Five Shadows

Chapter Twenty-Three

"You little rugrat! Here, chew this!" I put a plastic head of broccoli in front of my new (still unnamed) roommate and laughed as she flipped it up with her nose and jumped after it. "Why didn't anyone tell me how fun this would be?"

Little Cut was laid back on my loveseat like he'd been over a million times. I was eternally grateful there were no egg pans in the sink. It was weird enough having him in my living space without worrying about looking like a slob. If he asked to use my bathroom though, I was really going to freak out. "I did tell you! So did Marnie! You scored a really cute one too. It's time to give her a proper name though. I can't call her 'Nora's puppy' forever."

"I just don't know." I observed her brown, fluffy fur, pink nose, and stumpy tail. "Stumpy?"

"What? Absolutely not. I thought you liked her!"

"Okay, okay. Um. Brownie?"

"Meh. What if someone's baking and they say, 'Brownies in the oven!' and you freak out?"

I snorted. "Highly unlikely, but I agree. It doesn't suit her."

"Well. What about naming her after someone? Who's your hero?"

"Barbara Lynch," I said automatically, without thinking.

"Never heard of her."

No point in lying. "She's a chef. In Boston. A really really amazing chef."

Little Cut was staring at me, but I refused to meet his eyes. I threw the broccoli to the puppy again. "Okay..." he said slowly, "It's a little unorthodox for a dog, but how about Barbara?"

"Barbara? That's not a dog name."

"Let's try it out." He got a treat from one of the many many varieties he bought earlier. "Barbara!" His voice was higher than I would have guessed he could make it. "Barbara! Here Barbara!" He waved the treat and slapped his thigh. "Come here, Barbara!" The dog chewed her broccoli. She didn't give Little Cut the time of day. "Well, there you have it!" he announced, "It's perfect! That's how Mario responds to me too!"

"Barbara." Would it make me think of my beloved Barbara Lynch and how she'd taken the time to taste and critique my risotto in what turned out to be the pinnacle of my cooking career? Maybe. But it was also kind of perfect. "Okay! Barbara it is!" This time the dog did pick her head up and trot over. She snuffled Little Cut's hand until he forked over the treat.

"Miss Barbara! You're the cutest little Barbara I ever did see, aren't you? Aren't you?" Little Cut sitting on my loveseat, baby talking to my puppy? That I just named after my mentor who witnessed the most painful moment of my life? And the poor decisions that followed? This night was almost more surreal than a having a shadow visit.

My boss finally left close to midnight, when I couldn't suppress my yawning any further. There was a scary moment when I offered to make us some eggs for dinner and he quipped, "For somebody whose hero is a chef, seems like you could do better than eggs." He winked at me as I sat frozen, Barbara squirming on my lap. "Coming from a guy who eats cereal for every meal. Let's just order some food." So we did. Over our Chinese we discussed our favorite cereals for dinner. "Fruit Loops," Little Cut said. "Except for very special occasions, then it's Lucky Charms."

"Wow. After your parents spent all that money straightening your teeth, you're just going to rot them out. What a shame," I shook my head in mock disgust.

"I never had braces."

"Wait, what?"

"Nope. Never needed them I guess." He shrugged, concentrating on his lo mein.

"But. But they're so straight!"

A noodle fell from his chopsticks. Another shrug. "Smile," I ordered. He held up a finger while he finished chewing, then gave me a cheesy smile. "That's amazing. They're really... straight."

"That's what I hear. Marnie had braces." At least someone in the family was normal. If you could call Marnie normal.

He placed our fortune cookies in his palm and held them out to me. I took the one nearest to me. "A new presence will disrupt your life in the best way," I read. "Barbara!" How are these things always so spot on? I supposed it could also be the shadows. Or Marnie. Or Little Cut, for that matter. I smoothed the tiny slip and set it on the end table with love. "What's yours say?"

"Go home and get some sleep." He yawned. "You'reright. They are always spot on." He stood up and began saying good-bye toBarbara, which took longer than anyone might guess. When he finally left, Icarried our containers to the kitchen, nearly tripping on the dog with everystep. His fortune sat beside his chopsticks. It felt like I was snooping, buthe left it right there for me to see. I read out loud to Barbara, "To see yoursoulmate, look no further than the one sitting with you." I read it a few more times.I looked at the door. His chopsticks. The slew of toys he'd bought Barbara."Are you his soulmate?" I asked the puppy. She hopped up and down. "I guess youmust be." Because there was no way I was. No way at all.