trying to talk me down from a nervous breakdown, and I wasn’t in a ditch somewhere suffering from head trauma after hitting a moose. This was how we coped with the possibility of death in my family—we celebrated life.
I sank deeper into my chair and sipped my drink.
My position faced the house, so when Andrew and his partner, Daniel, showed up, I saw them coming—and the little ball of fluff they’d brought with them. Once the men had stepped inside the bubble, Andrew bent down and released his squirming charge.
Milo streaked across the grass, tongue hanging to the side, and threw himself at me as soon as he was close enough to make the leap. The excited fennec fox was my biggest fan, and he covered my face in foxy licks and kisses, darting back and forth across my lap as if he could barely contain his exuberance. I handed my drink to Kam and wrapped both arms around Milo, to force him to be still and to hug the stuffing out of him. I planted a firm kiss of my own between his ears—one ear enormous and tall, the other cut short in a terrible accident—then released him. He hopped down, then ran around the circle, greeting everyone.
I rose, grinning, to give the guys hugs. “Milo was exactly what I needed.” I kissed Andrew’s freckled cheek. “Thanks for bringing him.”
“He can only go a few days before he starts pining for you. You know that.” Andrew squeezed me hard with one arm, then pulled back without releasing me so he could look me in the eyes. “How are you holding up? Are you okay?”
I shrugged. “I’m fine. Just a little stir crazy.” I pointed at his other arm wrapped around a blue plastic box. “Is that cake?”
His blue eyes sparkled. “My girl needs cake. I bring her cake.” He released me, and Maurice dragged him into the house with the dessert.
I turned to hug Daniel, then stopped, my eyebrows raised. I pointed to the mound of brown, unmoving fur in his arms. “What’s this? No.
Who’s
this?”
Daniel smiled and shifted the weight he held. “This is Howard.”
A very serious, sober bunny face twitched its nose at me, then, having decided I was neither a threat nor of any particular interest, looked away.
Daniel squatted and placed Howard in the grass. The large rabbit took a single hop forward, then settled himself in to nibble, ignoring everyone around him. Milo noticed and bolted for his friend, leaped over Howard, then turned and leaped again, as if the two were in the circus.
Howard twitched his nose at Milo, then resumed eating.
“Not exactly a lively playmate for Milo to blow off steam.” I grinned, already in love with the grumpy rabbit.
Daniel chuckled. “He tolerates Milo, but Milo adores him.”
I put my arm around Daniel’s waist and hugged him. “I’m glad Milo’s got a brother.” I kissed his cheek. “Come sit down. I hear more tequila is on its way.”
Once I understood the meaning behind this spontaneous, rather elaborate get-together, I relaxed. Maybe knowing my friends had gathered for one last hurrah before everything collapsed should have alarmed me. It didn’t. It reminded me why I wanted to protect the world I was living in. Why I wanted to keep everyone safe.
Riley and Darius returned, bearing copious amounts of alcohol, multiple bags of ice, and a brotherly affection I’d never noticed before. They used to detest each other. Now they appeared to have been childhood best friends, working together to unload the car, gathering more chairs from the other campsites farther out in the yard, and cracking jokes with each other.
I tapped Kam on the arm and lifted my chin toward Riley and Darius. “What’s up with that?”
She followed my gaze and her lips quirked in a half smile. “Your mom tore them a new one. That’s a saying, right? Anyway, she lectured them on putting away their differences for the common good. Yada yada.” She waved her hand and gulped her drink. “It’s making
my
life a hell of a lot easier.”
The two men
I sank deeper into my chair and sipped my drink.
My position faced the house, so when Andrew and his partner, Daniel, showed up, I saw them coming—and the little ball of fluff they’d brought with them. Once the men had stepped inside the bubble, Andrew bent down and released his squirming charge.
Milo streaked across the grass, tongue hanging to the side, and threw himself at me as soon as he was close enough to make the leap. The excited fennec fox was my biggest fan, and he covered my face in foxy licks and kisses, darting back and forth across my lap as if he could barely contain his exuberance. I handed my drink to Kam and wrapped both arms around Milo, to force him to be still and to hug the stuffing out of him. I planted a firm kiss of my own between his ears—one ear enormous and tall, the other cut short in a terrible accident—then released him. He hopped down, then ran around the circle, greeting everyone.
I rose, grinning, to give the guys hugs. “Milo was exactly what I needed.” I kissed Andrew’s freckled cheek. “Thanks for bringing him.”
“He can only go a few days before he starts pining for you. You know that.” Andrew squeezed me hard with one arm, then pulled back without releasing me so he could look me in the eyes. “How are you holding up? Are you okay?”
I shrugged. “I’m fine. Just a little stir crazy.” I pointed at his other arm wrapped around a blue plastic box. “Is that cake?”
His blue eyes sparkled. “My girl needs cake. I bring her cake.” He released me, and Maurice dragged him into the house with the dessert.
I turned to hug Daniel, then stopped, my eyebrows raised. I pointed to the mound of brown, unmoving fur in his arms. “What’s this? No.
Who’s
this?”
Daniel smiled and shifted the weight he held. “This is Howard.”
A very serious, sober bunny face twitched its nose at me, then, having decided I was neither a threat nor of any particular interest, looked away.
Daniel squatted and placed Howard in the grass. The large rabbit took a single hop forward, then settled himself in to nibble, ignoring everyone around him. Milo noticed and bolted for his friend, leaped over Howard, then turned and leaped again, as if the two were in the circus.
Howard twitched his nose at Milo, then resumed eating.
“Not exactly a lively playmate for Milo to blow off steam.” I grinned, already in love with the grumpy rabbit.
Daniel chuckled. “He tolerates Milo, but Milo adores him.”
I put my arm around Daniel’s waist and hugged him. “I’m glad Milo’s got a brother.” I kissed his cheek. “Come sit down. I hear more tequila is on its way.”
Once I understood the meaning behind this spontaneous, rather elaborate get-together, I relaxed. Maybe knowing my friends had gathered for one last hurrah before everything collapsed should have alarmed me. It didn’t. It reminded me why I wanted to protect the world I was living in. Why I wanted to keep everyone safe.
Riley and Darius returned, bearing copious amounts of alcohol, multiple bags of ice, and a brotherly affection I’d never noticed before. They used to detest each other. Now they appeared to have been childhood best friends, working together to unload the car, gathering more chairs from the other campsites farther out in the yard, and cracking jokes with each other.
I tapped Kam on the arm and lifted my chin toward Riley and Darius. “What’s up with that?”
She followed my gaze and her lips quirked in a half smile. “Your mom tore them a new one. That’s a saying, right? Anyway, she lectured them on putting away their differences for the common good. Yada yada.” She waved her hand and gulped her drink. “It’s making
my
life a hell of a lot easier.”
The two men
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