Page 41 of Levi Bailey has Butterflies

Silence…

Me:It’s number eleven.

Me:Don’t you want to know what number eleven is?

Man, this guy is out. Maybe his phone is on silent.

Me:YOGA!

Me:Your mom gave me the idea.

Me:Or maybe it was you. Remember a couple of weeks ago when you had a freak-out over your mom going to yoga? Well, that’s what made me think of it! That and googling: how to obtain balance.

I tap my phone to check the time.

8:27 a.m.

The class I googled starts at nine. It’s possible Nikki would go with me. But her house is clear across town. I’m not sure even Uber could get me there in time. And Levi is my cycling teacher. I want him to come.

So… I snatch up my container of cookies and knock on Levi’s door.

Lucy answers, her hazel eyes bright. At least I didn’t wake his mom.

“Meredith, good morning. This is a surprise.”

Max is on her heels, ready to tell me good morning too.

“Hi,” I say, bending down to pat the dog. “I’m here to take Levi to yoga.”

Lucy blinks, like maybe there’s something in her eye and her brows jolt to the top of her head. “Is that right?”

“Yes.” I stand straight and smile. “He doesn’t know about it yet.”

She breathes out a laugh. “Well, that makes much more sense.” She gives me a shrug. “Okay. You’ll have to wake him. I’m headed out. Coco’s other mom is in town and we’re going to breakfast and talking about all things baby.”

I am not following her—not completely. But I go with it. “Sounds good.”

Wrinkles form around Lucy’s eyes as she smiles. Then, without warning, I am pulled in for a hug. Her arms wrap around my back and she holds me close. I haven’t been hugged like this. Ever.

Max wiggles his way in between our legs, attempting to join the embrace.

“Thanks for being a friend to my Levi. He’s worked his whole life to take care of us. He needs a kind friend.” I’ve met this woman three times now. But I didn’t expect this. This hug. This praise.

It’s more than I deserve.

I swallow past the lump forming in my throat, spurred on by Lucy’s affection. “I need a friend too. So, it works.”

She pulls back, cupping her hand to my cheek. “I think you’re right, Meredith. It works.” She grabs the purse hanging in the hall entry and tosses it over her head, strapping it across her body.

“Bye,” I tell her, bidding this woman goodbye as if she were the one who came to visit me. “Uh, have a good time with Coco’sothermother.”

Max wags his tail, standing next to me, wishing Lucy farewell with me. I open up my box and hand the pup one of my, now perfected, cookies. “The rest are for Levi,” I tell him after he wolfs it down in one bite. And then, as if he’s understood me, he trots to a dog bed in the corner of the living room and flops down. Apparently, 8:30 is too early for him too.

I creep down the hall, fairly certain I know where I’m going. Lucy pointed it out last time I was here. The first door right off the kitchen.

I drop the cookies off in the kitchen, then stand outside his room. Zero light seeps out through the crack beneath the door. It’s all dark in there.

I push the door open, letting the sunshine and the kitchen light pour inside. He must have sun-blocking curtains. While there are windows in this room, until I opened the door, there was no light.

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