A warmed-up package of tortillas and their favorite green salsa were sitting in the middle of the table, and Rebecca started opening up cupboards until she found the plates and glasses.
“I got a call from Bridger at six a.m. this morning.” Jay yawned, stretching his arms out. “Shannon and my poor parents were up at four-thirty with him.”
“What did Santa bring him?”
“A Star Wars Lego set. And, the Santa in Seattle decided to add a drum set. It’s like my parents are trying to send Shannon over the edge. I couldn’t stop laughing, because Shannon’s telling me about how wonderful the drum set is, and yet her tone of voice is telling me how much she hates it. I’m sure my parents were listening in the background. I promised her we’d figure it out and not to worry. She put Bridger back on the phone, and I told him about the garage band we’ll be forming when he gets back.”
Rebecca smiled. “Oh, yeah? What will you be playing?”
“I’m on vocals and kazoo. You want to join us?”
“Still not musically talented, but I’d come watch.” She came to look over his shoulder at the stove. “You miss them, huh?”
Jay turned to look at her, their faces only inches apart. “I’ve never liked hanging out by myself.”
Rebecca shrugged. “I thought you were a little bit crazy that first day, when you came up to me on campus and asked if I wanted to play headlight soccer.”
“But you came that night.”
“You draw people to you, Jay. It’s a gift.”
He brought over the pan from the stove and set it down on top of a heating pad. “I think you have a questionable definition of ‘gift.’”
She laughed, but let the issue drop. Thinking about the fun they’d had in college was bittersweet.
Jay got out the orange juice, and then they sat down to eat. It was so good, Rebecca had to pace herself to keep from wolfing it in the way she might have if they were still college buddies.
She finished hers, taking small bites, and then slowly sipped her orange juice. “That was so good. Thank you, Jay.”
“Of course.”
Together, they cleaned up the kitchen, with Jay putting away the food while Rebecca washed the dishes. She was about to scour the breakfast pan when Jay turned off the water and flicked her with a dish towel.
“Do you still like jigsaw puzzles?” he asked.
Rebecca blushed. “Yeah.” She kept a side table in her bedroom just so she could continue to work on one anytime she wanted to relax before bed. It wasn’t quite up there with cat lady, but she wasn’t far off.
“So does Shannon. She helped me pick one out for you.”
Rebecca didn’t know what to say, but he saved her from having to respond. “Come on.”
“But this egg will harden in the pan.” She wasn’t sure a dirty dish had ever graced their immaculate sink.
“It’s Christmas. The scrubbing can wait.” He gave a soft tug on her arm and led her into the living room.
The puzzle was already opened and set up on the coffee table, all the pieces in a large pile next to the box. She knelt in front of it and studied the image, an artist’s rendering of all the fastest animals in the world, whether on land, at sea, or in the air.
“Did Bridger see this? I bet he’d be fascinated.”
“Not yet. Maybe I’ll get a second one for him.”
She scooted over to make room for Jay and began sorting out the pieces, sliding all the edges over so he could start putting them together. Jay turned on the TV, stopping onIt’s a Wonderful Life. Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed were about to fall into the swimming pool at the school dance, and they both stopped working to watch.
Rebecca leaned over and bumped her arm with his. “I like my puzzle. I think I like everything about today so far.”
Jay smiled at her. “Me too.”
