Page 26 of The Incredible Kindness of Paper

Oliver

Seventeen years ago

Oliver!” Chloe tore down the halls of Lawrence High School, a bouquet of color in the poppy-print dress she’d sewn herself, and came to a skidding halt in front of his locker. “It happened! It finally happened!”

“What did?” Oliver continued stuffing books into his backpack.

At least twice a week, Chloe would be like this, over the moon about something.

Her enthusiasm was the same whether the news was the addition of blue raspberry sour straws to the vending machine or being voted freshman class president.

It was one of his favorite parts of her—her delight in even the most mundane.

But he personally didn’t have a bottomless well of energy, so Oliver had learned to let Chloe spill her news before he reacted proportionately.

“Charles Childress asked me to Winter Formal! You know how he and I have the same birthday, so I thought maybe that was a sign from the universe, and it is, because it happened, and now he’s my boyfriend!”

Oh.

She flung herself at Oliver and hugged him.

He clenched his jaw but hugged her back.

Oliver didn’t have anything bad to say about Charles. He was decent at math and protective of his little sisters; he always called the adults “sir” and “ma’am” and volunteered as a Little League coach on the weekends.

But Chloe was made of stardust and joie de vivre, whereas Charles was so… mild. Besides, both their names started with Ch and so did his last name, and honestly, that looked stupid—Charles and Chloe Childress.

“I’m ecstatic for you, Clo,” Oliver said, holding her close to his chest.

She looked up at him. “Are you really? You like Charles, right?”

“I do,” Oliver said. “And as long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

Because even if she couldn’t be his, he would always be hers. Even if she never knew.