All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

by Bryn Greenwood

“Is that your birthday? The nineteenth?” Wavy nodded. That was rare, her telling me something I hadn’t even asked. She was usually more interested in finding things out, like with the tattoo. When I picked up a pen, she leaned forward on her elbows, waiting to see what I was gonna do. It needed to be big, to let her know I thought it was important. In big enough letters to fill the whole square, I wrote WAVY’S BIRTHDAY. She looked so happy I went back to the date and drew a heart around the nineteen. When I laid the pen down, she put her hand on my arm, like she trusted me. Then she stepped between my knees and slid her hand up my arm to the back of my neck. She leaned in so close, her cheek almost touched mine. I kept real still, like you would if a little bird came and landed on your finger. For half a minute, I didn’t even breathe. It wasn’t like me trying to hug her on the farmhouse porch. She’d done this herself. She pressed her chin into my shoulder, and then damned if she didn’t sniff my hair. I knew I had to be