"I've been, but not in ways that count."
She doesn't press, and I'm grateful. Some of the things I did on the continent don't make good road trip conversation.
"What's your favorite movie?" she asks, shifting in her seat to face me more fully.
"Don't really watch movies."
"TV?"
I shake my head. "The cabin didn't have electricity."
Her eyes widen. "Nothing? For years?" She laughs, the sound filling the truck cab. "Oh my God. You're like an unfrozen caveman."
I grip the wheel tighter, embarrassed. "Sorry."
Naomi's laughter fades, and she reaches across the seat to touch my arm. "No, don't apologize. It's nice, actually."
Her touch burns through my sleeve, gentle as it is. I drivewith the other hand, not moving that arm as long as she’s touching it.
"Nice?" I ask, genuinely confused.
"Yeah. Everything's so... noisy now. Everyone's always plugged in. You've opted out. It's refreshing." She pulls her hand back, and I immediately miss the contact.
“So what did you do with all that time?”
I shrug. "I like reading too.”
“Oh. If I thought my mom would like you before, now I’m sure she would.” I see a shadow cross her face. I can tell she’s missing her mother. But she quickly recovers. “What genre?”
“Ancient history mostly.”
“Huh. Really, why?”
“Well, a lot of my life hasn’t been peaches and cream, but some of those Greek guys had some really bad days.” Naomi and I share a half smile.
“That’s putting it mildly.”
I nod. “Exactly. Doesn’t make me feel so alone that hundreds or even thousands of years ago, some guy served a ruler he didn’t agree with alongside brothers that really had his back. Even if the gods never really favored him.”
I look at Naomi, who is clearly tickled by my unique choice in literature.
I know the gods never favored me.
But it sure feels like they might be taking a second look in my direction when I look at her.
She gets a strange look on her face. “Do you think about the Roman Empire every day?”
Her question puts the same strange look on my face. “How do you know that?”
She laughs, shaking her head. “Oh my God. Men.”
“What?”
She shifts. “There was this thing online. Men apparentlythink about the Roman Empire at least once a day or something. My feed was filled with girlfriends and wives asking their partners if they did, and each guy was like, ‘Yeah, of course.’”
“Huh. Well, I guess add me to that list.”
“But why? Why, Walker?” She laughs through her questions. And I love the joyful way she says my name.
