Chapter 2
I can’t let my guard down again. —Milo Warner
Devon Falls, Vermont—March, six months later
Noah
Hi. I don’t know if you remember me. I’m Noah Hardaway. We met in an elevator last fall.
Milo
Noah Hardaway! Good to hear from you. Still got those Chucks? Great shoes.
Noah
I mean, yeah? Most comfortable shoes ever. I’ll probably be buried in them. Unless Ezra decides to hide them from me permanently.
Milo
Is he still giving you trouble? I got a little worried when I never heard from you.
Noah
Yeah, is it strange to slide into someone’s texts six months after you first met them? I didn’t mean to ghost you or anything. I’m in my last year of grad school. So, you know, pretty busy. And also, I wasn’t sure if you were just being nice that day, when you said to get in touch.
Milo
I was being nice. But I also meant what I said. I usually mean what I say.
Noah
You seem like the kind of guy who does.
Milo
So, what’s up? Last year of grad school, huh?
Noah
Yup. Doing an externship right now in the local elementary school. The kids are fun. Ezra says I’m adding “political value” to Stan’s campaign.
Milo
That guy’s a piece of work. Your uncle seems better than someone who’d hire a tool like that.
Noah
Ezra’s prickly, but it’s usually just me he treats like gum on the bottom of his shoe. And he doesn’t really act like that with me when Uncle Stan’s around. It’s hard to explain. He’s really good at what he does. Uncle Stan would never have made as much progress in the senate without him, he says.
Milo
Yeah, I’ve been around some people like that. Assholes tend to get shit done sometimes, unfortunately. But have you ever told your uncle how he treats you? Doesn’t seem to me like he’d keep him around if he knew.
Noah
That’s why I don’t tell him. He’d lose a really good employee because of me. I don’t want to cause trouble for him like that.
Milo
…
Milo
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Milo
Just take care of yourself, okay, Noah? Don’t forget that you matter too.
Noah
…
Devon Falls, Vermont—April
Milo
Hey, Chucks. You disappeared again. Everything okay?
Noah
Oh! I’m sorry!! Yes, I’m okay. Just busy. Job hunting. I graduate in like a month.
Milo
Early congratulations!
Noah
How’s life in New York City? That’s where you live, right? Not that I’m stalking you. I just saw a speech you gave once, and you said you were a doctor in New York. And I know your mom represents a district there.
Milo
Chucks, it’s okay. You never need to stress about me judging you. Consider me a safe place in this world where so many eyes are on us, okay?
Noah
But what if you’re some kind of spy, trying to steal information from me ahead of the primary announcements later this year? Maybe you’re sending all these texts directly to your mother!
Milo
Consider me caught. I even planted a wire on you the day we met.
Seriously, though, if it makes you feel better, I’m not even in the city right now.
I’m up in Devon Falls, Vermont. Middle of nowhere.
The place I’m staying gets cell service for about two hours out of every day, and only if I stand in the exact right spot in my living room. I’m not even kidding about that.
Noah
Okay, I mapped it. Wow, that really is the middle of nowhere. And they’re famous for a leaf festival?
Milo
Yup. And a poop emoji statue.
Noah
…
Noah
I looked it up. Wow, that really does look like a poop emoji. That’s not what it’s supposed to look like, right? What kind of place puts a poop emoji statue right in the center of the town?
Milo
It’s supposed to be a bunch of kids dancing around a bunch of leaves. Sometimes art gets away from the artist, I guess.
Noah
What are you doing in Vermont?
Milo
Long story.
Noah
…
Noah
…
Noah
Okay.
Milo
Basically, that spotlight you hate got the better of me too.
I needed to escape for a minute. My best friend from residency grew up here.
Jack. He and our other buddy Sam live here now, and most of our friend group has moved up here.
I wanted some time away from New York, so I’m helping them turn an old ski area into the first community center in Devon Falls.
Noah
No way! That’s so cool. I love community centers. I’ve applied to work for a few in this area, but no luck so far.
Milo
I’m sorry, Chucks.
Noah
You seem really into my shoes.
Milo
I’m just into shoes in general. Shoe head, I guess.
My sister Mia loves to rag on my collection.
So I notice people’s feet. I saw those Chucks of yours that day even before that asshole pointed them out.
He gave you terrible advice, by the way.
Chucks and suits? That look is vintage, unique, and relatable to an audience.
He never should have told you to ditch them for dress shoes at that fundraiser.
Noah
What shoes did you wear that night? I never got to see you.
