Makai seemed stunned. “Really?”
“Yeah, and it’s a big one, apparently. So I hope we can sit inside with them, or at least one of us can.”
It warmed Emil’s heart to see Makai so grateful and moved and even a little bit amazed at the kindness people were showing him.
Makai’s expression when he’d opened all the gift cards and started to read the little notes attached was priceless, especially when he found that most of them were to Amazon and worth a few hundred dollars total.
They lounged on the bed most of the time when they weren’t actively doing anything. It made sense because it was the best flat surface for Makai and he could doze off without thinking about getting a crick in his neck like on the couch.
“Hey,” Makai said after a while of silence.
Emil, who had been checking his Instagram, glanced at him and then put the phone down when he realized Makai had his “serious conversation” expression on his face. “Yeah?”
“When you said most of your stuff is now here, did you… did you also bring your guitar?” Makai looked uncomfortable asking, but it seemed significant that he did.
“Uh, yeah. It’s in the work shed closet with my other random stuff. Why?” Emil didn’t know how he felt about any of this.
“I just thought that the kittens might get a kick out of it. If you wanted to try and play one day. But only if you want to,” Makai hastened to add the last bit.
“Oh….” Emil fidgeted, playing with his splints in the way some people played with their rings. Ithadbeen him who wanted to bring the guitar here. He could admit that much. So some piece of him wanted it there. “I’ll… I’ll think about it?” He glanced at Makai.
“There’s no rush. None. If you never want to, that’s okay. I won’t ever pressure you to do that.” Something was off with Makai’s expression, and Emil stared at him until he caved. “It’s just… these days when we listen to music, your fingers twitch a lot more.”
Emil frowned. “What?”
“It took me a few days to figure out why, when they don’t do it normally. I think your hands are playing a guitar in the same way some drummers tap at everything.”
Emil felt stunned. He hadn’t noticed anything.
“It only happens when it’s a very sort of acoustic guitar–heavy song. When the guitar is very obvious.” Makai looked a bit sad. “Some part of you might miss it more than you think.”
Sighing, Emil nodded. “I’ll talk to Evy about that. Unconscious shit like that is like catnip for her.”
Makai chuckled. “So, which casseroles do we have left? I’m getting a bit hungry.”
