“We’re still works in progress. Walking him in town is pretty tough, but in low-traffic zones we’re doing okay.”
I gave him a few pointers about the speed of his treat delivery and other little polishing techniques and we fell into a quiet rhythm, with just the sound of the snow crunching beneath our boots and Dude’s panting echoing around us. It was a Christmas card landscape, the perfect setting for the moment we were about to share.
I looked up at Andrew and felt the usual shock to the system at how things had changed between us. I still wasn’t used to being able to openly admire him, although what I was doing was closer to gawking. He’d finally surrendered to the elements and was wearing a knit capandjacket, though it was unzipped to reveal a worn black T-shirt. He’d let his stubble grow into the beginnings of a beard again, and all I could do was imagine how it would feel rubbing against me.
He glanced down at me. “What?”
I was sure he could tell that something was up because I couldn’t stop smiling at him. “I have news. Really good news.”
I’d kept the trampoline update to myself since I’d found out about it two days prior, and I was sure that Mike hadn’t told him either. I didn’t want to worry Andrew unnecessarily since I knew that I could provide a solution for both of us.
As soon as I’d hung up from the call from Mike everything started to fall into place. After bottling thoughts of my dad for too long I’d allowed myself to envision what he would’ve said to me if I’d presented him with the scenario. I could almost see his half grin and twinkly eyes as he said, “No-brainer, sweetie. Youhaveto do it.” It felt not only like he’d given me his blessing during that snowy drive, but like he would’ve been pissed at me if I didn’t go for it.
Andrew raised an eyebrow. “Clearly. You look like you’re about to explode from whatever it is.”
I’d tried to come up with a clever way to tell him, but in the heat of the moment none of them seemed right, so I led with the simple fact that was about to change everything for both of us.
“I’m buying the building.”
He came to an abrupt stop, then turned to me. “What?”
Of course he was confused; his furrowed expression made complete sense. I’d never even hinted that it was a possibility for me. I took a breath before launching into the details, watching him carefully so I could see when his dubious expression shifted to happiness. “Those people who’ve been looking at the building wanted to turn it into a trampoline park, which meant we’d both get tossed out. So I made Mike a better offer.”
He still looked like I was speaking another language. “But...how?”
The shift to happiness was coming, I just needed to explain a little more. Even still, my mouth felt dry as he stared me down.
“Let’s keep walking.” I needed a little more time to collect my thoughts in order to talk through the part that had kept me from the decision for so long.
Dude walked beside us as if he could tell that we needed to focus on something other than his manners. He even managed to ignore the pair of cardinals that tempted fate in the snow a few feet in front of us.
“Chelsea, I’mreallyconfused.”
“I know. It’s totally unexpected, and that’s on me.”
Another brief silence as he waited for me to make sense of it all.
“How long has this been in the works?” Andrew asked. It sounded defensive, a jab. “Like, how long have you known that it was even an option for you?”
The edge to his voice sent my hackles up. “It’s complicated, Andrew. The only reason I’m able to do this is because someone I loved is no longer here. I wasn’t even comfortable thinking about it until now.” I watched him out of the corner of my eye, wary.
“Ah, okay.” His mouth went tight as he nodded. “Understood. So this money is from your father.”
“Yeah, it is.” My chest constricted and it came out in a pained exhale. I’d primed myself to stay strong, but it wasn’t as easy as I’d imagined it would be, especially because Andrew was tromping along beside me frowning instead of responding the way I’d choreographed in my head.
“So basically, you’ve known that you could buy the building from the minute Mike put it up for sale.”
A dull pain started to throb behind my eyes as I watched him scowl. “Well, technically yes.”
“And you never once thought about mentioning it to me?”
I started to stutter a response, but he kept going.
“This decision concerns me too, you know. You let me run all over town trying to find a new space while all along you had this Uno Reverse Card in your back pocket?”
“Hold on,” I said, my voice rising due to the mix of panic and anger surging through me. “Are you actually getting upset with me because I was having a hard time accepting my dead father’s life insurance money?” Saying it that way left a coppery aftertaste in my mouth, like I’d bitten down on my tongue, but I had to put it plainly, so he could hear how awful he sounded.
“For fuck’s sake, Chelsea, that’s not at all what I’m saying, and I’m insulted you’d even suggest it.”
