11

PAIGE

The night with Samuel is fine, but when I wake up, I know it will be sporadic things. We keep running into each other on campus, and I consider us friends because we occasionally grab coffee together in the cafeteria. He's hinted a couple of times that he'd like to repeat, but I've also hinted that I won't be able to until two weekends from now. It's a small and fiery routine we've started to maintain: every other Friday, we go to the motel.

"I'm going to Ian's place this afternoon to watch the soccer game."

I lift my head from my cereal. I slept poorly because Owen decided to wake up at four in the morning and try to climb out of his crib. Luckily, I still have the baby monitor.

"Okay."

"They've invited you too; they want you to come with me. They really liked you."

"I'll go with Owen to show him the Halloween decorations on the streets."

"Please," he pleads, making a puppy-dog face with clasped hands. "It'll only be a couple of hours, and they already know Owen. It'll be fine,