“Nooo!” Lora picked up her phone and flipped open a picture of Andrea standing in front of the Panda one afternoon she’d forced him to pose. He was laughing, suddenly shy. Herheart hurt just looking at it. She turned the screen around to show Vilmari and pointed to her heart. “I miss him!”
“It looks like he misses you too,” yelled Vilmari, pointing at the screen.
Lora shook her head. There was nothing in that photo that could tell anyone what he was thinking right now.
“No, Mami, look!” Vilmari stopped dancing and pointed at the screen as a text message notification slid into view.
Lora squinted to see who it was, and her stomach dropped. She picked up the phone and turned the screen to Vilmari again, her eyes wide. She couldn’t speak.
“Is that him?”
“Yes!”
“Well, what is he saying?” she asked, scooting closer to Lora.
“I don’t know, I haven’t read it yet,” Lora said, pulling Vilmari away from the band and closer to the doorway, where it was slightly quieter.
“Read it!” commanded Vilmari.
Lora opened WhatsApp, and they both hunched over the phone to read. Her eyes ran over the words, tripping on “I came all the way to New York.”
“When did he come to New York? Does that mean he’s stillinNew York?” Vilmari asked. “Nico didn’t tell me anything.”
“I don’t know. I thought he was in London. This is the first I am hearing from him.”
“Which is also ridiculous,” said Vilmari, scowling. “But I will yell about that later. You need to text him back!”
Andrea:
You don’t have to respond
I hope Zurich is amazing
“He still thinks you’re in Zurich!”
“I told you we haven’t talked.”
“This is the saddest shit I have ever heard of,” said Vilmari, pointing to the phone. “I’ve seen raccoons going at my garbage with better communication skills than you two. Ask the man where he is!”
Lora:
I am sorry I said something that made you get on a plane.
Andrea:
Don’t be sorry.
Worth it for the halal cart yesterday.
Lora:
Are you still in NYC now?
Andrea:
Yes
I wanted to be sure this place not for me
