“Your medium is my nuclear.” She dabbed at her forehead with the hem of her shirt, still breathing heavily. “I think I’m sweating through my shirt at this point.”
I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt. “You’re being dramatic.”
“Dramatic? K, I think I can see colours that don’t exist.” But she was smiling now, even as she continued to sweat. “It’s really good though. Like, genuinely delicious. I just wasn’t prepared for my mouth to declare war on my taste buds.”
She took another, much smaller bite and immediately reached for the milk again. “How are you eating this like it’s nothing?”
“Practice,” I said, still giggling. “Lots and lots of practice.”
She shook her head, smiling at me over her glass of milk.
And the way she looked at me, flushed, teary-eyed, bracelet glinting on her wrist, still choosing another bite anyway, felt suspiciously close to something more than friendship.
XV
“You are terrifying and strange and beautiful. Something not everyone knows how to love.”
— Warsan Shire
Chapter Sixteen
Kelechi
The Christmas holidays had arrived faster than I expected, bringing with it a kind of magic that transformed Mapleridge into something that looked like a city out of a Hallmark Christmas movie I had managed to watch back home.
Snow blanketed everything in pristine white. And everywhere you looked, houses glowed with warm yellow lights and festive decorations. It felt like a fragile mirage that might dissolve if I looked away, so I tried not to blink for fear that the entire town would simply vanish and leave me standing in the cold, ordinary city I still hadn’t fully learned how to call home.
Atlas had invited us to her Christmas Eve party, and for once, I wasn’t anxious about a social gathering. I was… excited.
“Oh, my goodness,” she squealed the second she opened the door and found Marley and me standing in front of her, hand in hand. The warmth from inside rushed out to meet us, carrying the scent of cinnamon and butter. “You guys, come in! It’s freezing out there.”
“Good evening, Atlas,” I said as she immediately enveloped me in a hug that smelled like vanilla perfume and cookies.
“Girl, you know we’re past all that formal stuff,” she laughed, squeezing me tight before pulling back to look at me properly. “So good to see you again! And look at you two,” she added with an exaggerated grin, glancing at our joined hands.
“Atlas,” Marley warned playfully, but she was smiling as she stepped forward for her own hug.
“What? I have eyes,” Atlas beamed as she stepped aside dramatically, her curls bouncing as she gestured for us to come further inside. She was petite but radiated the kind of energy that filled a room. She was wearing a red sweater with actual jingle bells sewn onto it. “Carmen! The girls are here!”
The house was exactly what I imagined Atlas and Carmen’s place would be: bright and lived in. It was decorated with twinkling lights strung along the walls and a massive Christmas tree in the corner of the living room. The sound of laughter and conversation drifted from deeper in the house, along with holiday music playing softly in the background.
Carmen appeared from what I assumed was the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Hey, you two,” she said with a warm smile, giving Marley a hug first, then me. “Good to see you again, Kelechi. How are you settling into the holidays?”
“Much better now that I don’t have any assignments hanging over my head,” I replied, and Carmen laughed.
“I remember those days, but the relief of winter break was everything.” She gestured toward the living room. “Most of the gang’s already here. Can I get you guys something to drink? We’ve got mulled wine, hot chocolate, or Atlas’s famous holiday punch.”
“The punch isn’t that strong this year, I promise,” Atlas called out, overhearing us.
“That’s what you said last time,” Carmen replied dryly. “Jake’s still recovering from that hangover.”
Marley and I exchanged amused glances.
“Hot chocolate sounds perfect,” Marley said, and I nodded in agreement.
“Coming right up.”
The living room was filled with the comfortable chatter of people who looked like they’d known each other for years. Marley had mentioned that the party would be full of both Carmen’s friends from work, some of Atlas’s college buddies, and a few neighbours. It was exactly the kind of mixed group that forms naturally around couples who’ve been together for a while. Everyone was warm and welcoming, but not in that overwhelming way that made you feel like you were being interviewed.
