They went to the kitchen, where Gabriel sat at the bar, and Drew fetched the bowl of berries.
“To snack on while I finish cooking,” he explained.
“What are you making?”
“French omelets. I hope you like eggs.”
“Love them.”
“Excellent.” Drew poured himself a cup of coffee and drank a sip before getting a mixing bowl, a rubber whisk, and the carton of eggs from the fridge. He set up so that he was facing Gabriel while he cracked eggs into the bowl and added coarse sea salt, white pepper, freshly chopped chives, and parsley.
He melted butter in the pan and then whisked everything together until the eggs were smooth, then added the silky mixture to the pan. He watched it carefully while they talked.
Gabriel told him about his time at camp over the last week. It was a mixture of stress and excitement. He talked about the young counselors fondly, like someone would talk about slightly younger siblings. His parents were doing well, but his dad was tired. The cancer was gone, but his energy wasn’t what it had once been—the cancer had aged him, even if he didn’t like acknowledging it. That meant that Gabriel had to pick up even more slack than he was used to, but he didn’t seem to mind. It was clear that they loved Orion’s Belt Hockey Camp, even if it was his parents’ dream, not his.
Drew served the omelets with more herbs as garnish. The house he was renting had a beautiful elevated deck. They ate out there at a little table. There was a comfortable breeze, and the Lake looked like an ocean, with waves rolling against the champagne-colored sand.
“What do you think of Orion, now that you’ve spent a week here?” Gabriel asked.
“I think it’s a lovely town. It reminds me of growing up in Alton, though it’s a little smaller.”
“It’s grown since I was younger. That might be hard to believe, but it’s bigger. Most of the people who’ve moved here are older, though. Retirees from Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Detroit. They move here for the summer months and go south when it gets cold. Not many of my friends I grew up with are still here. There’s Aubrey, but she’s only here in the summer months. That’s nice, and I enjoy seeing her, but she has a whole life in the city now.”
“Do you wish you weren’t back?” It was a personal question, but Drew trusted that Gabriel wouldn’t answer if he was uncomfortable.
“Yes and no,” Gabriel admitted. “I miss my college friends, and sometimes it’s hard knowing that they’re moving on and meeting people in Chicago and other cities without me, but that’s how life is. You have different seasons, and you don’t know what’s going to come next.”
Drew thought that was very true; this wasn’t a season he had expected, and he hadn’t known that Gabriel would come into his life. He didn’t know what it meant now that he was here, but he was enjoying figuring it out, and he felt no pressure to know exactly what they were or what they would be.
He told Gabriel about the astrology book he was reading. They had finished their breakfast, which was excellent, and Gabriel was interested in the book.
“Can I see it?” he asked.
They cleared the table and brought the dishes inside to the sink. Gabriel refilled their coffee mugs, and Drew went to get the book from his bedroom. He found Gabriel in the living room, admiring the art on the walls.
“I’ve seen this house from the outside,” Gabriel told him, “and I knew that the Aaldenkamps had money, but I’ve never been inside. I told you Mrs. Aaldenkamp was one of my teachers in high school, right?”
“You did,” Drew said. They sat on the couch next to each other and flipped through the astrology book. Gabriel looked at the pictures and diagrams with interest.
“Do you know much about astrology?” Gabriel asked.
“No. You inspired me to get it, with what I’ve learned from you. I’ve thought about going to Irma’s store to get some more things to read.”
Gabriel’s eyes sparkled with interest. “Have you ever done a Tarot reading?”
“Just with hacks.”
“If you’re interested, we should do one.”
“I’d like that.”
“Amazing. If you want to do one today, we can stop by my cottage after we go to the Dunes. I’d like to do a reading for you, if you want me to.”
“That would be fun.”
Drew liked talking to Gabriel. He liked the earnest innocence with which Gabriel talked about his beliefs and interests. He had already taught Drew about things Drew had never considered. Drew recognized he was close-minded about some things, and he was thankful for Gabriel pushing him to open his mind about these things.
They washed the dishes from breakfast, dried them, and put them away. Gabriel suggested that Drew change into a bathing suit. The Lake would still be chilly, but they might want to get in. And it was always nice to wear a bathing suit at the beach, just in case.
