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I sat down at the table across fro each other I was nervous--he wasto say, and I orried it wasn’t so I wanted to hear He probably would have tried to reach for htly "Anyway, I just wanted to tell you I shouldn’t have said all that stuff yesterday"

He didn’t finish, but I kneas done talking when he winced and waited forthen

I wanted to; I just wasn’t sure what that soue-tied around ed because I couldn’t think of anything else I checked thethat only three h it felt like forever

More than anything, though, I wished he’d fill this aard silence with one of his stupid expressions I wished he’d say soood way to have the last word" Or "It’s easier to apologize than to ask for permission"--not that that one would have made sense in this situation, but I would have welcoht now

And then he snorted "Man, that kid across the street sure likes you, doesn’t he?"

My eyes flew open, and I stared at hiled his eyebrows at hed at hiot it pretty bad, is all I’ to admit that what he told meme not to bolt to the front door so I could see if Tyler really had drawn so about" I tried to sound like it was nothing when, really, at that very ain, and this ti There was no waymy way out of the kitchen toward the front of the house

I heardat me fro," he called after me

When I stepped outside and sahat he --the path--and the writing--"I’ll reone Erased And in their place was a new "masterpiece," and it was infinitely e in the center of the road that caught my attention first: chalk drawn and intricate, with its delicate bowed, golden bars Its door was hanging open wide, and a sht, with s momentum as it broke free fro the path of its trajectory, were the words Tyler had chosenjust forbefore, yet just as elegant and lovingly crafted, each letter carefully placed and delicately drawn But it was the ether thatthes in life are worth the risk

I inhaled sharply, tellingbut unable to stop ht of the way he’d taken my hand when I’d jumped from myyesterday, or the way his dimple carved into his cheek whenever he ss" he meant, but my mind went there anyway, because clearly I was beyond rede his hand on my shoulder "Let et eggs fro Beaters crap yourout withway harder thandifferently It was like he wanted to be his old self, but he’d forgotten who that was exactly

Five years is a long tih I think he wanted to, especially when I hadn’t touched more than a bite of my Rooty Tooty Fresh ’N Fruity, the pancakes smothered in strawberries and whipped cream that had always been my favorite Froht I’d kicked a puppy or so the plate away frouess I just don’t like it anymore is all"

He lifted his hand to wave our server over, but I stopped hiry anyway" He dropped his hand, looking more satisfied by that answer than he had by the idea that rown up over the past five years "Sure Okay" He reached for his coffee and du amount of cream, until it was more tan than brown

He didn’t h I probably should have because it see polite Nancy could wait

I’d have to deal with her and The Husband and "my brother" and probably a whole lot of other people soon enough For noas still figuring out where I fit into my new bizarro life

After we left IHOP, es of the chalk drawing had been soe--and the words beneath the bird--were just as captivating the second tilad my dad didn’t call , taking it all in once more