Alistair and I drive home together after school. We do frequently now, but it still feels new. Unrest settles between us, and I don’t know if I’ll ever mask my thoughts of him having that nightmare painful enough to put him in tears. We haven’t talked about it. We’re waiting until the unrest dwindles on its own.
The car stops in front of my house, but I don’t get out. A tall man with an olive jacket and a beanie is perched on the roof of my house, clipping Christmas lights around the garage door. Ruth is inside the garage, crouched in front of a cardboard box and calling out orders to the man.
“Don’t tell me...” Alistair murmurs.
I stretch across him to look out the window. “Who’s that?”
“Hey. Sit back down.”
“Why?” I turn to look at him but our noses touch. I’m practically hogging hi
