“What . . . did it look like?”
“Do you want to see it?”
The air rushes from my lungs.
“You still have it?”
The corner of Garrett’s mouth inches up and he looks down at the floor.
“Yeah.”
He waves his hand for me to follow, and we go upstairs to the spare bedroom. He goes to the closet, shifting boxes around, then takes one down from a shelf in the back. Inside, there are pictures of the two of us, cards and notes . . . the dried, brown-edged boutonniere I pinned to his tuxedo the night of our prom.
Then he’s holding a box—small, black leather, with “Zinke Jewelers” embossed in gold.
Slowly, he flicks open the box, and holds it out me. And inside is a tiny, round diamond with a silver band. There are smaller gem chips embedded in the band—all the way around. Light-blue aquamarine and violet alexandrite—our birthstones.
One hand covers my mouth, and my other hand trembles as I take the box from him—my vision blurring with fresh tears as I stare.
“I used to wonder,” Garrett says softly, “if you would’ve liked it. If you would’ve thought I was crazy.” I feel the warmth of his eyes drifting over me, searching. “If you would’ve said yes.”
I inhale a shaky breath.
“I would’ve loved it. I would’ve thought you were crazy.” My voice cracks. “And I absolutely . . . would’ve said yes.”
I put a hand over my face as it crumples, and I cry. For all our years, our sorrows, and our joys. And I cry with a sweet, piercing relief . . . that somehow we found our way back to each other again.
Garrett’s strong arms come around me, pulling me close and safe into his chest. I press my face to him and twist my hands in his shirt . . . holding on to him with everything I have.
“We’re going to be all right this time, Callie. I promise. I swear.”
~ ~ ~
Later that night, Garrett and I lay bare beneath the blankets in his bed—him on his back, my cheek on his chest. Snoopy’s curled up down near our feet and it’s quiet and dark . . . and there are no more tears.
Garrett skims his hand down my spine, and his deep voice splits the silence.
“In the spirit of complete honesty, there’s one more thing I have to tell you.”
I lift up on my arm, so I can see him. “Okay.”
He looks deep into my eyes. “Our entire relationship was based on a lie.”
I squint at him. “What?”
Garrett looks up at the ceiling, smiling.
“Remember when I asked you to borrow a quarter, for a soda from the vending machine?”
“Yeah . . . ?”
Garrett’s thumb strokes my cheek. “I had like ten bucks in change in my pocket. I just wanted a reason to talk to you.”
A laugh bubbles from my lips. And I kiss his warm skin, right over his heart.
“Well . . . you’re forgiven. That lie was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
He leans up, pressing his lips against mine.
“Me too, Callie. Me too.”
Chapter Nineteen
Garrett
After New Year’s—the school year chugs forward, like a locomotive hurling towards spring. One early Saturday morning, in February, Callie pounces on top of me, in my bed, her bra-less tits bouncing beneath the fabric of one of my Lions T-shirts—her lips peppering my face and neck and chest with hot, quick kisses.
Not a bad way to start the day.
“Wake up . . . wake up, Garrett . . . wake up, wake up, wake up!”
Snoopy hops up next to her and joins the party—licking my face and blasting me with the foul stench of his shit-breath.
I turn my head. “Ah . . . dude. You been eating your turds again? I told you to stop that.”
He looks me dead in the face—regretting nothing.
Callie stops kissing me. “Snoopy eats his turds?”
I rub a hand down my face and my voice is scratchy with sleep.
“Yeah. But only in the winter. He thinks they’re frozen meat-logs or something.”
Callie gags.
I don’t know why she’s up so early—the sun isn’t up yet, and only a slice of light gray streaks the sky. So I take the opportunity to drag her back under the covers with me, pressing our lower halves together, ready to kick Snoopy out and take the kissing to a whole new level.
“Wait, no, don’t.” She covers my mouth with her hand, blocking me. “There’s a reason I woke you up.”
“For the fabulous fucking we’re about to do?”
She laughs, pecking my lips. “After. But first . . . the green flag’s up! I forgot about the flag, Garrett. Isn’t that crazy?”
The park service puts a flag out on the lake, letting people know when it’s frozen all the way through and safe to skate. When the green flag comes out, practically the whole town shows up—kids play ice hockey and race, couples hold hands, and Girl Scout troops sell cider and hot chocolate on the sidelines.