nd. “Eve…” Her name echoes and makes him feel he as a separate entity all the more acutely. “You okay?” “Yeah, I’m just tired.” “You want me to leave?” “No.” Silence…Josh wishes she would turn around. Sometimes it’s like Eve simmer in her own thoughts, they bubble up and around her, totally enveloping her. He doesn’t blame her, of course. If he were Eve he’s lock himself inside her beautiful little world and throw away the key. He imagines that her thoughts must look like Monarch butterflies flapping around her head like a dancing halo of living color. “What’d you eat today?” She makes a weird elephant type sound which indicates that she doesn’t know. “You wouldn’t be so tired if you ate something. You know, like food?” Her skin looks like the face of a drum drawn tight over her rib cage, and the fading sunlight seems especially eager to point this out to Josh. Josh extends both his index fingers making little mallets and with them plunks on her ribs as if they were a xylophone. As he does this he tongue-clicks the intro to “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid. “You’re not funny, moron.” Eve says casually. “Sorry.” Eve twists her body and Josh thinks she is finally going to turn and face him. Instead, she shifts her weight and props her head up against her arm. The story of the princess and the pea flashes through Josh’s mind. Eve eats peas sometimes. “I have rolls on the back of my neck when I turn my head this way.” Eve demonstrates. “They look like sausages.” “I thought everyone had those.” “So you admit I have them, then.” “No. Ignore what I just said.” Smooth. Stupid. “I don’t li...
