Page 60 of The Next Person You Meet in Heaven

“She was fierce. She wanted to protect you.” Paulo shrugged. “That’swhyI liked her.”

They hugged briefly that first night together, patting each other’s backs like old friends. But a few nights later, after a spaghetti dinner, they kissed gently in the front of Paulo’s car. Annie pulled back as if it were the only time she had ever kissed anyone. She told Paulo she’d been holding that kiss since the day he left high school—“I’m not counting that disaster at your locker”—and Paulo said he’d felt awful about that incident and the way those kids had acted, the way he had acted, too.

“That Megan was a witch,” Annie said.

“But your drawing was cool. Do you still have it?”

Annie burst out laughing. “Do I stillhaveit?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because I want it.”

“You want the drawing?”

“Of course. That drawing was how I knew you loved me.”

Annie looked down, rubbing her knee.

“You didn’t know that,” she said, softly.

“Sure, I did. I knew I lovedyou.”

She lifted her gaze. “Are you joking?”

“No way.”

“Then why didn’t you say something?”

“Annie,” Paulo said, that big grin widening, “I was fourteen!”

***

In time, as with the truest loves, their lives melded seamlessly, and they knew it would stay that way without ever saying a word.

One day, during a lunch break, Annie wheeled a patient named Mrs. Velichek into the new seniors wing. She was from New York and had just passed her ninetieth birthday, frail in body but brimming with spirit. Annie liked her.

“What do you think?” Annie asked. “It’s bigger than the old—”

She stopped. There, kneeling on the floor, was Paulo, finishing the molding. He looked up.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

“He’s not talking tome,” Mrs. Velichek said.

“How do you know?” Annie said.

“Yeah, how do you know?” Paulo added, rising to shake the woman’s hand.

“Mrs. Velichek, this is Paulo. We’re friends,” Annie said.

Paulo nodded towards the counter. “It looks like the food’s here.”

Annie saw loaves of bread and assorted cold cuts that someone had delivered.

“That’s not for us,” she said.