Chapter Six
Malcolm
Like nearly every day, I woke up to the sound of banging and crashing outside my window. Groaning, I pulled a pillow over my face. Without looking at the clock, I already knew it was six o’clock on the dot. A crew of burly men had been resurfacing the brick exterior, inching closer to my window on the top floor every day.
Rolling out of bed, I went straight into my routine, eager to get out of the apartment for the day and away from all the noise. I rolled out my yoga mat and stretched for ten minutes, then grabbed a fresh white towel on my way to the bathroom. With the shower radio playing the morning news, I worked down the row of cleansers on my shelf, taking a minute to wipe down the surfaces when I was done. After a careful shave and some moisturizer, I wrapped the towel around my waist and treated myself to a bowl of granola and an espresso shot in the kitchen.
Flipping through the pressed shirts in my closet, I picked out a fitted linen button-up with pink and green stripes and a light purple sweater to go over it. Tucked into my slacks, it made me look professional enough for the library without seeming too fancy. The bright colors were good for the kids, too. Ignoring the headache that was forming from the repetitive banging out my window, I polished my shoes and headed out the door.
As soon as I got down the block, I started to feel better. The walk to the library was beautiful, passing through quiet residential streets, and I enjoyed it even on rainy Seattle days. I was going to hate moving out of the neighborhood, but the more I struggled to find a good option, the more it seemed inevitable.
Pulling out my phone, I dialed my parents, hoping to catch them at home before their own workdays started. We usually checked in with each other every couple of days, but after meeting Gunner, I had been so flustered I missed my chance a couple of days earlier.
“Malcolm,” my mother answered. “Nice to finally hear back from you.” She already sounded distracted, and I could just picture the full cup of coffee, daily schedule, and newspaper that were spread across the kitchen table in front of her.
“Sorry I couldn’t return your call yesterday, Mother,” I answered. “How are you doing?”
“Quite fine. We wrapped up the preparations for the new exhibition yesterday. I trust you’ll still be coming by for dinner this Sunday? I can tell you all about it then.”
“Yes, I’ll be there, just like every Sunday.”
“And have you found a date to bring to your aunt’s wedding yet?”
I sighed. The wedding was still six months away, but from the way my parents had been talking about it, you would have thought it was tomorrow. “No date. I told you, I’ll be happy to go solo, too.”
She clucked her tongue against her teeth. “Your father will find someone for you, rather than having that happen.”
“I’m getting to work now,” I said, deciding to get off the phone rather than arguing about my wedding date again. “Sorry to have to let you go so quickly. I’ll talk to you again soon.”
“Of course, sweetheart. Have a good day at work.”
I was used to my parents being focused on business and practical matters. A phone call with them was much more likely to include a review of the monthly schedule than questions about my social life or emotional state. It almost made me appreciate my aunt’s wedding. If there weren’t a sensible reason to discuss my dating life, they’d probably forget I even had one.
Not that my dating life was much to speak of. I had liked my ex-boyfriend fine enough, but even after dating for six months, sparks never flew between us. We were just kind of dull together. I’d occasionally go on dates that my parents arranged through their friends or meet someone from the library for coffee, but I was always left feeling prettymehafterward.
Shaking off the stress of pleasing my parents, I stepped up the big stone stairs outside the library, eager for the day to properly start. I had taken Thursday and Friday off for the week, needing to use up some vacation days, which made that Wednesday the end of my working week. Most people would probably love any excuse for a vacation, although I honestly got more happiness out of work than I did just about anything else.
As soon as I got to the children’s section at the back of the first floor, my face lit up with a grin. Two of my favorite kids were there with one of their dads, and they came running straight toward me, their early reader books flapping by their sides.
“Hi Dominique! Hi Selena!” I said, laughing as they grabbed my legs for a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here today!”
They both laughed, and Selena held out her book to me. “Read to us?”
I squatted down to face them and took a look at the book in her hand. It was one of her favorites, the story of a goldfish who went to the moon. “I remember this one!” I said. “How about this. I’ll read you this and one other book, but it has to be something you haven’t read yet. Deal?”
“Deal!” they both chirped, then went charging off to the rows of books to pick their selection.
I headed behind the desk, tossing my bag down and flipping through the day’s schedule as I greeted coworkers. As the youngest and newest employee in the children’s section, I usually got the least interesting tasks, but I still found some opportunities to read to our regulars throughout the day. It felt great to teach children not only how to read, but how to love reading as well. When I had felt stifled in my home life, reading had opened up whole new worlds for me, and I loved the experience of sharing that gift with other people.
The day filled up quickly, not least because Dominique and Selena handed me off to their friends, insisting my silly voices made me the best reader on staff. By the time lunch came around, I was hiding my salad behind the desk, taking quick bites of veggies and salmon when no one was looking.
“Too busy for a break?”
I turned and saw Linda standing behind me. A woman who had been at the library for decades, she was nearing retirement soon. I couldn’t imagine the place without her, but luckily, she had taken a shine to me when I first started.
I shrugged, munching down on some greens. “I could find the time if I wanted to. It’s nice here, though. I don’t mind.”
Linda joined me behind the desk. Her curly silver hair was cut short, falling only to the tops of her ears. With a big pair of pink glasses and a smiley face button on her blouse, she looked even more like a children’s librarian than I did.
