Chapter 34 Dreams
The pen turned green.
I sprinted down four sets of steps to the dumpster, ran back up, gave myself a sponge bath in the restroom, and returned to Maya’s office to finish the meeting. She knows I’m extremely interested and would love to do the pitch.
I collapse into my desk chair.
Netflix wants to do a Love Today TV show. A show curated around the topics and stories from my podcast.
This is a dream I didn’t even realize was living in my brain, but I can feel it growing, expanding into the hidden niches of my heart by the second.
I wouldn’t have ever even conceived that this would be something I could be given the opportunity to do.
I might have the chance to potentially be part of a writing team.
To have more space to tell stories. Episodes’ worth of space?
Euphoric energy compounds in my chest. Bubbles through my veins. I shit in my ex’s office twenty minutes ago, but now, I could run through a wall with excitement. I want to dance!
The pitch is scheduled for September 16. I want to start immediately!
I dig my phone out of my bag, overjoyed at the idea of telling Reed.
I freeze before I get to unlock it. Shit. Telling him would violate separation of church and state.
I have a string of missed messages from him.
Reed [8:55 a.m.]: TLDR mom cheated on my dad a few years after they got married. They worked things out after, didn’t divorce. But my mom got pregnant during that time.
Turned out we weren’t our dad’s kids—we were the other guy’s.
She never told us. We found out our senior year of high school when I did 23andMe for an AP bio project, and it gave me a match as the son of some guy in upstate New York we’d never heard of.
Our dad-dad always treated us like we were his.
But Oliver and I handled the reveal pretty poorly.
We were pissed at our mom for cheating and pissed at our dad for letting Mom cheat on him.
Pissed at both of them for lying to us for years.
Treated them like shit for a while. We were right in the thick of our most obnoxious teen years.
Reed [8:57 a.m.]: realizing mid-run, that was not TLDR.
Reed [8:59 a.m.]: rethinking this decision—that story was way too heavy for 5:55 a.m. Sorry! Should have held it for another time. You’re probably working. Shit, you’re definitely working, you said you were going into a meeting. Don’t feel the need to respond.
Reed [9:02 a.m.]: Hope your morning is going well!
Reed [9:03 a.m.]: Jesus, I’ve now quadruple texted. This is the most uncool thread I’ve ever sent. Forget I was here. I’m going to sleep for another hour when I get home, I’m clearly delirious.
Reed [9:04 a.m.]: I swear I don’t normally write essay texts.
Reed [9:05 a.m.]: I’ve made it so much worse. This never happened. I was never here! *flails hands* *disappears*
I glance at the time: It’s 9:47 a.m. He’s had to sit on this for forty-two minutes.
Me: How can you be so hot, and simultaneously so adorable? It’s against the laws of physics.
Reed: Quit blowing smoke up my ass.
Me: I’d imagine back when you found out about your bio dad you were also feeling bewildered and hurt that the other guy didn’t try to be your dad.
That sounds like such a confusing, complicated situation to deal with as a seventeen-year-old.
And then to lose your father. I’m sorry you had to go through that.
Me: Thanks for telling me. I like puzzling together the pieces of your life that made you you too.
Reed: Your turn.
I hover my thumb over the call button.
But calling him would violate my fucking call rule because I’m not on a bed. This is still casual, and calling during work hours to share exciting news decidedly is not.
I put the phone down and stare at it.
Me: Mine’s too long for a text. =P
Reed: Hit me up when you’re on a mattress.
Me: I’ve got a crazy day ahead, I’ll save it for the IRL
Reed: *waits with bated breath*