“Sounds like a pretty easy choice to me,” Fred says, leaning back and holding his hands out in an exaggerated shrug. “Go. It’s not like you’re gonna jump him while you’re on the convention floor. And then you can retreat to your solo room and watch bad TV while lounging in the bed your boss paid for.”

“When you put it that way, it does sound nice,” I say. “You convinced me!”

I smack the table for emphasis, and it starts to tilt left. “Oh no,” I mutter. “Don’t tell anyone that was me.”

Fred shakes his head. “This is why we have to get out of here. There isn’t a reliable puzzling surface in the entire house. I have a puzzle mat on the floor of our room but it’s not ideal and it’s making my back hurt. The hot air balloon puzzles deserve better than this.”

“Okay, well . . . tell Milo I left. I assume he’s back in your room.”

Fred nods. “We don’t spend a ton of time in the common areas.”

I look around us, at the scuffed cabinet doors caked with food residue. “That’s such a generous description.”

“It was good to see you, Chloe,” Fred says, standing up as I dodge the pizza box pile and make my way to the door. “And, hey.”

I pause in the doorway, my hand on the frame.

“I know Milo isn’t big on talking about feelings, but you should know that he appreciates everything you’re doing for your dad.”

“Did he tell you that?”

Fred shrugs. “He didn’t have to. I can tell.”

My heart aches for a moment, to imagine what it must be like for Milo and Fred, to have another person you can communicate with without even saying a word, a person you can do a puzzle with, side by side, working toward a common goal.

I mean, sure, in a lot of ways that’s what I have with Annie—we’ve always had entire conversations with our facial expressions and a shared history of inside jokes that could fill an encyclopedia. But imagine having that and make-outs, too. It’s almost enough to make a girl consider having an adult relationship.

But then I push that feeling away and smile. “Good luck with the hot air balloons. And thanks for doing this for Milo.”

Fred looks at me with confusion in his eyes. “Doing what?”

“You know.” I point around us, the gesture meant to encompass both the house and the entire city. “Giving up your glamorous city lifestyle to come to the Midwest.”

Fred coughs out a laugh. “Oh wow, is that what you think happened? That I selflessly followed Milo here?”

I nod. “I’ve done a lot of selfless things for Milo.”

“That’s sweet, but no. Milo wanted to be here for you and your dad, and other reasons . . .”

I frown, wondering what Milo’s other reasons could be, but Fred keeps going.

“But I was ready to get out of the city. Like, so ready. I mean, I’m thirty-one, which is basically eighty-five in model years.”