Page 7 of Seven

“Marcus?” My heart skipped a beat as I swung the door open, and I found my dearest friend standing on the front sidewalkwith that easy grin I always loved. His hair was a little longer, and his waist was a little thicker, but he was just as handsome as ever. “What in the world are you doing here?”

“I came to see how things were going.” He stepped inside the shop and gave it a quick once over. “Looks like things are coming together.”

“Yes, they are.” I stared at him for a moment, then, out of impulse, I flung my arms around him and almost knocked him off his feet. “I can’t believe you’re really here. It’s been ages.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that.” He shrugged as he sat down next to me. “I would’ve been here sooner, but…”

“I know.”

He stepped further into the shop and waited as I closed the door behind him. He stopped when he spotted Ford in the back corner. “Is that…”

“It is,” I answered as we continued over to Ford. When he looked up at us, I smiled and said, “Ford, I would like you to meet a good friend of mine. This is Marcus.”

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Marcus stepped closer and looked down at the wad of clay in my son’s hands as he asked, “What ’cha making over there?”

“A bowl for a new cat.”

“A new cat, huh?”

“We aren’t getting a cat,” I interjected. “Or a dog. At least, not right now.”

“Why not?” Marcus pushed. “He’s making a bowl and everything.”

“Mom says we gotta get settled first.”

“She might have a point.” Marcus took a quick glance around and grimaced as he added, “But hang in there. It won’t take her long to get this place fixed up.”

Ford gave him a doubting shrug, then returned his attention to the clay. Marcus leaned over to me as he whispered, “He looks just like…”

“Yeah, I know.” I cut him off as I steered him over to the sofa. “I can’t believe you’re really here. It’s been years since I last saw you.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that.” He shrugged as he sat down next to me. “My job isn’t as flexible as I’d like it to be, but I couldn’t let you have your grand opening without at least stopping by to check out the place. And I gotta say, I’m impressed. This place is really amazing.”

“It’s a work in progress, but it’s getting there.” I motioned to the shelves lined with mugs, vases, and bowls in every shape and size. “Still trying to figure out how to display everything, but I think it’s coming together.”

“It definitely is.”

We chatted for a while, catching up on work, life, and everything in between. It was like we’d never missed a beat. It was always like that with us.

We’d met in the seventh grade, and it wasn’t exactly a picture-perfect start. I was the quiet, quirky girl who kept to herself. I spent most of my days sketching away in my notebooks, keeping to myself, while he was busy being the class clown and impossible to ignore.

Everyone loved him. One day, during lunch, he made some joke about my ‘rsf’ face, better known as ‘resting sketch face,’ and everyone around laughed. I wanted to crawl under the table and never come out.

But days later, he came over and sat next to me in art class. He gave me one of his charming smiles and asked, “So, what are you drawing?”

It was like he’d completely forgotten how he’d embarrassed me just days before. I, on the other hand, hadn’t forgotten and snapped, “Nothing.”

“Come on. Let me see.”

I was hesitant but eventually turned my sketch pad over and showed him my sketch of a dragon hiding beneath the forest. He studied it for several moments, then turned to me with wide eyes. “Holy shit. That’s badass.”

“You really think so?”

“Absolutely.” He looked back at the drawing, then suggested, “You should make him breathe fire.”

And that was it.

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