Page 121 of Flame
“Fuck if I know.”
I start to set it back in the bowl and take the orange, but the corner of the label begins to peel back. I get my fingernail beneath it and rip it off the key.
Ooh. “Okay. Here’s a clue,” I say.
“What do you mean?”
“Look.” I hand him the key. “What doesninjamean to you?”
The word is typed in tiny font and was covered by the label.
“Ninja? I don’t get it,” he says.
I grab another key and pull the label back. “Wyoming.” I do it again. This time, the word istop hats.
“Are these clues for something?” I ask. “Does any of this make sense to you?”
Foxx holds up a key, annoyed. “I don’t know. This one sayssourdough, so you tell me.”
“I don’t know what this means, but it’s fun.” I rip off another label. “The Roman Empire.”
“Sun.”
“Wrestling.”
He holds up another one. “Flannel.”
I begin to display another one but stop. A look flashes through his eyes, and a small, knowing grin splits his cheeks.
“What?” I ask.
He looks around. “Where is the key she found while we were gone?”
“Um …” I point next to a small candy dish. “It’s right there.”
He picks it up and pulls the label off it. He starts to laugh.
“What? Tell me. I’m invested.”
He lays the key in my palm.Bianca.
“I’m confused. Why is my name on here?” I ask.
He nods slowly as if he’s still piecing things together.
“Start talking, husband.”
He laughs, settling between my legs. “Sometimes you beg me to talk. Sometimes you punish me for it—or try to, anyway.”
I press a kiss against his lips.
“My mom said something to me the other day,” he says. “I can’t remember what her exact words were, but we were talking about Jess and his chicken obsession. And she said something along the lines of one day I’ll understand. And it’s easy to forget about the things that make you happy.” He holds up a key. “All of these random things? They’re things I’ve loved all through the years.”
My heart swells.
“And the last one is you,” he says softly.
I wrap my arms around his shoulders and bury my head in his neck. “Will you do me a favor, husband?”
