Everything, maybe.
“Man. Six years old.” Malcolm shook his head and wiped his eyes.
“I was sick.”
“Still. Seems kind of old to have an accident?”
Adam simply stared at Malcolm until he lowered his gaze. “Uh, maybe not that old after all,” he muttered.
There was a large bowl of fortune cookies by the register. Olive noticed it on her way out of the restaurant, let out a delighted squeal, and dipped her hand in to fish out four plastic packages. She handed one each to Malcolm and Holden, and held out another for Adam with a mischievous smile. “You hate these, don’t you?”
“I don’t.” He accepted the cookie. “I just think they taste like Styrofoam.”
“Probably have similar nutritional values, too,” Malcolm muttered as they slipped out into the chilly humidity of the early night. Surprisingly, he and Adam were finding lots of common ground.
It wasn’t raining anymore, but the street was shiny in the light under a lamppost; a soft breeze made the leaves rustle and stray drops of water scatter to the ground. The air was fresh in Olive’s lungs, pleasantly so after the hours spent in the restaurant. She unrolled her sleeves, accidentally brushing her hand against Adam’s abs. She smiled up at him, playfully apologetic; he flushed and averted his eyes.
“？‘He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.’？” Holden popped a bit of fortune cookie in his mouth, blinking at the message inside. “Is that shade?” He looked around, indignant. “Did this fortune cookie just throw shade at me?”
“Sounds like it,” Malcolm answered. “Mine says ‘Why not treat yourself to a good time instead of waiting for somebody else to do it?’ I think my cookie just shaded you, too, babe.”
“What’s wrong with this batch?” Holden pointed at Adam and Olive. “What do yours say?”
Olive was already opening hers, nibbling on a corner as she pulled the paper out. It was very banal, and yet her heart skipped beat. “Mine’s normal,” she informed Holden.
“You’re lying.”
“Nope.”
“What does it say?”
“？‘It’s never too late to tell the truth.’？” She shrugged, and turned to throw away the plastic wrapper. At the last moment, she decided to keep the strip of paper and slip it inside her jeans’ back pocket.
“Adam, open yours.”
“Nah.”
“Come on.”
“I’m not going to eat a piece of cardboard because it hurt your feelings.”
“You’re a shit friend.”
“According to the fortune cookie industry, you’re a shit boyfriend, so—”
“Give it here,” Olive interjected, plucking the cookie out of Adam’s hand. “I’ll eat it. And read it.”
The parking lot was completely empty, save for Adam’s and Malcolm’s cars. Holden had ridden from the airport with Adam, but he and Malcolm were planning to spend the night at Holden’s apartment to walk Fleming, his dog.
“Adam’s giving you a ride, right, Ol?”
“No need. It’s less than a ten-minute walk home.”
“But what about your suitcase?”
“It’s not heavy, and I—” She stopped abruptly, worried her lip for a second while she contemplated the possibilities, and then felt herself smile, at once tentative and purposeful. “Actually, Adam will walk me home. Right?”