When she looked at Gunner, he was studying her. “If you don’t talk to me, I can’t help solve all those problems rolling around in your head.”
She didn’t feel well. That was her main problem. Yesterday, the queasiness she’d felt in the morning had gone away by mid-afternoon. She’d been relieved that it didn’t last longer, but now it was back.
When she was sick, Zary wanted to be left alone, but neither Gunner nor her mother had cooperated yesterday. They’d both hovered so much that when she started to feel better, she went for a run on the beach—alone.
“Your mother and I are going shopping in San Luis Obispo this morning. Would you like to join us?”
Zary smiled. Two days ago, she’d found them in the kitchen, each speaking into his phone and then looking at the screen. “Translation app,” he’d explained.
Gunner turned to his side and ran his finger down her cheek. It was something he did often, and it always soothed her.
“Sure, I’ll go.”
“Come on, get up,” he said, pulling her hand.
Zary’s stomach rolled like it had the day before. “Wait,” she said, taking her hand from his. “I’m not feeling well again.”
“I made you breakfast.”
The idea of food sent her stomach on another roller- coaster ride. “I can’t eat.”
“I’ll bring it in. Maybe if you try a little…”
Gunner left the room, but was back almost immediately.
“Here we go.” He set a tray in front of her with cereal, a banana, and an apple. It wasn’t the typical breakfast he usually insisted she ate.
He’d made it his mission to put more “meat on her bones” by way of making her things to eat like eggs with bacon or sausage for breakfast, and more steak than she’d eaten in her life for dinner.
She had to admit, now that it was in front of her, the simple breakfast looked good.
Gunner sat by her side and peeled a banana he’d brought in for himself.
“You’re very happy, considering I’m sick,” she said between bites of the cereal she couldn’t eat fast enough.
Gunner’s face was set in a scowl more often than not, but when he was with her, he smiled a lot. So did she.
“Want some more?” he asked, still smiling.
“Sure, but I can get it.”
“Stay where you are. I’ll be right back.” He took her bowl, and when he returned, he had another banana with him.
“Is that for me?”
Gunner nodded, peeling it and handing it to her.
Ten minutes ago the idea of eating two bananas would’ve sen
t her to the lavatory. She took it from his hand.
“Your mother hasn’t heard back, yet, from Topor,” he told her.
Zary nodded. Topor, her mother’s half-brother, would bring a whole other list of worries with him if he decided to join them for the holiday. He hadn’t yet responded one way or another.
He’d been tentative with them since the night Petrov died, as though he was relinquishing control of her mother’s life to Zary. So used to having him a constant presence, her mother missed him desperately. His distance frustrated Gunner just as much.
“She told me eating bananas used to make her feel better.”