We were behaving so domestically; I had lent Kael a set of Phillip’s PT clothing from Elodie’s bureau to wear while he washed his sweats and T-shirt in my kitchen laundry. I pushed a pile of my laundry out of his way to make room as he transferred his wet clothes from the washer to the dryer and then went back to my room to put on my jeans and a comfortable baggy sweatshirt. A few minutes later, Kael appeared in my doorway with all my clean clothes, neatly folded, and asked where they should go. I shrugged and motioned to the dresser, and he set them down on top, then followed me into the bathroom. While I brushed my teeth he swished some mouthwash around his mouth, opting for something antiseptic and medicinal in lieu of my minty toothpaste.

Making breakfast together, doing laundry, sharing dental hygiene: This is what people who get married do, I thought to myself. And Kael had even convinced me to go to the mall to fix my laptop. More old-married-couple behavior!

The local mall was crowded, and the parking lot was stressing me out as Kael circled in his giant truck, looking for a space. When he finally found one, he slowly and stealthily parked backward in a tight spot right next to a tall light post.

“I hate malls,” I said, as we walked through the noisy entrance. The ceilings were low, every wall was brown or tan, and the lights were so freaking bright that I wished I had worn a hoodie so I could crawl inside it. There were people everywhere. Kael looked around and turned his face to me.

“Do you want to go back to the car, and I can take care of the laptop?”

I smiled. “How can you be so selfless?”

“It’s no big deal. I know a tech guy who works here at a kiosk. He’s really fast, cheap, and won’t be shady.” Kael dangled his keys as a last offer for me to escape the mall adventure.

I shook my head and kept walking.

He read the doubt on my face. “I’ll do the talking.”

“Yeah?” I asked, hiding my face from him. I’d never had a friend, let alone a boyfriend, who paid this much attention to the way I felt and went out of their way to make my life easier.

Kael didn’t say anything, he just smiled and grabbed my hand. He looked so good, and I was with him. He liked me, he picked me, and that made me feel beyond special. I wished someone from my high school who had made fun of my weight or acne could see me now. Well, I looked like shit still, and Kael was way out of my league. I kept slowing down, looking for a mirror and regretting not having put makeup on before we left.