☽ ▬▬ at nung niyakap mo ako, tila'ng bang nawala ang mga problema sa mundong puno ng kasakiman. wag ka munang bumitaw, aking sinta ▪ and when you embraced me, all the problems in this world full of greed disappeared. don't let go yet, my love
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Runa was spending too much time deep in thought. She felt because it made her feel like she was dependent on Kalinda. They didn't want to be dependent on anyone. Bailey had told them that being dependent on her wouldn't be healthy since they hadn't even seen Kalinda in person in years.
Runa knew it wouldn't be, but she kept clinging onto the memory of her anyway. It was pathetic, honestly. She was lying to herself, making a version of Kalinda in her mind then tying her lifeline to it. The worst part was that she was aware of it all and she wasn't planning on stopping.
They spent more and more time at Bailey's house, curled up with their knees to their chest while Bailey lay on his stomach, both of them on his porch.
He broke the silence. "It's been two hours since you spoke. Aren't you hungry?"
She shrugged. "No, not really."
"Yeah, well, I'm getting you food, anyway." He got up, left, and then returned after a few minutes holding four slices of bread. Runa hesitantly took one but Bailey forced the other slice into her hand. "Eat or else I take your guinea pig."
"Don't you have sandwich spread? And Henry isn't even mine."
"We ran out and there's only peanut butter." He gave her a knowing look. Nothing to do about that. Runa was allergic to peanuts.
Bailey didn't eat peanut butter either. Not because he was allergic as well, it was because he promised not to eat it either after learning Runa was allergic to it. Runa stopped eating things with dairy in them for the same reason, just the other way around.
"How's school? I heard Miss Stevenson's pregnant."
"Yeah, she's going on a leave. Dunno who our substitute adviser's gonna be."
"Hmm."
"I'm bored," Runa whispered. Her eyes traveled to Bailey's mailbox. Then she got an idea. Letters always felt more personal, in books, movies, little notes her mom puts when packing her father's lunch. Now it was Runa's turn. "Do you have stationery?"
"For like, writing letters?"
"Exactly."
"Yeah, it's somewhere in my room—argh—" Bailey slipped as he stood up. He led Runa through his house, past wind chimes and plants and his cousin Liz's drawings. He and his mom lived alone, and Liz would come over a lot. She was a really talented artist.
Bailey's room was powder blue and it smelled like him, and the sun. The big window explained that.
He rushed over to his study table, then looked through it for a few seconds. there was the sound of objects being moved around a wooden box, and then silence. Bailey's face fell.
