Page 64 of The Secret to Belonging

of course not

he looks surprised. hurt

okay. maybe i trust you a little

taste this

he puts a square of chocolate

in your mouth

the thrill of his fingers

your tongue and brain cells

quiver

the chocolate is rich and milky and thick

with crunchy pieces of hazelnut

you think ecstasy but you don’t know the translation

so you smile and nod and hope he understands

he laughs. good, yes?

ja, you say. very good

upstairs

alone in your room

you find ecstasy

in your Norwegian dictionary

ekstase

practically the same

you hope you’ll get another chance

to use it in a sentence

FIRE (FOUR)

Espen calls the next day

invites you for dinner

he’ll cook, he says

he’d like to cook for you

you feel awkward and inept

mostly because talking on the phone