letting us know our food has arrived. And I remember that there’s never been a long list of complimentary adjectives that follow when people talk about me anyway.

Chapter SeventeenHALLE

THE ENTIRE ROOM ERUPTS INTOcheers when the Titans clinch the win in the last ten seconds.

I’ve been going to hockey games for years, but there’s nothing like seeing this kind of result,knowinghow relieved Henry will be. Aurora is jumping up and down, too, and honestly you’d thinkwe’dpersonally done something.

Henry told me they’d win if I wore the present he’d gotten me—the present being his jersey. I always feel like I’m comparing, but having fun today with Aurora really feels so different from when I sat with other girlfriends at Will’s games.

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