I squeezed his hand.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
Then, after a moment, he said, “No.”
I thought he meant nerves.
Paul had already welcomed everyone and said a few words about us. There had been a laugh when he mentioned that Reed and I had met because Reed returned a grocery cart that had rolled into my car in a Target parking lot.
Then Paul opened his book.
“We’ve reached the part Reed has been worrying about for approximately six months.”
Everyone laughed again.
I did too.
Reed didn’t.
“Paul,” he said.
Paul lowered the book.
“Yeah?”
“Give me a second.”
The laughter slowly disappeared.
I looked at Reed.
“What is it?”
He glanced toward the people in the back row.
One of the older women gave him a small nod.
Reed swallowed.
Then he turned to me.
“Mal, there’s something I should’ve told you a long time ago.”
