Page 19 of Unlearning

Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

"My family," I was quick to respond, and he nodded thoughtfully.

"You miss them very much." It wasn’t a question. I simply nodded, not wanting bitterness to set up camp in my lovely evening.

"What about you?"

"You," he said sincerely. "And maybe Jonathan Franzen."

"The guy who wroteThe Corrections?"

"For me he is the guy who wroteFreedom.It’s an amazing novel, with strong environmentalist themes. I will lend you my copy if you're interested, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it."

"Sure, then we can discuss it during our next hike, or will those stop now that I'm onto your sly tactics?" I teased.

"Never," he held my gaze, completely serious, and God help me but I smiled.

Would you like to be famous? In what way?

Hard no from both of us. James said all the people wanting to talk to him combined with city smells would give him migraines daily. I said I’d be too worried about slipping up and revealing myself as a shifter.

What would constitute a "perfect" day for you?

I pondered this one a bit.

"In my life as it is now, without adding anything I don't already have, it would be a summer barbecue with my family inRedwood, swimming after that, a campfire, sleeping under the stars," I sighed dreamily.

"And what if you could add things?" he asked, curious, and I played with my fork before answering.

"I'd probably add two or three pups to the mix, and someone to spoon me to sleep under those stars," I admitted shyly and his whole face softened and brightened through some internal, kind light. "What about you?"

"More or less the same, only it doesn't have to be in Redwood, it can be anywhere as long as it’s nature. Surrounded by loved ones, with someone to spoon to sleep," he reached for my hand and enveloped it in his, not letting go as we continued going through the questions.

Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.

I twisted my mouth and hummed.

"Love for nature, a tragic past, reading as a hobby."

He grinned, apparently agreeing, and added: "We're both dedicated, competitive, and sexually frustrated."

I choked on my drink. He wasn’t wrong, but I still shot him a stern look, although not managing to squash my smile completely. He stretched out his legs under the table and caged mine in between them.

If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?

"Flying, no doubt," he said between bites. "It would be amazing to watch the world from above. Plus, it's a badass way to leave places," we both laughed.

"I would like to be able to teleport wherever."

"That's also a good one, more practical than mine."

What is your most terrible memory?

We quietly agreed to skip that one.

If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?

"That’s a hard one. I can tell you one thing though, I wouldn't overthink things between us, I would jump in headfirst and enjoy it while it lasts, without preemptively thinking of how Iwould survive another heartbreak," the words just poured out of me and we both seemed equally stunned by my admission.

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