Love Thy Neighbor

Chapter 40

The other crazy thing happens later that afternoon when Kendra and I are taking a walk, pushing our babies in their strollers. I've just filled her in on the envelope.

"So he was sorry," she says, her voice cracking slightly with emotion. She's listened to me talk about him so much that she is very invested.

"I guess he was. And he wanted to see me. I never got the envelope, so he thought I just didn't show. He thought I no longer cared."

"You need to contact him, Jess! Surely you can get in touch with him somehow."

"Maybe. But what would I even say? 'Hey Shawn, funny story, I just got your letter from over two years ago. You still want to work it out?' That's ridiculous."

"It would be weird for sure, but maybe he deserves to know that you didn't stand him up that night."

I sigh. "I doubt he even cares anymore. A lot of time has passed. He's probably totally over it. Plus, let's not forget that I have Delilah now."

And then it happens.

We pass by a hot dog cart. It has a cheap portable radio tuned to a local top 40 station. As we walk by I hear Shawn's voice singing. It's the very end of the song so I don't hear much. The DJ starts talking after the song concludes.

"That right there, New York, was the hit single from Shawn Mendes titled 'Never Getting Over You.' You might see Shawn around, guys. Rumor has it he bought a house in the fair borough of Brooklyn."

"Did I hear that right?" I ask Kendra who is standing next to me with her jaw dropped down to her chest.

"He moved here," she says.

I can feel myself starting to go into panic mode. Kendra maneuvers us over to a bench occupied by a couple teens.

"Get up! My friend needs a seat!" she yells. The kids get up and walk away, muttering under their breath.

I sit down and put my head between my knees. Kendra rocks both strollers.

I pick my head up. "This is nuts!"

Kendra just shakes her head. "It's more than nuts."

Eventually I am breathing well enough that I can resume walking.

"You need to find out where he lives," Kendra says as we head towards home.

"Brooklyn is a really big place. He could be anywhere."

"But you need to know where specifically."

"K, come on, let's say I find out his address. What would I do? Walk up, ring the bell, and yell 'surprise!'?"

"If you knew where he lived you could start hanging out at places near his house," she suggests.

"Again, I ask you, what do I do if I run into him? How on earth do I play that off? I'm no good at being smooth."

"We just need to come up with a plan."

I groan. "Even if we have a plan, there's something important we're ignoring. He wrote that letter a long time ago. He might have a serious girlfriend now. He could be in love. Engaged, even. And even if he is single, it's unlikely he feels the same way now."

"Then how do you explain that song title?" she asks.

We get back to our townhouses. She goes in hers and drops Jay off with her husband and then comes over to my place. I'm putting Lila in her saucer when she walks in.

"I'm ordering a pizza. While we wait, we're hitting the internet to find out what we can about your boy," she says.

We sit down on my couch with my MacBook. She orders a pizza online and then goes to google. She types in 'Shawn Mendez.'