"Good, we agree on something," Isaac murmurs. "Do you remember the time we went with Ben to the zoo?"
"I didn’t want to, but Ben loved it. He was a kid at heart."
"And you could never say no to him."
Ben? Who’s Ben?I pull out another shard of glass, and this time she flinches, but doesn’t protest.
"He loved the open spaces in this city. It was such a change from New York for him, you know? He was always trying to do new things."
"Remember the ballet class he wanted to try out?" Isaac murmurs.
"I went along with him."
"And I signed up because he dared me to." Isaac winces.
I stare at him. "You joined a ballet class?"
"It was one class." He reddens.
"He was quite good at it, too."
"No, I wasn’t," he protests.
"Aww, don’t be shy now. The teacher called you a natural."
"And that was the last time I ever put on tights." His flush deepens.
A chuckle wells up. "You wore tights?”
"I might even have a picture somewhere." Lena laughs.
"Don’t you dare show it to him, Lena."
"I definitely need to see this." I pluck out the last of the shards from her foot.
She peers up at Isaac with a mischievous look. "If you bring me my phone—"
"No, absolutely not." He scowls down at her. "And if you show him that photo, I swear, I’ll tell him how you laughed so much that time we went to the comedy club that—"
"No, stop. Okay, I won’t show him the picture," Lena interrupts.
"What happened at the comedy club?" I pull out another small piece. I almost missed it.
"She laughed so much that—"
"No, stop." She grips his hand and squeezes it. I glance at it, and a slow burn begins behind my ribcage. Damn, my ulcers are acting up again. Surely, that’s the only reason my stomach feels like it’s eating itself.
Isaac begins to chortle.
Her brow grows thunderous.
"Shut up, Isaac." She glowers at him. He only laughs louder. He leans his chin on her head and chuckles until tears run down his cheek.
"Isaac!" she snaps in a warning voice.
"Fine, okay, I won’t tell him that you laughed so much that you peed your pants!"
"Isaac, really!" She shoves him away. He’s laughing so hard that he sinks down in the bathtub. He holds his middle and guffaws. He cackles so hard that a reluctant smile tugs at her lips. I realize my lips, too, are twitching. I forgot how Isaac laughs with his entire being. Like the mirth wells up from somewhere deep inside and is taking over his entire body.