In Fair Verona

XXIX

"Hey," Isaac says.

"Oh hey."

Sometimes Auguste and I will find Isaac around the house because one of us invited him and the other didn't know.

During some weekend in November I saw him in the hallway at ten at night and I had a miniature heart attack.

"Where's Auguste?" I ask looking around.

"See I'm not entirely sure," he laughs causing me to smile. "He occasionally will decide he's tired of socializing and go off somewhere. I think he's in the backyard."

"Well how convenient considering you're next to a glass door that displays the backyard that he very much isn't in."

He blinks.

"Yes I gathered that much but he said he was going to go out there plus there's a part of the yard we can't see from this angle."

At the end he adds a sassy smile.

"Twit," I mutter. I go into the kitchen and look through the cupboards already aware there's nothing I want.

Phoebe appears in the kitchen with a bag of ginger cookies in her hand so I take them.

"I could bake way better cookies then those processed things," she says about the cookies Gwen bought.

"Cool," I say. "Also the gingerbread house is officially too stale to eat."

"Non sense. Auguste punched in the roof to get into smaller pieces."

"Yeah I know. I filled the inside with the extra icing and now it works as a dip for the roof pieces."

Phoebe looks to me.

"I know. An innovative genius," I say with my thumbs pointing towards me.

She smiles to me.

"I'm going out with Addison today," she says as she sips a cup of tea from the counter. "I'm pretty sure Madeleine will be here in about five. And then I think Isaac and Auguste are going to catch a movie and go spend time without Ximena for once."

I nod my head.

"What's Richard up to?"

"He's in Saskatchewan right now. His work is up there right now so he has to fly up for meetings and to work on site all the time. Although he actually—" Phoebe squints to read the clock on the wall. "Will be home any minute."

Guessing seventeen years ago his work was in B.C.

"And Grace?"

"Haven't spoken to her."

"What's the deal with her and Émilie? If Émilie lives in France and Grace lives here... how will that work?"

"Well. Émilie is at school there and Grace is at school here but I can imagine they'll buy an apartment together. I'm not sure where though."

"Hm," I nod my head.

"Doesn't your friend come today?" Phoebe suddenly remembers as she places down her tea.

"Yeah. Arianna."

"Woah what? How did I forget?"

I laugh a bit.

"You managed to remember everyone else's plans."

"Are you going to pick her up at the airport?"

"Yeah I'll take an Uber there."

"I'd tell you to drive Auguste's car but you can't drive. Learn how to drive."

"Easier said then done."