Rags turned and stared at him. “Really?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“But . . . why?”
Ledger stood up and joined her at the window. “Because until today I’d given up hope too. I thought it was a sucker’s game. Now . . . well, now I’m not so sure.”
“Because of me?”
“Sure, kid. Why not?”
“I’m just a kid.”
“So? Who ever said kids can’t change things? Change people. Change minds.” Ledger bent and kissed her on the forehead. “Who knows, you and me—? Maybe we’ll go change the whole world.” He laughed.
And Rags, despite everything, laughed too.
Bones jumped up and pushed between them, offering his head to whoever would pet it. They both did. After a moment, Baskerville joined them.
Only Tom sat apart, still on the couch, still wearing the same sad smile.
“Hope,” he said, tasting the word.
“Hope,” said Ledger, nodding.
“Hope,” agreed Rags.
Above the city, the moon burned as bright as a promise.
And the night, like all nights, passed.
FROM NIX’S JOURNAL
ON DISCOVERING YOUR OWN PATH
(BEFORE FLESH & BONE)
Benny and I fight a lot.
I mean . . . a lot.
We love each other, but we don’t always love everything about each other.
We want to be together, but we don’t want the same things out of life. I know that, and he knows it . . . even if we don’t always talk about it.
If this was a fairy tale, he’d be my Prince Charming and we’d live happily ever after.
If this was one of the epic fantasy stories Benny reads, then I’d be his princess and we’d live happily ever after.
Neither of us are those things. Not to ourselves and not to each other, so . . .
I don’t know if happily ever after is a real thing.
Neither of us know if we’re going to like the people each other becomes.
If so, we’ll have to fall in love again and again as we change.
If not, I think we love each other enough as friends to stay friends.