Wild Card

by Elsie Silver

I lift my chin and wave a hand over him. “Yes. It’s time for you and your fully blocked crown chakra to go.” Clyde nods. “Oh, you’re right. His crown chakra is fucked.”

She gets out of the car but bends at the waist, popping her head back inside. “Gwen, I just want you to know that if I were you, I’d fuck my ex-boyfriend’s dad, and I wouldn’t even feel bad about it because that other guy sounds like a fucking loser.”

“Don’t act so surprised. I love that big doofus like he’s my own, and to be frank, you’re feeling an awful lot like my second doofus.” My heart swells. I never thought being referred to as one of Clyde’s doofuses would be so heartwarming.

“You got this,” I say softly, not sure what’s wrong, only knowing that I would do anything to make him feel better. “I don’t know if I do,” he says back, voice rough like gravel. It makes my chest ache. “I’ve got you, then,” I murmur, giving him a tug as I turn away to lead him upstairs.

Clyde’s hand shoots up in the air, and he stabs toward the ceiling with one of my sharper kitchen knives. “I’m right!” He points the knife my way. “You, my friend, just need to blow a spliff, have a nap, and consider getting a little sun on your perineum.”

“I love you like this.” “Like what?” she murmurs, entranced. “All mine.” Our eyes meet in the dim cockpit. “I am.”

She leans closer, her fingers hovering just above the variety of food laid out. “Is this a raccoon charcuterie?” I chuckle. “It’s whatever you want to call it, Gwen. But I picked out an array of options to see if we can get your raccoon friend back.”

“Gwen, how am I supposed to trust you to name our first child if you can’t even give this raccoon a respectable name?” We both freeze then. God, there’s so much unsaid between us, so much implied. I really have to stop stepping in it like this, making things awkward. But, of course, nothing with Gwen is ever truly awkward. “Do you remember,” she starts, “that night in the airport? How badly I put my foot in my mouth when I went on about us having a night to tell our kids about one day?” I chuckle softly. “How could I forget?” She nods, teeth strumming over her bottom lip. “Now we’re even.”

I’ve never wanted to stay in one place until now. I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m desperate for it to be here. With him.