“I didn’t want to hear any of that,” I tell him. “But thank you for saying it.” After a pause, I venture, “What if I make a wish that’s only a tiny part revenge, but also for the greater good?”

He quirks a brow.

“I want to steal a ton of Elon Musk’s money and distribute it to world hunger organizations.”

He blinks in astonishment, then taps my nose, dusting it with flour. That half smile is back, which warms my heart. You’re back on track, it says. “All right, Robin Hood, you’ve got yourself a compromise. Let’s do just a little bit of crime before bed.”

“Really?”

“Stealing from the one percent isn’t stealing, according to the legislation.”

Relieved that he’s no longer staring at me as if I’ve fallen short of his hopes, I hop down and press a brief kiss to Hall’s cheek. It lasts only for the space of a heartbeat. When I withdraw, I’m arrested by the bands of brown ringing his pupils. There are striations now where there weren’t before, adding depth, a dimension of colors. He holds his palm to the spot where I kissed him.

The doorknob rattles. “Is this locked?” Mom calls from the other side. “Who’s in there?”

Hall’s eyes widen, the lock clicks, and Mom enters, sniffing the air suspiciously.

“I knew I smelled pie!” She frowns at Hall. “You’ve been baking without me.”

“I’ve never seen these pies before in my life,” he insists, taking me by the shoulders and positioning me in front of him like a human shield. “They’re Bettie’s, I swear.”

She laughs, he tosses her an apron, and as I seat myself on a counter bar stool to watch them have their fun, Hall turns and throws me a quick wink. I love my mom to pieces, but I wasn’t ready to share Hall just yet.

Which gives me serious pause.

What is happening? I brought him here to help me impress my family. Now I just want to impress him.

*

It’s late, but I can’t sleep. I watch the silhouettes of snowflakes tumbling down, dark spots against the frosted-silver glass and the moon through the window. My mind won’t quiet, functioning on high alert as if there’s an occasion I’ve forgotten, something important I need to do, and I need Hall. I roll, leaning over the railing to peer down at his form on the bottom bunk. His eyes are closed, long lashes fanning shadows over his freckles; he fell asleep with one hand cradled to his cheek as if to hold my kiss in place. “Hey,” I whisper.

Eyes still closed, he mumbles, “I should have tried the corn bread.”

“Huh?”

He blinks groggily, snatching his hand away, burying it under the covers. “What?”

I wait a few seconds for him to fully wake up, then climb down the ladder and perch on the edge of his mattress. “Want to go to the movies?”

He runs a hand through his hair, sticking it up in the back. “It’s one in the morning.”