Page 60 of Of Literature and Lattes
He picked Becca up, dusted off her knees, and the two of them walked back to Andante to pick up his car and head home. Only now, in the quiet of the living room, did the flashes return and stretch into memories.
Without thinking he slid his phone off the side table and tapped it to call the one person he wanted to talk to, the only person—well, second to Becca, now that she was asleep—he had wanted, and needed, to see all day. He smiled as he waited for her to answer. So many conflicting emotions were wrapped up in this too, he thought.
After the requisite preliminaries, he got to the point. “I missed you today.”
“I am so sorry,” Alyssa gasped. “I was in the ER last night. I only got released this afternoon.”
“What?” He sat up straight. “Are you okay? I’m coming over. I can’t come over. Becca’s here. Do you need anything? What’s wrong?”
Alyssa’s light laughter calmed his nerves. “I’m fine. In fact, if you’re home, I’ll come to you.”
She clicked off, and Jeremy looked around his small apartment—and realized he had work to do. He raced around cleaning until his buzzer rang.
Opening his front door, he saw the top of her head first, a high blond ponytail swinging with each step. She came into full view, wearing no makeup and dressed in jeans and an MIT sweatshirt.
“You?” He gestured to the shirt.
She nodded.
“Respect.” He looked her over head to toe. “What happened? What got hurt?” Finding all parts functional and nothing encased in plaster, he reached for her. She smelled of roses and citrus, and he hugged her tighter.
If the hug surprised her, she didn’t comment, nor did she step away. He felt swamped in gratitude for that.
“I got celiac disease... Well, not last night. I’ve had it, I guess. It just went nuts last night after our opulent dinner and sent me to the emergency room.”
“I can’t believe you came here. You shouldn’t have.” He ushered her inside.
“I’m fine and, oddly, I feel better than I have in months. Gluten is a trigger, and all those toast points, pasta, and gnocchi last night probably didn’t help.” She raised a hand. “I was already there anyway, so I guess that was the one last great meal before the end. And what a meal.”
“That’s not funny.”
“It is, kind of.”
He stalled in his kitchen. “Are you hungry? Thirsty? What can I get you? A banana?”
“I’m on soup and smoothies for the next few days... I’m good right now.”
“Tea?”
She smiled as she turned from his short hallway into his living room. “Tea would be lovely.”
While she settled into the same corner of the couch he had occupied moments before, Jeremy scurried around the kitchen making two cups of tea.
“Question for you,” she called from the living room. “How on earth do you have my Smurfs?”
He laughed and carried in the cups. “How’d you know?”
She lifted Baker Smurf. A small blackAwas written on his left foot.
“Your mom let me borrow them. I was buying some books for Becca one day and I asked her about toys. As you can see, I don’t have many yet. The next day she showed up at the coffee shop and handed me that box. To borrow only, I promise. She made that very clear.”
“Good.” Alyssa tucked her feet under her. “Because I love these little blue guys.”
“Becca does too, but you can have them back if you need them.” Jeremy winked and lifted off the couch.
She reached out and pulled his arm. “Sit back down. However much I may need a little comfort right now, I’m not taking toys from a seven-year-old.” She then held her mug out to him.
He looked at it, clued in, and raised his for a toast. “Cheers. Thanks for coming tonight. I... You had a rougher day than I did, but mine was no picnic, and you’re the one I wanted to talk to.”