Milo
I looked around for you, but your uncle’s keeper had you busy all night. I was wearing ’98 Air Jordans. Vintage find. I only take them out for special occasions.
Noah
Stop being so cool over text. I won’t be able to message you back anymore.
Milo
Well, we can’t have that. Us politicians’ kids have to stick together. Good luck with the job hunt, okay?
Noah
Thanks. Can I tell you something I haven’t told anyone?
Milo
Even though I might be a spy?
Noah
Yeah. Actually. Seriously, I probably shouldn’t be telling you this.
Milo
Please don’t ever tell me anything that makes you uncomfortable. That’s the last thing I want. I gave you this number because you looked like you needed a friend. And I’ve been there. Kind of recently, actually.
Noah
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Noah
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Noah
Okay. Here goes. So, I’m applying for jobs, right? And I could spread my net wider, but I’m kind of afraid to go too far from the geographic circle around Pottsville and Albany.
Milo
Where your dad is.
Noah
We’re really, really close. Please don’t ask me why, okay? Even though you probably already know the answer.
Milo
No need to explain. And I’m close to my family too. It’s just me, Ma, and my sister Mia.
Noah
Cool. I remember you mentioned your sister in that speech you gave.
Milo
She’s a human rights attorney. And she thinks she’s in charge of my life. And she low-key is.
Noah
[Meme of person doing a spit take]
Noah
So, yeah. I’m afraid of leaving. But also, I think I need a change of scene.
Milo
You mean you need a scene with a little less Ezra in it?
Noah:
[Meme of person nodding and jumping up and down]
Noah
Last week he told me I’m not allowed to make pasta dishes for my uncle when I cook anymore.
He wants us both on a no-carb diet. Can you even believe that?
So I started looking at jobs in other states.
But I’m not sure if that’s the right choice.
I feel stuck. I’ve worked so hard on this degree, and now I’m not sure what to do with it or where to go.
Uncle Stan keeps telling me he just wants me to be happy.
Milo
So. When you imagine yourself happy, what do you picture?
Noah
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Noah
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Noah
Helping people? Making the world better, like Uncle Stan? But that’s as far as I get. I really liked working with the kids at the elementary school, but they don’t have the funds to hire another social worker.
Milo
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Milo
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Milo
Hey, can you email me your resume and cover letter? Might be a minute before I get back to you, but I have an idea.
“Hey, Milo? Do you need something? I got your text.” Gabe Gomez’s voice accompanies a knock at the half-open door of my office. I slip my phone into my pocket and smile as he steps inside.
“That was fast,” I tell him. “Especially considering how much you’ve got on your mind lately.”
Gabe lets out a breath. “One hundred and sixty-nine days,” he says.
Yup. That’s the number of days before the Devon Falls Community Center, his baby, is opening alongside the kickoff of the beloved Devon Falls Leaf Festival. We both know the number so precisely because Gabe’s got a countdown clock in the front hall of our building.
Honestly, the last thing I need to be doing right now is adding complication to that opening.
I’m only in Devon Falls until the center opens, and I’ve devoted every minute of my life since I got here a few months ago to making sure this center is everything it can be for the community of Devon Falls.
I made a promise to myself when I landed on Gabe’s doorstep that I’d leave all my drama back in New York City, and so far I’ve held myself to it.
Now I’m about to possibly break that promise. I guess I should have included “also leave behind drama from Albany” in those mental contracts.
“I see you brought Vera.” I gesture to the baby on Gabe’s hip as I stand up and cross the room to quickly tickle her under the chin. She grins and thrusts her tiny arms toward me. “Did Jack and Benson need a babysitter?” I ask.
“How’d you guess?” Gabe smiles and bounces Vera up and down slightly, making her laugh.
“One of Jack’s patients had an emergency, and Benson’s over at the law office, so Jack brought her over and asked if one of us could watch her for an hour or two.
Any chance you can do it? I’m right in the middle of working with the mechanic on trying to get the gondola functioning again. ”
“Of course. No problem. I’m just going over our books.” I reach for Vera, and Gabe sighs with relief as he hands her over.
“Thank goodness. Jack looked so stressed that I didn’t want to tell him no, but she’s way too grabby to be anywhere near the open guts of a gondola’s engine.”
“Isn’t that the truth.” I was so happy for Jack, one of my best friends in life, when he and his husband Benson decided to start fostering.
Vera’s been living with them for a few months now, and we all knew they were built to be parents the first time Benson put her into a Baby Bjorn and took her to court with him.