A Wall Between

Chapter 32

"We can buy a fridge," Sasha's dad offered.

"I wasn't going to ask you to do that. Abra cooks and we usually eat pretty healthy. If we could keep a pot of pasta sauce or something to put on rice here for dinners while we save up, it might help us get through without wasting money or eating junk. We'll feed Sasha, too, of course."

"We'll buy a fridge, Cooper," Sasha's mum insisted. "I don't know what the timeline for everything will be like, though, so if you end up moved in before we can get a fridge delivered, you can keep food here."

Part of Cooper wanted to insist that they'd save up for the fridge themselves, but it wasn't really his place. They were doing it to support Sasha. Asking them not to and making Sasha wait along with the rest of them until they could afford one really wouldn't have been helpful.

"Thanks," Cooper said, and then he repeated it when Sasha's mum handed him a cup of coffee. "Abra might come and talk to you later to figure some things out. He's good at that sort of thing."

"We'll be here."

Next on Cooper's task list was talking to George and Joy. Cooper quickly downed the rest of his coffee and headed for the front door. He had it halfway open when Sasha grabbed his sleeve. When he turned around, Sasha handed him a key.

Cooper slapped a hand against his forehead, but he found himself smiling at the same time. He'd been laser focussed on his task list, and it had only said to ask Sasha for the key. It had said nothing about actually acquiring it. "Thanks."

Sasha placed a hand on the back of Cooper's head and leant forward to give him a quick peck on the lips. "You taste like coffee."

Cooper laughed. "Sorry?"

"I should have kissed you after you ate the Fruit Tingles. I didn't even consider kiss flavours."

"I'll get gum. What flavour do you like?"

"Any fruit. You pick."

"Okay." Cooper opened his text messages to Abra and sent, Buy fruit gum so that it would be at the bottom of the list of instructions he was following. He felt his phone vibrate as he put it back in his pocket, but he ignored it. "I have to go complete more tasks now. I'll see you later?"

Sasha nodded. "Later."

A kiss from Sasha and also probably the entire cup of coffee he had just downed had given Cooper a burst of energy, and he was ready for his next task: talking to old people. He knocked on their front door and listened as Piper went crazy with excitement on the other side while they waited for someone to come and answer it. It was Joy who opened the door.

"Good morning, Cooper!" she said as Cooper crouched down to greet a very excited Piper. "We thought you might not be coming today. You're normally by earlier than this."

"I'll come back and give Piper a run this afternoon, but right now I'm just here to talk."

"Oh, of course! Come in. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"I just had one, but also, yes please. I didn't sleep too well last night."

"Oh no. I hope everything's okay," Joy said as she led the way through to the kitchen where George was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper.

"Things are good, actually. We think we might have figured out how we can afford to rent your house."

Joy's face lit up. "Really? Oh, I hope so."

"Sasha wants to move in as well, so with the four of us, we should be able to afford it."

"Oh, that would be even better!" Joy exclaimed. "Oh, I hope Sasha's not upset with me. At the barbeque I asked him what he did, and he said nothing and quickly ended the conversation. I didn't mean to make him uncomfortable. He's not upset, is he?"