Page 96 of Mr. Broody

My grandpa’s seventy-six Chevelle was my dad’s before I was given it at sixteen. Grandpa always kept it in great condition, but after college, it needed some work. So when I was playing in Chicago the first time, I spent weekends during my offseason with my grandpa and a few of his friends to get it up and running. I had to outsource some of the work, but I’m proud that I got to do that with Grandpa while he told me stories about my dad and him doing the same thing decades before.

“It’s really nice, Henry,” she says, taking the bag from my hands and placing it at her feet.

“Thanks.” I hope she hears the pride in my voice.

I drive us to the lakefront. Parking in a garage isn’t my favorite thing to do with this car, but there’s no other option.

“Don’t you love my daddy’s car?” Bodhi asks Jade, climbing out of the back on her side, not mine. “It’s going to be mine someday. It was my great-grandpa’s.”

I tousle his hair and grab his hand, taking the tacos with my other hand since Jade has her camera bag. My backpack with all our other essentials is secured on my back.

“I do love it. Do you know it used to be red?” she asks him.

We share a look over Bodhi’s head. I hope she’s remembering all the memories we created in that car. At first, I thought it’d be therapeutic to give it an overhaul. But even after the torn leather and the old radio were replaced, none of the changes could take away the memories of her sitting next to me.

“Really? I love the color red.” Bodhi looks up at me. “When it’s mine, can I paint it red?”

“When it’s yours, you can do whatever you want to it.”

“I’m gonna paint it red.” He’s so sure of himself as we walk up the stairs from the underground garage.

By the time we set up the blanket on the grass that’s practically dead, my stomach growls with hunger. The ground is cool under the blanket, and the air is pretty crisp this close to the water, but I’m still savoring this time with my two favorite people.

Jade sits down, immediately retrieving her camera from its carrier, and it pulls a smile from me. Bodhi is snug to her side, watching her press the buttons and get it ready. We have about another hour before sunset, and I hope that Bodhi stays interested enough and warm enough to remain here as long as possible.

“Want to eat first?” I ask. “It’s going to get cold.”

She sets the camera on the blanket. “Good plan.”

Bodhi pretty much follows anything Jade wants, so he agrees too.

We all eat our tacos, which are delicious as always. Jade and Bodhi have chicken, and I got steak. I hand Bodhi a napkin, and he wipes his mouth when he’s done.

“Can we take some pictures now?” he asks excitedly.

Jade laughs. “Sure.” She situates herself with her legs open, facing the lake. She pats the space between her legs. “Come sit here.”

He jumps in the spot and extends his legs so they run along hers. Jade positions the camera in front of him so they can both view the screen, then she places his hand under hers holding the camera.

I finish my last taco, admiring the two people I love the most working together to create something beautiful.

“See. And then here’s the picture,” she says. “Now you point and aim at whatever you want to take a picture of.”

She still helps him hold the camera but gives him the control to point it wherever he wants. He clicks the button, and the camera tips down, taking a picture of the ground.

“I just got the brown grass,” he whines.

“Let’s try again. It’s heavy, right?”

He turns his head, and my breath stops at what I see in his eyes as he looks at her. Who am I kidding? Why would I not think that he’d become as attached to her as I am? That’s not going to change whether he knows about us or not.

“Miss Jade?” he asks, still looking at her while she fiddles with some settings on the camera.

“Yeah?” She rests the camera on her leg and gives him her sole focus.

“Can I call you…”

Oh shit. No. No. No.

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