chapter three
353 Words
The Civic Center gym was finally quiet.
Claire was taping the last box of blankets when a voice behind her said, “Please tell me you’re done, and we can go get tacos.”
She turned. Tessa.
Tessa stood in the doorway with two iced coffees and a grin that hadn’t changed since college. She still wore scarves in summer and talked with her hands. Two weeks had passed since they’d last seen each other, and Tessa looked exactly the same: bright, a little messy, and like she’d never missed a message.
“You’re late,” Claire said, taking the coffee. “I thought you were in Sacramento for that conference.”
“I was. Got back last night. Boring stuff. Nothing like this.”Tessa glanced around at the empty cots and folded tables. “You did it. All of it. In twelve days.”
“We did it,” Claire corrected. “The Initiative team worked through the nights. Adrian was here until 2 a.m. twice.”
Tessa’s eyebrows rose. “Adrian Delgado, staying late? That’s new.”
“He’s not what I expected,” Claire said. She didn’t mean to say it out loud.
Tessa smiled knowingly. “I told you he wasn’t just another rich guy playing hero. He actually cares. You see it now, huh?”
Claire shrugged, uncomfortable with how much she’d been talking about him. “He’s stubborn. But he listens. And he doesn’t lie to get his way.”
“Rare for someone with that much power,” tessa said, nodding. She bumped Claire’s shoulder. “Come on. Tacos. You can complain about him the whole way there.”
Claire hesitated, then nodded. The last family had left an hour ago. The floor was mopped. The job was done. For the first time in weeks, her chest felt light.
As they walked out, Tessa linked arms with her. “I missed you, El. Don’t disappear on me again, okay?”
“Not planning to,” Claire said.
Behind them, the gym doors shut. tessa’s phone vibrated once in her pocket, but she didn’t check it.
- Writer
