Chapter 25

Saturday’s planning session began the same as the planning sessions before it.

“If you had to eat one meal every day for a month what would it be?” Ethan asked.

“Chicago deep dish pizza with extra pepperoni.” Melissa closed her eyes and hugged herself. “Umm,” she hummed.

When she opened her eyes, Ethan was scribbling furiously on the last page of his sketchpad.

“What are you writing?” she asked.

“I’m just making a note about pizza.” Ethan finished scribbling and closed the book.

“What did you write?”

“Your turn.” Ethan pushed the ice breaker jar across the table. There was no way he was going to tell her what he’d written.

Reenact the sound she makes when thinking about pizza. Extra pepperoni.

Melissa took a question from the jar. “What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?”

“Don’t put your fingers under the saw.”

Melissa put her elbows on the table, steepled her index fingers in front of her mouth, and raised her eyebrows at Ethan.

Ethan leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms nonchalantly. “It’s damn good advice. Tell me it isn’t.”

He smiled. “What’s your favorite time of day?”

“Sunrise and sunset.”

“Why both?”

“I like starting and ending my day with the sun. If I’m asleep when the sun rises, I know I can watch the sun set later. And if I miss the sun setting, I get another chance at something new the next day. Grandma Lily says each new day...