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She was at the sink, running her hand under the water. Behind her on the floor was a broken bottle of beer. The amber liquid edged with white foam spread out from under the pieces of glass.
Milo went to her. “What happened?” She had a deep cut on her finger. “Let me help you.” He grabbed a paper towel and wrapped it around her finger, then turned off the water. “You look a little pale.”
“Um…”
“Come sit.” He led her to a chair, and she sat down. He looked at the beer. “Should I even ask about the beer?”
“It’s not what it looks like.”
“So, you weren’t about to drink a beer in the middle of the night?”
“I couldn’t sleep. Beer makes me sleepy. It was stupid. Then I dropped it…” She held up her wrapped finger. “Tried to clean up the mess.”
She was bleeding through the paper towel, and Milo got another one and wrapped the wound again. “You might need stitches for this.”
“It’s fine. So stupid.”
“Put some pressure on it. I’ll clean up the glass.”
“Be careful.”
Milo ran a hand over his bare chest, then grabbed a hoodie from a rack near the door and put it on, glancing at Wilda as he zipped it up halfway. Then he dragged the garbage can next to the spill and knelt to pick up the pieces. Once he got them all, he soaked up the beer with a towel. He washed the area a few times, but he couldn’t get rid of the beer smell. He opened the window behind the sink, then went back to Wilda.
“Do you want to try again?”
“No. I’m over it.” She blushed.
“There’s a bottle of bourbon above the refrigerator. Next time, you might go for that. A bigger punch with a lot less effort.”
“I’ll remember that.”
He took her hand. “Let’s see what’s going on under here.” He removed the paper towel. “Looks like you’re ready for a band-aid.”
He went to a basket she’d brought with her, filled with basic first-aid supplies. “Hmm. We’ve got Spider-Man or SpongeBob.”
“Definitely Spider-Man. SpongeBob annoys the crap out of me.”
“He’s so annoying.” He applied the band-aid, then kissed it. “That should do it.”
“I’m sorry I woke you.”
“I’m just glad you weren’t a bear. Do you want some water?”
“I should go to bed and let you get back to sleep.”
“Do you want some water first?”
She smiled. “Yes, please.”
He poured two glasses of water, then returned to the table. “Why can’t you sleep?” She didn’t answer, and he took a sip of water. “I’m having a bit of trouble myself.”
“Can we talk for a little bit? Not about anything specific. Just talk about…whatever.”
“Sure. Should we move to the couch?”
They both stood, then went to the living room. He sat down, and she sat right next to him. “Is this okay?”
“It’s fine.”
