She stomps back. “I’ll wait with you.” “No, that’s okay. You go ahead.” She scrutinizes me, torn between taking me at my word or pushing further. “Watch, not jump?” “Watch, not jump.” “Matty.” Her childhood nickname for me—Matty, short for my last name—twists at something deep in my chest. Old memories have been doing that lately, even the ones that aren’t about her, and I sort of hate it. My vision goes fuzzy with the threat of tears, and I have to blink Alice’s features into focus—pale
