I shut the door tight behind me, giving Natalia a wave as she walked with Marco and Lía to the bus stop. As soon as I was in full view of Tabitha, I rolled my shoulders back. Stretched my neck from side to side. I didn’t linger on her long, smooth legs or the tank top she wore, one strap sliding down her shoulder. Her red hair looked messy, and her black eyeliner was smudged.

She raised her large coffee mug, brown eyes flicking to mine. Her pink lips curved into a smile that slammed into me like a goddamn upper cut.

I blinked. Stars, again.

That fiery energy snapped through my veins, every muscle going rigid with anticipation. Last night’s sleep had not been restful. I usually had time to mentally prepare before matches, to scrutinize attacks, counterattacks. To memorize every physical quirk and surprise jab. Instead, I had Tabitha sharing a wall with me. She’d woken up in a warm bed right next door, with wild hair and sleepy eyes, looking like every dirty fantasy I’d ever had.

“Now there’s my favorite son,” Midge called out. Up went a chorus of greetings from the usual crowd. As Eddie stubbed out his cigarette, I noticed that his cat, Pam, was asleep on Tabitha’s lap. “Did you know Tabitha was home for the month and staying at Linda’s place? We were so surprised to see her walking up the street looking pretty as a picture.”

“And she brought us bear claws from her dad’s diner,” Eddie said with a crooked smile of appreciation.

“She’s famous now, you know,” Alice mused. “Did you know there are so many videos of her on the internet, Dean? And on all kinds of websites.”

Tabitha was staring down at Pam, smoothing her hand over her fur. But I spied her shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

I gently took the broom from Alice so she could sit down on the bench. As I swept along the sidewalk, I said, “Is that true? So many websites?”

“You’re making me sound quite salacious, Mrs. O’Callaghan,” Tabitha said, tossing a wink at me. “But I’m not famous, I promise.”

“Just don’t get too fucking fancy for this place,” Eddie grumbled, slurping his coffee. “Pam might not recognize you when you come back.”

“We can’t have that now, can we?” Tabitha said, tapping Pam on the nose. “I’m happy to trade homemade diner fare for hot block gossip any morning that you’d like while I’m home.”

“Deal,” Alice and Eddie said in unison.

“Or secrets about my new neighbor Dean.”

My mothers laughed innocently, but I didn’t take my eyes off that pair of troublemakers. “Secrets, baby pictures, old report cards,” Midge said. “We’d do a lot for a fresh bear claw.”