Page 33 of Love, Literature, and the Linebacker

“Dylan did all of this… for me?”

“He dropped by Monday to ask me if it was okay,” Ms. Thorn explains. “Gretchen handled dinner. I supplied the blanket and candles. The laptop, books, and note were all Dylan. He dropped them off early this morning.”

I press my fingers to my cheek, overwhelmed.

I step closer, afraid that touching anything might make the entire setup disappear. Next to the laptop sits a small stack of books. I pick them up one by one.

East of Eden.

Walden.

Of Mice and Men.

Leaves of Grass.

“He left this for you,” Ms. Thorn whispers, placing a folded note into my palm.

My hands tremble as I open it.

I know you love romantic classics, so I brought a few of mine. They’re mostly about people trying to figure out where they belong. Thought you might understand them. –D

Something inside me cracks open.

“Oh!” Ms. Thorn snaps her fingers. “One last thing.”

She disappears as I sink into my favorite chair, staring at the screen, the books, the candles, trying to understand how any of this is real.

It doesn’t make sense.

Dylan thrives in noise and crowds. He plays under stadium lights. I struggle to raise my hand in class. I hide between shelves and pages.

How did he understand exactly what would make this feel thoughtful?

“Your chai tea latte,” Ms. Thorn says, setting the mug down carefully in front of me.

The steam curls upward, carrying the scent of spice and tea.

“Why did he do all of this?” I whisper before I can stop myself.

She smiles, arms folding loosely around herself. “He pays attention.”

“It was probably easy for him to arrange.”

“No, Lucy. Buying dinner is easy. Learning what makes someone feel safe takes effort.”

Care this thoughtful feels dangerously close to the stories I’ve spent my life reading.

I’m not ready to call it love.

But I’m beginning to believe it isn’t only fiction.

I curl deeper into the chair, wrapping my hands around the mug as the game begins.

Maybe something doesn’t have to make sense yet to be real.

Chapter Eight

Dylan