“Lucas, relax. It’s okay,” she assures me, and I know she’s authentic when she says it. “What kind of shopping do you need to do?”
“Well, I have a new bed getting delivered and my guess is it will need sheets. Also need to get paint for Theo’s room.”
“Space theme, right?” Ah, she remembers. “And getting sheets is an important task. Dr. Kade, I do recommend a high thread count and white.”
“You sound like you know your sheets.”
“Hmm, I know my way around a Target,” she jokes, and I have to laugh.
“Large stores scare the hell out of me. I may need to borrow Romeo to be my emotional support dog.”
“If you want some company, I could come,” she offers.
I didn’t think about that, and I don’t want to bore her. But she sounds like someone who would enjoy the outing.
“If you don’t mind, I would love it,” I answer.
“Cool. Well, just pick me up at my place after work. I’ve got to run as Sparky needs to lose something quite valuable,” she mentions casually.
A few hours later, we’re walking around with a cart. Having already picked out a dark royal blue for an accent wall in Theo’s room. We head to the linen section where I throw in towels and begin to look at the sheets. Abby watches me with interest as she leans against the cart.
“Admiring the view?”
“I’m curious what option you’re going for. Your taste in design may tell me a lot about you,” she explains.
Looking in my hand, I see I picked out a gray set. I guess that might be perceived as boring.
“I’m trying to go for neutral colors,” I try to justify.
“That is a good goal, but if you weren’t playing it safe, then what color would you want?” she challenges.
I think about it as I’ve never once thought about the color of sheets on my bed. “I guess something dark since I have white walls.”
“Hmm maybe paint one wall to add some color. What dark color were you thinking?”
“A darker gray?”
She laughs. “Okay, I now know you love gray, but maybe toss a dark blue throw blanket over the end of your bed to add some pop,” she suggests, and I nod my head in contemplation. Abby reaches for a set on the shelf then hands it to me.
“Oh, this is nice, actually… gale force.”
“It is grey but edging towards blue-green.”
I answer by throwing it in the cart and adding a few extra sets. Soon we’re moving to our next section as she pushes the cart and stands on the bottom basket like a kid playing around.
“Now that you picked out my sheet color, then it’s only right that you should christen them with me,” I grin at her.
“I do like the sound of that. I accept my obligation.” She throws a hand to her chest to show her loyalty. Her phone rings, and she pulls it out of her bag and groans when she sees the screen then swipes the call away. We continue to push the cart.
I look at her puzzled. “Okay there?”
Her lips quirk and her tongue glides along her teeth. “Haven’t you heard? Mona got the gossip train moving. My parents have been texting me all afternoon asking if the rumors are true.” She seems to find this slightly entertaining, yet the hint of agitation is there.
I sigh and let my hand rub my head. “Oh geez. This will be fun. You think our parents are already opening a bottle of fifty-year-old malt to celebrate?”
Abby shakes her head. “I have no clue, but I don’t care. I will ignore them until there is something to tell.”
I stop us in our tracks by gently touching her arm, and it makes the cart abruptly stop and her body and the cart nearly crash against each other.
