Page 59 of Dear Ripley

Ekundayo, of course.

“You’ve got something for my mom?” Joel asked, and even I could hear the sheer confusion in his voice.

Ekundayo laughed—it was a soft, lyrical sound that was so infectious I could understand why Joel was so mesmerized by him. “Nah. The other lady of the house.”

Joel took a moment too long to reply, and I imagined he was simply staring at Ekundayo’s happy face.

He seemed to be doing a terrible job covering up how much he liked Ekundayo, but maybe that was for the best. If Ekundayo figured it out—and I wasn’t sure how he wouldn’t—the two could give things a shot. I wanted that for Joel—for both of them.

Eventually, Joel pulled himself together enough to say, “Oh. Right. Ha. Alicia. Of course.”

I moved around the kitchen, preemptively pulling out a third bowl. Something told me we were going to have company for our movie tonight.

It only took a few more minutes before Joel shyly asked, “Do you… want to come in? We’re about to have ice cream and popcorn, and a movie. There’s two slices of pizza left over, too, if you want some?”

“Ah. Thank you. I already ate dinner, but ice cream sounds great.” Ekundayo’s voice grew louder and closer as the pair approached the kitchen. I made efforts to look like I was simply preparing food and couldn’t hear the two.

As they reached the room, I turned to smile at them both, noticing, as I did, the blush that had settled across Joel’s cheeks and ears. How Ekundayo didn’t know was beyond me. Joel was not subtle at all.

“Hey,” I said, smiling widely at Ekundayo.

Joel cringed slightly in that way people did when they were young and in love and worried their family was going to embarrass them. “Alicia, Ekundayo. Ekundayo, Alicia.”

Ekundayo grinned in my direction. “The famous Alicia Burton. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

I laughed to cover the burst of nerves in my stomach. Was I famous through Joel or through Ripley? Ekundayo was smiling at me, so probably Joel, but who was to say?

“Great to meet you too, Ekundayo,” I replied as smoothly as I could. Years of practice at work, and in conversations about Ripley, came in handy, but I couldn’t totally suppress the concern. “Should I be worried about that fame?”

He laughed, Joel turning a little starry-eyed as he watched. “Not any more than other people whose siblings talk about them.”

Ah. Joel then. That was probably the best outcome I could have hoped for. Even if there was an annoying twang of disappointment in my chest that it hadn’t been Ripley talking about me.

I shouldn’t want her talking about me. We were both moving on, living our own lives. She shouldn’t still be talking about her ex-wife.

Besides, there were few complimentary things I imagined she had to say about me, and I didn’t want to blow Joel’s chances with Ekundayo. This was the right, best outcome. No matter what my annoying heart had to say on the matter.

“Do you have siblings, Ekundayo?” I asked in a bid to change the focus.

“Yes,” he replied, smiling fondly.

I listened to his stories of his family as I pulled the ice cream out of the freezer, finished preparing the popcorn, and dished up what everyone wanted, shooting Joel a look when he dumped a handful of popcorn on top of his Rocky Road.

“What?” he asked, staring me down as he took a bite. “We’re all going to be eating both anyway.”

“Not in the same bite,” I retorted.

“That’s just because you’re not on my level.” He gestured from his own bowl to mine. “Come, join me. It’s delicious.”

“I’m good. Thank you.”

Ekundayo laughed, his eyes flickering between us. I got the feeling he missed being around his siblings. “I’ll try it.”

I was glad I was watching the two of them for the exact moment Ekundayo reached over to take Joel’s spoon, scooped up a kernel of popcorn mixed with ice cream, and popped the whole thing into his mouth. Joel watched like his soul had left his body, his eyes fixed on Ekundayo, and I wasn’t sure he’d hear me if I called his name.

I stifled a laugh. We’d all been there. Apparently, there was something about florists and the Burton siblings. Not that Ripley had officially been a florist back then, but that was just details.

Joel blinked, his sense returning, and he shot me an embarrassed look. I flashed my eyebrows at him quickly, ensuring he knew that trying to deny his feelings for Ekundayo was a pointless endeavor.

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