“As your number two bestie,” Jeane said, a sly grin on her face. “Let’s just say, I’m glad I didn’t get promoted.”

Though she was avoiding the words mentioning death, I completely understood both the meaning and intention, even cracking a small smile at her joking tone and slightly narrowed eyes.

“Well,” I said, looking off to the side before turning back her way. “You are my number one girlfriend bestie, though.”

Jeane laughed, the sound light and joyful. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

“However, I would also like to go on a best friend date every once in a while too, you know?” she hinted, lifting her brows.

“Isn’t this one?” I asked, gesturing around at the café.

“Do I not get to go see a movie with you?” she said with a fake pout. “Am I forever stuck with a coffee date that is actually a smoothie in disguise?”

“Alright,” I conceded. “Which one do you want to see?”

Knowing her, she already had one in mind. This was just her way of asking me to go with her. As expected, she leaned forward eagerly. “Have you seen the trailers for that thriller crime one?”

“Do you not know the name?”

Tilting her head, she looked at me, confused.

“Were you not going to see that one with Jay?”

Of course. I nearly rolled my eyes in good humor. I’d mentioned Jay inviting me to a movie, but not the specific one. It was so far off the mark, I laughed.

“No. We weren’t going to watch ‘Trick of the Light’ or whatever it’s called.”

“Really?”

“We were going to see a rom-com,” I stated with a shake of my head.

Bursting into laughter, loud enough to startle a few people sitting near us, prompting a swift series of apologies that weren’t necessary, I was drawn into her fit of giggles.

As she explained her thoughts, it had us laughing harder.

A typical girl’s night was rom-com madness, while boys were typically seen as the big fans of action and adventure. The three of us had everything flipped. There wasn’t a time Jeane had suggested a sappy romance movie, while that was Jay’s go-to kind of film.

Though it was strange to think about from a societal should or shouldn’t perspective, to me, it was just right.

Jay was definitely a softer sort than Jeane.

After Jeane and I left the café, parting ways with a promise to meet up for a movie later in the week, I headed over to Jay’s place, using the spare key he had tucked in his secret spot. It was under the corner of the welcome mat tucked beneath a plant. It worked, but it was a lot of hassle to get to.

As I stepped in, a rowdy series of thunks and thuds came from the other room, followed by several consecutive meows. Loudly walking to the front door as if to say ‘you’re late’, the cat by the name of Sir Jax stopped in his tracks upon seeing me.

“Hello, Sir,” I called gently, my voice oozing with affection for the small cat.

With a tear out of his ear from roughing it on the streets, Jay had picked him up from a shelter and given him a home. A black cat with a tuft of white hair on his chest, he was incredibly vocal about things he wanted, yet he continued to be an expert at hide and seek.

Upon hearing my voice, his tone changed, becoming higher and lighter, almost chirpy. I crouched down and extended my hand.

“Sir Jax,” I said with a smile as he approached and sniffed my hand only to rub his cheek against it and flop over onto the floor. “I’m here to feed you.”

Calling Jay, I set about grabbing dry food for him to eat at his own leisure. Switching it to a video call, I waved hello, setting my phone against the wall, the base resting against the counter, and lifted Sir Jax into my arms for him to see.

Meows turned to yowls as he heard Jay’s voice, sending us both into a fit of laughter.

It wasn’t long before my next trip to the hospital.

After the first visit, nobody questioned my coming and going from Jay’s room, and I did show up, as often as I could. Outside of work and school, I occasionally stopped by to share lunch or sneak snacks in for him. Sir Jax was kept well-fed by both me and Lucas. As the days went on, I listened intently to every update on his condition, the doctor’s words cheerful, letting us all feel at ease, praising Jay’s progress as if it were something purely miraculous that had happened.

The tedious hours of a part-time job weren’t fulfilling, yet they hadn’t come so easy until now. Schoolwork seemed to ease up at just the right time, making it easier to spend more time with Jay and keep him company in the dreary and lonely hospital room.

It wasn’t long before they were getting him up off the bed, having him take up walks around the hospital, enjoying the end of winter as greenery began to poke through the ground, becoming vibrant and full of life.

Time seemed to fly by. Moments became days. Days became weeks.

It was already the day Jay was getting discharged from the hospital, with a promise to come back for checkups and a bit of physical therapy every week for a few months.

We were all gathered in the little room together, smiles on our faces at the good news.

Lucas grinned, holding up a bag of street clothes, a pair of jeans and t-shirt.

“Thank goodness,” Jay joked with a bright grin. He gestured to the hospital gown he was wearing. “This would’ve been a little too breezy.”

As if all our worries had faded, turning into pure joy, we all laughed. It was as if nothing else could go wrong. We’d survived the worst of it, so surely, it would be smooth sailing from now on.

After the final all-clear discharge acceptance from the doctor, I practically shoved Jay into the bathroom with the bag of clothes.

“Hey!” he said, laughter hanging in his voice, a wide grin on his face as he shut the door.

Lucas parted ways with us at the hospital entrance, leaving me and Jay standing on the sidewalk together.

He let out a sigh.

I turned, hearing it, only to stop and stare, to see the change that had happened over the past accident turned hospital stay journey. His hair was longer than before, nearly obscuring his vision, at least from my perspective. The grass was vibrant and flowers were in bloom all around us, making him look more like a painting than reality.

“Stare much?” he asked, the corner of his mouth lifting as he spoke.

“You’re a free man now,” I joked. “What’ll you do with your remaining time?”

But despite my lighthearted words, Jay didn’t laugh, his smile fading completely. He looked at me, seriously.

“There’s something I want to do.”

It wasn’t easy to get used to this sudden tense atmosphere around him. Concern crept up my spine as I stared at him, trying to gage what his words meant.

“Uh… what is it?” I asked hesitantly.

He startled me, grabbing both of my hands in his. I looked down at our joined hands, baffled. What was so serious that he had to do this? It was like he was begging to ask for my forgiveness, the way he was holding my hands so gingerly.

I didn’t pull away, just gazed back up at him, silently asking him what was wrong.