First thing she starts in about after the two of them break away from the others—her calling out his name, telling him good morning and how happy she is to see him again and then rubbing the soft slopes of his neck and leaning over his right ear, whispering, her voice’s volume rising when she’s close, falling when she pulls away and has to acknowledge the others circling in front of them, hanging out by the fence, and looking over at the two of them—is how much she has to tell him before she leaves, and Peter hears how it’s another Wednesday, gray getting grayer and the cold getting colder, the nights at their longest now, Christmas less than three days away, and Caroline will miss him but also can’t wait to get out of here for the holiday break and be with her mom and dad…
“Martingale” now available in Slush Pile Magazine, issue 22.