The Wall of Winnipeg and Me

by Mariana Zapata

“I don’t want someone new. I want you.”

“Marry me.”

“Marry me,” he repeated himself, like I hadn’t heard him the first time.

“Do you need something?”

“You.”

Sometimes it cost you things in your life. And in this life, most people were too cheap to pay the price for something as valuable as honesty.

“No. I won’t. I’ve only loved three people in my entire life. I don’t plan on loving anyone else in the next five,”

His dark blond head peeked out, a big smile already plastered to his face.

“Could you get my girl a coffee?”

“I can’t do this without you.”

“Mr. Graves, I can settle your visit with your assistant if you’d like to take a seat,”

“She’s my wife.”

“We’re partners. We’re a team. You said it.”

“If someone messes with you, they’re going to mess with me, Van. I don’t want to hurt your feelings. I might not be good with this friend crap, but I’m not about to let somebody get away with hurting you. Ever. Do you understand me?”

“I’m not really dressed…”

“You always look fine.

He’d smiled. He’d fucking smiled at me. Again. And it was just as magnificent as it had been the first time.

“You look like you’re on drugs.” That wiped my not-smile off my face. “I like your smile. That’s all.”

I slipped my hand into Aiden’s and gave it a faint squeeze. He squeezed mine right back.

“I

don’t have time to bother trying to have a relationship, and I don’t like most people. Women included. ”

“You like me a ...

“A little,” he repeated with only a small curve to the co...

And when I ripped off the packaging and shook it out to see that it was a brand new

Three Hundreds jersey with GRAVES written on the back, I smiled so hard my cheeks hurt.

“Vanessa?” “It’s Muffin.”

“It’s the only one I’ve ever asked for. They had to give it to me,”

“If it makes you happy, it wouldn’t bother me.”

“I can’t help it. I didn’t like people talking about you when I worked for you, and I like it even less now.”

“Team Graves, right?”

It was right then, in that instant, that I realized I might be a little in love with Aiden.

“I’m starting to understand that you can always make time for the things that matter.”

“That’s my girl.”

“I am?”

“The only one,”

“You tell me. I never stop thinking about you. I worry about you all the time. Every beautiful thing I see reminds me of you. I can’t finish my practices in Colorado without wishing you were around,” he said in a steady tone. “You tell me what I feel.”

“Home is where you are. I would go anywhere for you if you wanted me to be there.”

He was still single, still dumb. Still one of my closest friends, and already referring to himself

as Uncle Zac any and every time he came by to the see the boys.