Page 13 of Home Again

“That’s awesome, David. It’s really great of you to give up your time to help the kids.”

“There is also...” David stopped talking, and my instinctive reaction was to stop, too, and turn toward him. He looked at me almost as if he was afraid to voice what was coming next.

“I do a video blog as well,” he said almost too quietly.

“Wow, a video blog? That sounds super interesting. What is it about?”

“Food.” He rolled his eyes at me but looked instantly more relaxed. I suspected my reaction had something to do with it. I was genuinely interested to know more.

“Well, duh, that would be quite obvious from the way you talk about your job at the café and how much you enjoy cooking. Can I see them?”

“You ...you really want to?” he said, with caution but also...hope?

“Of course! For starters, I bet you look hot on camera, and well, you’re blogging about food, so yeah, I want to see them.” I didn’t realize what I’d said until it was already out, and then it was my turn to turn beet red.

David coughed out a laugh.

“Okay, I’ll send you the link. Maybe we should exchange contact details if you’re going to be here for a little while.”

“Does that mean I’ve met the friend criteria, then?” I said with an over-the-top grin.

“The jury is still out, but we’re good for now.” His smile reached his eyes and made them light up like the Fourth of July.

We were at the corner of the street where we lived, and I knew we would have to go our separate ways. We exchanged phones and added our numbers to the contacts before handing them back and walking to our separate buildings.

I’d had a fabulous evening with my family, and having had a chance to chat with David was the icing on the cake. Despite all the emotions, I felt surprisingly lighthearted as I walked up the stairs.

I decided to read a bit before going to bed since I was still on a high from the evening. I brushed my teeth and got ready for bed, but before I went to the master bedroom, I stopped by my old room and decided to open the balcony door. I looked across the road, and the balcony door right in front of mine was also open, but the lights were out.

I had a feeling that my friendship with David would be just fine.