Page 107 of Smoke and Glitter

"Very intensely."

"What do you want to eat?"

She studies me another second, then lets me have the escape. "Fries, and whatever has cheese."

"That narrows it down."

"Excellent. Surprise me."

I take the menu from her and start toward the kitchen before she calls my name.

I turn back.

"You okay?"

It's an easy question to dodge. I've been dodging versions of it most of my life.

"Not really."

Summer's face softens.

"But I will be."

She nods and doesn't ask me to explain.

I appreciate that more than I can tell her without turning the whole thing into something neither of us needs.

When I bring her food out, we talk about the shower. Not Autumn. The shower. Summer complains about the number of tiny things a baby requires, tells me Colt has become convinced they need three different kinds of bottle warmer, and makes me swear I won't buy anything that needs to be assembled.

By the time she leaves, I know where I'm supposed to be and when.

That's all I ask.

After the door closes behind her, my phone is still in my pocket. I could text Autumn in less than thirty seconds. Tell her Summer warned me. Tell her I won't make things uncomfortable. Tell her I'm looking forward to seeing her.

Every version of it would be me stepping into the space she asked me to leave alone.

So I don't.

Instead, I go back to the office and open the Pilsen documents waiting in my inbox.

At the bottom is the line that needs my signature.

For years I thought the future was whatever I could build well enough that nobody could take it from me. Vibes. Pilsen. My own name on everything that mattered.

I don't think that anymore.

But this still matters.

I sign.

Next week Autumn will be in Chicago, and I have no idea what she'll give me when I see her.

Today, I can choose this.

So I do.

Chapter twenty-two