Golden ✓

Chapter 48

"You busy?" Grace asks as soon as I answer the phone.

"Not at the moment. I just got home from my dad's work."

"Go check your mail box," she says. "I sent you something and the tracking says that it was just delivered."

"Grace, it's hot outside, and I just got home."

"Are you saying that you don't value my gift?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying," I reply quickly, sighing as I stand up from the seat that I just made myself comfortable in. "I'm going now."

"Awesome. Did you like your first day at your dad's office?" she asks as I begin the short trek down my parents' driveway.

"Yeah actually. I didn't think that I would, but it was way more interesting to see what people do in an office all day than I expected. Maybe that will wear off soon." I managed to get a last-minute unpaid internship at the company my father works for. With any luck, I will be able to upgrade to a paid internship next summer. "Okay, I just reached the mailbox and I see one rather large envelope-thing in there. I presume that's from you."

"Yep!" Grace admits excitedly. "Now go inside and open it!"

I pull the package out of the box and make my return journey to the house. Then, I sit down at the kitchen table and rip it open. "Oh wow!" The words escape my mouth as soon as I think them.

"Do you recognize what it is?" Grace asks, the glee in her voice almost palpable.

"It's a pillowcase," I deadpan.

"Yeah, but on the pillowcase. Do you recognize what it is on the pillowcase?"

"A thimble," I say.

"A thimble that looks exactly like the thimble that I was wearing when I made it."

I touch the bronze-colored embroidery design on the fabric. She somehow managed to texture the image. It looks like a real thimble. It isn't perfect, but it is miles better than the green blob had been. "When did you get so good?" I ask.

"I had been working on needlepoint every time I went home last semester. You like it?"

"I love it," I enthuse. "I'm going to bring it next year and use it every night. Thank you, Grace. Truly."

"You're welcome. And speaking of room decorations, how do you feel about having a bunch of plants in our room next year? I've been looking at snake plants, but I'm also really into pothos and—"

I smile. "Grace, will these plants be your responsibility or my responsibility?"

"What? You don't trust me with the simple task of keeping plants alive?"

"No," I answer immediately. "But I love the idea regardless. I had forgotten how much I love the greenery from back here at home. It would be nice to be surrounded by it again. What are you up to the rest of your night?"

"I'm gonna go hang with Carmen. She wants to do some poetry slam thing, but if it's anything like last time, we won't even make it out the door."

Ah, new relationships. How truly magical.

"What about you?" Grace asks in return.

"After I finish decompressing, I'm going to head over to Jessie's house. I have this red shirt that she left at my place a year and a half ago, and she texted me this morning asking if I could return it and promising me brownies."

"Looks like everything's coming up Fletcher. I told you that everything would be alright."

I smile. "Hey, Grace, has anyone ever told you that you're always right?"

She giggles. "You know what, it's weird. I don't get told that nearly often enough. I'll let you relax now. Have a good evening!"

....................

It's nearly 11 p.m. my time when Zac gets off his shift and calls me.

"Not too late, is it?" he asks when I pick up.

"No, even after a week, I still haven't fully adjusted to Eastern time, so I'll still be up for quite a while. I'll have to talk quietly, though. How was your day?"

"Long. We were in clinic for a whole day and then we had some presentations afterward. It was cool to see how the doctor I'm shadowing interacts with his patients, though." He stops talking and I don't try to fill the silence with anything. I am prepared for a rough summer away from him and all the other people that I had met at school, and I just want to savor the sweet silence, knowing that he is hearing the same thing. "How are things going with Jessie? I saw you said something about seeing her again today."

"Really good. We're not back to the way that we were before, but I do think that we're friends again. When I was at her house today, we talked about that note that I gave her with the poem on it. Things are going well."

"Cool," he says. "I'm glad that you're happy."

"I am. And she seems to be, too. I think I forgot to mention this last time we talked about her, but she says that she's going into pre-law."

"Do you think that's a good fit for her?"

"Yeah. She's harsh but fair. We've both learned a lot over the past two years. I think it's a perfect fit for her."

"Good for her. I'm proud of you for meeting up with her." I hear him sharply intake some breath on the other end of the line. "Hey, Faith."

"Yeah?"

"I love you." His tone is sweet, but his delivery is shaky.

"Zac." My tone is steadier and more certain than ever. "I love you, too."