Page 42 of By the Letter

I shook my head and squeezed her hand. “I want to say I’m surprised, but I don’t think the Wells family makes anything other than boys.”

That got another laugh from her. “You might be right.”

The elevator ride downstairs was quiet, but as we headed toward the exit of the building, Shira touched my arm.

“By the way, I’m moving tomorrow. I’ll be next door to Bea. She’s promised to help me with Mary’s litter, so you’re off the hook.”

“Wait. Slow down. You’re moving?” Taking her by the elbow, I drew her to the side of the glass doors. “You’re moving tomorrow? Is this…this is sudden.”

“It’s not that sudden. The house is too big for me, and I’m far from my friends. They’re my only support system, so when Bea told me the house next to hers had been put on the market, I snatched it up.”

“Where?” My question came out more gruff than intended. Shira’s flinch proved that, but I felt like I’d been given a pop quiz everyone else in my class knew was coming. Behind and confused, I was doing my damnedest to catch up. “Where are you moving?”

“It’s a row home right on the edge of RiNo. Three bedrooms, everything’s been updated, and there’s the cutest little picket fence in the front yard.”

“River North?” A vein pulsed in my temple. “I’m not sure that’s the safest—”

“Bea’s lived there for two years and loves it.” Shira's interruption was soft yet inarguably firm. “It’s the first place I’ll truly be able to call my own. I have a feeling Beanie, Mary, and I are going to love living there.”

I mulled this news over, not at all happy about it, though I couldn’t pinpoint why. I’d have to read crime reports for the area, though I doubted it would change Shira’s decision.

“They’re not your only support system,” I stated.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. “I don’t have family, Roman, so, yes, they are.”

“Shira,” I sighed, “I’m talking about me.I’myour support system. And you’re moving across the city from me.”

“Oh.” She looked down at her feet, her hair spilling over her shoulders in ebony waves. I didn’t know why she’d always worn it up in the office, but I was relieved she’d stopped. Hair like hers deserved to freely flow, catching the light when she moved, caressing her skin when—

“Roman—” I jerked back to awareness. Christ, had I really gotten lost in thoughts of Shira’s hair? “—I’ve known Bea and Clara for years, and I’m comfortable counting on them. I appreciate you helping me the past few weeks, but that doesn’t mean I expect it to continue. I’m not sick anymore, and I can feed myself, you know. It’s okay.”

“It’s not a hardship at all.” I tucked my hands in my trouser pockets so she wouldn’t see them balling into fists. Something was being taken from me—something I hadn’t realized was important until I’d felt the loss. I didn’t like it, but there wasn’t much I could do. This was Shira’s show right now. I was just aspectator. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but I had to choke it down.

“I’ll let you know if I need your help with anything.” Her fingers grazed my arm. “I promise.”

“What about moving? I’m assuming you have movers doing the lifting, but do you need help unpacking, putting furniture together, hanging pictures—the kinds of things you absolutely shouldn’t be doing?”

Her smile was almost dreamlike and so soft it blurred at the edges. “Clara’s boyfriend, Jake, and his brother are pitching in. If I know my friends, they won’t allow me to lift a finger.”

“As it should be.” I rocked back on my heels, supremely dissatisfied but out of hands to play. “Well, if there’s no other news, I have to get back to the office.”

“There’s nothing else.” Shira was doing her best to look me in the eye, and I was doing my worst to make it easy on her. Not on purpose. Never that. But I’d lost control of my frown, and it had carved itself onto my face of its own volition. “I guess I’ll see you at my next appointment.”

“Yes.” My jaw was so rigid it was in danger of snapping. “I’ll see you then.”

That hadn’t gone how I’d expected. I should have been pleased not to have to fight a feral cat in a pink bow every day, but I wasn’t. Truthfully, Mary had been starting to soften toward me, and I’d thought I’d made inroads with her mother too.

Obviously, I’d been wrong.

Ben and Nate had made themselves at home in my living room, stuffing their faces with Peruvian chicken while a rugby game blasted from the TV. Technically, thiswasBen’s home since he’dmoved in one day without asking and didn’t seem inclined to go anywhere.

I sagged onto the sectional, grabbing the remote to turn the volume down so I could hear the thoughts in my head.

“Did you save anything for me?” I asked.

Nate nudged a box sitting on the coffee table toward me with his toe. “Get on that before Benny makes it disappear.”

I sifted through the chicken, but I didn’t have much of an appetite. Since leaving the doctor’s office hours earlier, my gut had been churning, and something felt incredibly off.

---