Page 210 of You've Got Hate Mail
The bad news?
She’s almost less-fluffy enough to jump up onto the kitchen stools again, where she can get into food Lav leaves on the counters, which will make her fluffy again.
This yo-yo dieting can’t be good for her.
“Did that go well?” Cricket asks me.
I snort in amusement and shake my head. “Yes. It did.”
“Is all that stuff about Leland real?”
“Probably most of it.”
“Should we send his mom a gift basket? Death is hard.”
“And this is why I love you.” I lean across Lav’s empty seat to hook my hand behind Cricket’s neck and kiss her.
She’s smiling with wet eyes when I pull back. “You make me so happy.”
“You’ve been making yourself happy. I’m the ice cream on the side.”
“Do I make you happy?”
I suck in a deep breath and glance around the kitchen.
It’s always looked like this. Dean’s last caretaker redid it shortly before Dean kicked the bucket, which likely also didn’t help the financial situation around here.
But it looks new.
Fresh.
Homein ways it never has before.
Like the missing piece has finally clicked into place.
“You make me feel like a me I haven’t been in a lot of years,” I tell Cricket. “Didn’t even realize I was missing that guy.”
She smiles wider. “He was worth finding again.”
“He was.”
Lav barrels back into the room with paper and crayons. “What rhymes withslayer?” she asks as she climbs onto her seat and shoves her dinner out of the way.
I open my mouth.
Cricket opens her mouth.
“Player?” she finally says as I say, “Surveyor.”
“You two are so not meant for each other,” Lav declares.
Then she sticks her tongue out of one side of her mouth and bends over the paper, concentrating as she begins writing words in yellow-green crayon.
I look at Cricket.
Her eyes dance as they meet mine.
Not worried.
