He rinsed off in the shower, slid some sweatpants on along with a soft gray T-shirt, slathered on a little deodorant and called it a good job. Another text.

You’re making me blush, Mr. Dorner.

He opened his bedroom door and lingered in the doorway for a second. Gimme proof.

A minute later he got a picture of her. A selfie.

God. She was young.

And so fucking pretty.

Her hair was up in a bun, there was no makeup on her face and the hood of a sweatshirt was pressed up against her neck. Sure enough, there was a very healthy blush on her cheeks.

Seb traced a thumb over the picture. He completely understood what she meant last night, about being hungry for any little detail. Feeling thrilled about any morsel you might pick up. This picture was like finding a gold coin on the beach. He closed out of it, took two steps down the hall and then opened it up again. Just looked.

God, you’re pretty.

He closed the phone, shoved it in his pocket and went to spend some time with his son.

MATTY ANSWERED THE door for Via; he had a bored look on his face, his pajamas still on. “Do penguins live in the Antarctic?”

But he pronounced it “Antarquick.”

“Let her in before you make her a Jeopardy! contestant!” Via heard Seb’s deep voice calling from one end of the house.

Matty stepped aside but his eyes were on her, still obviously waiting for the answer to his question. She stepped into the house and toed off her boots. It was chilly this morning, and she’d worn winter boots, thick wool socks, slim jeans and a dark blue T-shirt underneath her bulky ivory wool sweater.

“Some do,” she told him. “But not all of them. Have you learned about hemispheres at school yet?”

He nodded.

“Well, penguins only live in the southern hemisphere.”

“I told you she would know!” Matty hollered back through the house at his dad.

Seb appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, a dishtowel over his shoulder and a cup of coffee in his hands. “I should have known she would know.” His eyes darted to his son. “Remember what we talked about?”

Matty half scowled, half smiled. His eyes darted between Via and Seb. “Yeah. That you’re gonna kiss and that I’m allowed to ask whatever questions I have.”

Well. That was pretty much the moment that the force field inside her chest pulsed once and absolutely exploded. The world didn’t stand a chance. Planet Earth was swallowed whole into the feeling in Via’s chest. Nothing was safe. She was in love with the entire world. The freckles on Matty’s nose. Crabby padding in from the other room. The Armenian couple loudly chatting in their front yard two houses down. She loved it all. Seb’s barely cut grass in his postage-stamp yard. The damn dishtowel. She loved everything.

He’d told his son that they were gonna kiss. Questions welcome.