Page 34
Shira shook her head, her smile back on. “Nothing. Come on, let’s do the blessings.”
Leo hung back on the bed with his dad, but his dad nodded him toward the window. Sure enough, there were lots of little people scurrying around the parking lot. None of them were looking up—probably, since they were at the hospital, they had more than enough to worry about down below—but Leo liked the idea of the menorah’s light shining down on them.
Shira tucked one of her arms through his, leaning her head on his shoulder. Gladness filled his heart. He was lucky to be here, in this place, with his living father and his aunt and his friend. He was lucky to be here, alive, period.
Next year, he vowed, he’d do a better job at showing it.
He opened his mouth and sang his feelings out into the dark night.
Texts between Shira Levinson and Leo David, April:
Shira: Well, I did it. I quit my job
Leo: Wow! Congrats! I think?
Shira: I don’t know. I’m just walking out of the office now and I don’t know how to feel yet
Leo: Wow, so it’s fresh
Shira: Fresher than a salad
Shira: I realize that was a terrible metaphor, but that’s about all I have in me right now
Leo: You’re going to be okay
Shira: Easy for the rising indie star to say.
Leo: That’s also currently fresher than a salad
From Shira Levinson’s email inbox:
May: Shira! We miss you so much here at the gallery. The new assistant has no idea how your organizational system works and keeps fetching us the wrong files. No way she’s getting promoted. Any chance you remember where you left the permission agreements for the upcoming Flower exhibit? We can’t find them anywhere and we’re starting to panic…
August: Excuse me, you charge what for a character sketch? I can make something almost as good with Photoshop myself.
September: How dare you threaten small claims court on me? I’m only sixty days past due, which is nothing. And the book cover you sent me wasn’t even that good. I’m going to call small claims court on YOU!
Texts between Leo David and Shira Levinson, November:
Leo: My dad ran into your mom while walking Neptune and heard that there’s not going to be a Hanukkah party this year. Everything okay?
Shira: Life is madness right now. Just don’t have time
Leo: Well, we can’t not have a neighborhood Hanukkah party. What would people think?
Shira:…
Leo: I’ll do it
Shira: Seriously? You’re going to throw the Hanukkah party?
Leo: What, like it’s hard?
Shira:…
Shira:…
Leo: Okay, you’ve been typing a long time. I was kidding. I know it’ll be hard. But we can handle it
