“I’m hoping I won’t need them for too much longer. It’s been such a weird spring with the late snowfall.” Thank goodness the snow melted already.
Now I sound like my grandfather, which is not how I want to sound with Burton.
“True. I’ve had to play lacrosse in the snow before. It’s not my favorite, that’s for sure.”
“Let’s walk a bit and then we’ll, uh, figure something out.” I give him a little lopsided grin.
“You haven’t planned it out to the T?” he asks, looking devastated.
Shaking my head, I say, “No. This is usually how slow my brain is this early in the morning.”
We walk down the road, our breath visible in the frosty morning air.
“Where are you from, Burton-is-your-last-name?” I ask, giving him a sly grin.
He chuckles, making a cloud form in front of him. “I’m from Alexandria, Virginia.”
“And do your parents still live there?”
He nods, his smile fading somewhat. “Yes, in the same house they brought me home from the hospital. What about you?”
“I grew up here in Utah.”
“On a farm,” Burton says, leaning in with a smile.
I nod and say, “On a farm.”
“Any siblings?” he asks.
“No, sadly. My mom got sick when I was little and never had another kid. That’s why I lived with my grandparents until I left for Seattle a few years ago.”
“I’m sure they loved having you there.”
I stare at the mountains and nod. “I loved being there. It didn’t matter what happened, they were always there with a warm embrace and a plate of cookies.”
“Cookies are always a good thing. A necessity even. Which flavor is your favorite?”
“Chocolate chip. And yours?”
“Macadamia nut.”
“You mentioned earlier that you have sisters?” I ask, hoping I didn’t mishear.
Burton lets out a deep laugh and says, “Yeah, I’m the youngest and only boy of four kids.”
“What are their names?” I ask, wondering if there’s a family theme.
He gives me a sly grin and says, “Trying to get some more clues to my name, huh?”
Raising both hands above my shoulders, I say, “You caught me.”
“Well, this might or might not help. Connie is the oldest, Cecilia is second, and Camille is the third.”
I tap my chin and nod. “Okay, so either your parents continued the C tradition or decided that since you’re a boy, you needed something all your own.”
He nods, like he’s trying not to give anything away.
“You don’t really look like a Chris, but I could see Christian being a good fit.”
