Page 55 of The Surprise Play

I’m sure my cheeks are glowing right now, and I don’t want him to notice.

“Well, should we get this over with, then?” Wily points at the paper, then finishes his bagel in one mouthful.

My eyes bulge as his cheeks puff out and he gives me an impish grin.

“That was half a bagel.” I try not to laugh. “You just put half a bagel in your mouth.”

He shrugs, crumbs flying off his lips as he talks with his mouth full. “I’m like a pelican.”

Fighting my laughter is impossible now, and the sound pops out of me before I can stop it.

He grins around his food, his eyes sparkling, his gaze like a magnetic field I can’t get out of.

He’s so…

“Wily Wilson.” A girl walks up, wrapping her arm around his shoulders and kissing his cheek. “How are you?”

“Yeah, I’m great.” His voice perks up, matching his grin as he wipes the last few crumbs off his short whiskers and they start up a friendly chat.

She doesn’t even notice me, and that’s totally fine. I quietly pack away my stuff, even managing to take my plate and glasses up to the counter before Wily catches up to me.

“Sorry about that. I’ve been friends with Piper since we were little kids. She and I went to elementary school together.”

“Cool.” I bob my head, then can’t help smiling when he opens the door for me.

“Yeah, we lost touch because her parents sent her to an all-girls academy. She was a bit of a troublemaker back then, and they thought it’d straighten her out.” He laughs. “Anyway, she ended up at Nolan U, and she always says hi whenever we pass each other.”

“She doing better now?” I pull my bag on, making sure both shoulder straps are secure.

“Yeah, scored herself a levelheaded girlfriend who keeps her on track, apparently. I’ve met her a couple of times. She seems nice.”

I smile up at him. “You really are friends with everyone, aren’t you?”

He shrugs. “Always have been.”

“I bet you were smiling at like four weeks or something crazy.”

“What?” He laughs. “What do you mean?”

“Well, most babies start smiling around six weeks. That’s the average age, but then you get those babies who start smiling early, and I guarantee you were one of them.”

“I doubt my mom will even remember, but I’ll have to ask her next time I see her.” His gaze lands on me, and I can’t hold it this time. My cheeks are heating up again. “When did you start to smile?”

My nose wrinkles as I pretend to think about it. I already know because my mother kept a meticulous diary of my life, and I can see the page in my head as if I’m holding it.

Libby smiled today! My sweet girl. She’s six weeks and five days old, and she looked up at me with those big, trusting eyes and I finally managed to coax a smile out of her. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

My insides go all warm and mushy. My parents are older. I’m their miracle baby, and they’ve always made a point of celebrating each and every moment. I’ve sometimes found it suffocating, but since moving away from them, I’ve learned to appreciate what it’s like to have two peoplein your corner. They love me more than anyone ever could, and I can’t take that for granted.

Heading to the library, I listen to Wily’s workout story from the morning. He’s so good at spinning a yarn, and we’re walking into the library before I know it.

Thankfully, the line for the printer is short and we don’t have to wait long before his essay is coming out of the machine. I sniff the air, loving that smell of paper that’s been freshly printed on.

Gathering the pages, I staple them together and steal a quick whiff.

Wily snickers. “What are you doing?”

Oh my gosh, he just saw me do that!