Change is good, unless it isn't

Chapter 10

Dinah clutches tighter to Normani's hand as she gets pulled through the massive throng of people crowded down the sides of the street. Every so often, Normani looks over at her shoulder to make sure she's okay until they finally find an opening in the front to stand in. Almost as soon as they get in their spot, sirens blare from somewhere out of sight. Perplexed, Dinah looks around trying to spot them.

Normani smiles as she watches. She didn't tell Dinah where they were going and it's obvious that she didn't look it up—just like she had asked her not to. She squeezes Dinah's hand as a police car slowly comes into view.

"I know it's not Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade or anything," she gives a bashful shrug, "but it's a start, right?"

It takes a few moments for Dinah to piece everything together, but a full-dimpled smile emerges when she finally realizes what Normani brought her to. "Yes. I'd say it's a start."

They watch as the police cars slowly move by and the fire engines toss out small chocolates to children holding bags to gather the candy from the floats. Dinah laughs when Normani takes a step back as the clowns start to walk and ride by in tiny cars.

"I didn't know you were afraid of clowns," she says with a teasing grin.

Normani's eyebrow shoots up and she gasps. "I'm not afraid!"

A clown walks up and sticks his hand out towards her to shake, but her eyes widen and she steps closer to Dinah until he walks away.

"You were saying?"

"I'm not afraid...I just have a very strong dislike." She holds her finger up at Dinah's grin. "There's a difference!"

"Whatever you say, Normani."

Massive Clydesdales stride by with tinsel braided through their manes and wreaths loosely hanging around their necks. One decides to relieve itself directly in front of them and Normani scrunches up her nose. "I always wanted a horse."

Surprised, Dinah looks at her. "You did?"

Normani puts on a serious face and nods. "Oh, yeah. I was going to name him Walter and let him live under my bed. Maybe even ride him to school if the weather was nice."

She squeezes Normani's hand just a little tighter and wistfully smiles. "Tanner always wanted a horse." she lightly laughs, "He said he wanted to grow up to be a cowboy so he could 'round up' the bad guys." Her laughing dies down and she turns to look at Normani, eyes no longer watering just from the cold air. "He would've liked you so much, Normani. You're...you're the epitome of who he wanted to become. Kind, smart, brave... heroic. He would've loved you."

Normani swallows thickly. She steps closer to Dinah, wrapping her arms around her waist and placing her chin on Dinah's shoulder. "I'm sure I would've loved him, too."

"How do you know that? You never met him."

It's not accusatory, not harsh. Simply an inquiry. She genuinely wants to know how Normani could possibly be sure that she'd love someone she'd never spoken with. It seemed too much like a guess for her liking.

Normani ever so slowly starts swaying them side to side. "No, but he sounds a whole lot like you. That means I would've loved him, too."

Dinah's breath hitches. Did Norjust imply that she loved her?

No, surely not.

This is why Dinah never guesses, never jumps to conclusions. Things are never just black and white when assumptions are involved. There's always a gray area too.

And that just so happens to be where she gets stuck. It's much easier to only stick to the cold, hard facts.

So unless Normani actually says it—not implies—then Dinah can dissect it, think about it until she completely understands. Until then, she'll pretend like Normani may or may not have offhandedly said she loves her.