when all is said and done | e.d.

forty-three

harper

"no, what if it's bad?" i whine a little, trying to stall from eating the chocolate cookies covered in powdered sugar.

"what else are we going to do with them? use 'em as paperweights?" ethan asks sarcastically.

"yes, actually," i beam at him. "i need some new ones."

"shut up," he laughs. "eat it."

we both take a bite at the same time, and the feeling of gooey chocolate immediately floods my taste buds. ethan closes his eyes and nods his head in pure satisfaction.

"this hits," i mumble with a small mouthful of cookie.

"i usually don't like vegan things, but this just might be an exception."

we both finish our cookies, and reach for another one. then another. and then one more. ruby whines, but ethan shakes his head.

"no, ruby. this is bad for you," he says, shaking his head.

"i wish ruby's owner would just give her to me," i sigh. "she hardly sees janae."

"is that your neighbor's name?"

i nod. "yeah. it makes me sad, because she works so hard and lives alone, but sometimes you have to do what's best for the dog, you know?"

"so if janae were to ask you to take ruby in full time, you'd say yes?"

"of course," i say without skipping a beat. "i love ruby. having her around gives me something to take care of. i kill all my plants, but i seem to have better luck with dogs."

ethan laughs. "i'm sure ruby would be very happy with you. she seems to like it here. she thinks it's home."

"in a way, it is," i smile down at the puppy with an adoring smile.

her apricot colored fur shines as she looks up at the both of us. the small patch of white on her chest is currently extra visible. it's kind of in the shape of a random blob, but i like to pretend it's the shape of a heart. her eyes are honey colored and excited— as always.

"speaking of ruby again, when is she getting picked up?" ethan asks.

i check the time on the stove, and am slightly surprised to see that it's already 9:00. "in a couple hours or so. why?"

"when ruby gets kicked out of the apartment, that's when you can shove me out too. deal?"

laughing, i answer, "deal."

********

"you totally cheated!" ethan accuses, throwing his cards to the side.

we currently reside on my living room floor, lounging on pillows and playing a heated game of uno.

"how do you even cheat at uno?" i exclaim. "it's literally impossible. just face it, you suck and i won fair and square."

he gets a small glint in his eyes, and stares at the sleeve of my sweatshirt. "harper, take off your sweatshirt."

"what? no, that's such a weird request—"

"you have cards up your sleeves."

i scoff, trying to find the words to deny the accusation. but of course, as i raise my hands to express my anger, the corner of a card peeks out.

ethan's eyes widen and he yells, "i knew it! you're a dirty little cheater!"

i laugh, trying to push the card back up my sleeve. he grabs my arm— not forcefully, but not gently— and tries to grab for more.