Page 137 of Debugging Love

“It wouldn’t be hard.”

“Because my architecture is so basic?”

“Because I’m familiar with the business requirements and I read your design document backwards and forwards.”

“It’s only meant to be read forwards.”

He smiles, slightly uncertain. “Wanna head over.”

I nod and follow Chance back to his apartment. He offers me his gaming chair. I opt for the cushy side chair, the one he pulled up to his computer last night before our fight.

We settle in and he taps his mouse. Visual Studio Code is still open, the folders expanded, just how he left them. He talks methrough his architecture, none of it surprising. It’s similar to his redesign of my R&D app and very close to the example app in the “Streamlining Your UI” session I attended at Chai World.

When he’s finished, he leans back in his chair, props his elbow on the armrest and nervously picks at his bottom lip. “What do you think?”

“It’s fine.”

“Want to see my modified design document?”

“No.”

I drum my fingers against the chair. I don’t have Tourette’s, or OCD, but the thought of two parallel architectures in my benefits portal app makes me want to twitch hard enough to dislocate a knee or a shoulder.

“I can’t stand it,” I say.

“I said I can delete everything and start over. I’ll even use BrainyJ.”

He’d do that? He’d stoop so low?

“I mean, I can’t handle having parallel architectures in the same app. It makes me punchy.”

“I know. That’s why I said I’d fix it.”

“How long do you think it would take for Heng and me to convert our modules to your architecture?”

His eyebrows arch like surprised macaroni noodles.

“Don’t get too excited,” I warn.

“I’m not. I’m just shocked.”

“Maybe you’re right about the architecture. Maybe yours is better.”

His eyebrows arch again, this time like happy little rainbows.

“Stop smiling.”

He wipes his mouth. “I’m not.”

“You’re happier than a marsupial in its momma’s pouch.”

“You’re stuck on marsupials today.”

“It’s a fun word. People don’t use it enough.”

“Danni.” He grabs my hand. “I should have told you I was taking a different direction. I just–”

“You knew I’d yell at you.”

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