3: 3
The next morning, Lauren pushed open the door of the rental apartment.
She set a paper bag on the entryway cabinet. "Seven tonight. Don't be late."
I was sorting through my lesson notes and looked up. "For what?"
She tugged at the corner of her mouth, and for once she seemed serious. "I booked us a table at the rooftop restaurant. Seven years together, and ten years since the three of us met. I've got a surprise for you."
Aiden answered in the group chat within a second. "Wow, Lauren, so biased. It's our three-way anniversary and you're only taking Solomon to dinner?"
Right in front of me, Lauren recorded a voice message. "Quit whining. I'll make it up to you next time. Today I need to smooth him over first."
I heard that "smooth him over," and my fingers stilled at the edge of the page.
At seven, I put on the black suit she liked best and sat in the restaurant, watching the waiter bring out the two steaks I'd reserved ahead.
Seven-thirty, my phone rang, Lauren's voice coming through with wind behind it. "Solomon, I'm so sorry. Aiden made a bet with the guys from the club and went to that abandoned factory, and now he's taken a fall and his legs are shaking, he's terrified. I have to go get him."
I held my knife and fork, my voice low. "Lauren. Do you remember what day today is?"
She paused, then quickly turned impatient. "Of course I remember. But Aiden's in danger right now. A person's life or a meal, which one matters more? Can you not pick a fight over this at a time like this?"
I looked at the steak going cold. "And your surprise?"
Like she'd just been reminded of it, her tone went careless. "I'll make it up to you later. I've got the gift with me. Aiden's scared out of his mind, so I'll bring it over to calm him down first. It's not like you're the type to compete over things anyway."
After she hung up, the lilting violin in the restaurant sounded unbearably shrill.
I had the waiter box up the steak and took it back to feed the stray cats behind the building.
A little after nine, Aiden posted to his feed.
In the photo he was sitting in Lauren's passenger seat, toying with a limited-edition custom silver lighter, captioned: "Somebody was worried I'd been scared half to death, so she gave me the gift meant for some cheapskate to calm my nerves instead. Winning so hard."
I'd seen that lighter before. Last month, when I caught Lauren working on the design sketch, she'd smiled and said it was for me, that she'd have my initials engraved on the back.
Now, in the enlarged photo, three letters showed faintly.
QAY.
So this gift had been custom-made for Aiden from the very start.
In the group chat, Aiden sent a voice message, laughter in the background. "Solomon, let's throw a housewarming party at the new place tomorrow night. A new home should have some life in it."
Lauren answered right away. "Sure. Get everyone together, I'll set it up."
Aiden: "The kitchen's all yours, Solomon. Your cooking's the best."
Lauren: "He won't mind."
I looked at those three words, and suddenly remembered seven years ago, when we'd just rented that apartment, and she said we'd never have to eat out again, that with me at home it was enough.
Back then I thought that line was warm.
Only now did I understand. What she wanted wasn't a home. It was someone who'd forever clean up her messes.
I left the group chat, blocked Aiden, and set Lauren's chat to Do Not Disturb.
One day left before I go.
In the small hours, Lauren came back carrying the cold air on her, her hands empty.
She saw the takeout box on the table, as if she'd finally remembered something. "Don't read too much into the lighter thing. Aiden was really shaken, so I let him play with it a while to calm his nerves. I'll have him give it back to you tomorrow."
My voice stayed calm. "No need."
Her hand froze halfway through taking off an earring, and her brow furrowed. "Here we go again, is that it?"
I clicked the latch on my suitcase shut. "Have fun tomorrow night."
Lauren stared at me, like she'd sensed something. She was about to speak when Aiden's call came through.
She glanced at the screen and turned toward the balcony. "Aiden, why aren't you asleep yet?"
