Page 58 of The Statistically Unlikely Reunion

“And you think I don’t know my own damn mind?”

My bite of anger is what finally pulls Lucas from his dazed state. He looks up, holding up his large hands, fingers spread, in mute surrender. “I should know better.”

“You should.”

He reaches long arms toward me and pulls me into a warm embrace. He burrows his face against the top of my head, and I let myself breathe him in. Because we’re in Boston and everything is different, he doesn’t smell like he usually does. It’s all hotel shampoo and maybe a faint sheen of sweat.

It shouldn’t be attractive, but apparently, even an anxious and moodier-than-usual Lucas is . . . the one I want. I tighten my arms around him, and we stay locked there, together, wordlessly passing some milestone I never would have agreed to.

I really meant to keep this casual.

Because I really don’t have time or capacity for emotional entanglements. But then Lucas is bending his head toward mine and asking, “Makeup kiss okay?”

And of course I nod, knowing I’m already saying yes to everything else he’s not asking.

17

WHO PEAKED IN COLLEGE

PRESENT

Ican’t resist telling my girls, first thing.

Grad or Die

ME: This jus inn

GWENDY: We’re waiting

DAISY: bated breath. Get on with it.

ME: Get jiggy w/ it u mean?

GWENDY: Lorelai

ME: sry, u guys r no fun sum-times

DAISY: any day now. The Dog is squirming and I got to go.

ME: 1st class seats == aweSUM. eye’d forgotten how aweSUM

ME: eye mean, eye always h8d bee-ing poor, but 1st class == woooooohooooo

GWENDY: how is this news?

ME: sry, donut h8. Eye be stressed.

GWENDY: The wedding?

DAISY: We love you. We’re worried about you.

GWENDY: Did you know your grammar gets worse when you’re stressed?

ME: It gives me something to do. I’m just anxious about the reunion.

DAISY: We also worry when your grammar is perfect, you know that, right?

ME: Can’t win, can I?