Читать книгу Are We There Yet? - Дэвид Левитан, David Levithan, Рэйчел Кон - Страница 21

PENELOPE SLEEPS SOUNDLY ON ELIJAH’S SHOULDER. WHICH IS TO say, soundlessly. He doesn’t mind, even though it makes his arm sore. Pins and needles, Elijah thinks, and then he figures that having an arm full of pins and needles would hurt a hell of a lot more than this.

Danny stirs on the other side of him, waking up and turning to Elijah, his eyes unaccustomed to the simulated day. He registers Penelope on Elijah’s shoulder and smiles groggily. It’s not like that, Elijah wants to tell his brother. But he doesn’t want to wake Penelope up.

It’s like comfort, Elijah figures. Being a comfort is itself pretty comforting. Having someone find a place on your shoulder and be able to rest. Not seeing her face, but picturing it from her breath. Like a baby sleeping. Feeling her breath so slightly on his arm. Breathing in time. Comfort.

The quiet times are the ones to hold on to. In the quiet times, Elijah can think of other quiet times. Staring at the ceiling with Cal. Driving home from a concert, the road silent, the music in his head. Sharing a smile – for a moment – with a beautiful stranger passing in a car.

Beside Elijah, Danny shifts in his seat and signals to the flight attendant for another Diet Coke.

Danny would never let a stranger sleep on his shoulder, Elijah thinks. Danny would be afraid of the germs.

He closes his eyes and tries to drift off.