Archive of Our Own

Miranda was not superstitious. Sure, she didn’t step on cracks or cross under a ladder—but that was never intentional. 

She didn’t do so with the idea she’d get in some magical bad luck if she did. It just could be dangerous. What if you tripped? What if the ladder collapsed? 

Even if, despite everything, you considered that suspicious, Miranda supposed, she certainly, absolutely did not believe in fate. 

She was practical. The idea that some super destiny was out there seemed outrageous. Miranda didn’t spend years studying medicine (something so concrete and real that she could touch it and count it) only to be told that everything was out of her control. 

And focusing on the real was exactly why she crushed her presentation. 

That’s what she told herself, anyway, after bumping into a shorter, stockier gentleman and sent his papers flying. She vaguely recognized him as a meeting attendee. 

Miranda helped him pick up all the pages. She opened her mouth to apologize, but he beat her to it. 

“Oh- oh my god. I’m so sorry. I didn’t look where I was going—“

“No, no! It’s okay,” Miranda did her best to smile reassuringly. “I wasn’t looking either.” 

She picked up the last sheet and handed it to him. Eager to break the awkward silence, Miranda decided to speak up. 

“Uh, nice tie! I have the same one, but it’s, you know, a clip-on,” she said.

“Oh! Thanks, but this definitely is a clip-on.” 

They both laughed for a moment before it trailed off. He adjusted the papers to settle in one arm before holding out the other. 

“I’m Dominic.” 

“Nice to meet you, Dominic. My name’s Miranda.” 

She shook his hand firmly as he blushed slightly. Dominic opened his mouth to say something, but Miranda jerked around as she heard the coworker who came with her drop something and swear from the other room. 

“Oh, geez. I guess that’s my cue. Good luck, uh, getting your papers back in order.” 

“Pharma-see ya later!” 

Miranda stared at him blankly for a moment before snorting. He blushed even harder in response to her giggle that followed. He gave a stiff wave before leaving. 

Her giggle turned into a full laugh, though, as she heard him slap his forehead all the way from down the hall. 

Hours later, Miranda kicked off her shoes and flopped on her bed. Just on cue, as with every Wednesday at 8 p.m., her phone began to ring. 

She rubbed her face as if to wipe off the exhaustion before picking up. 

“Hey, Mom.”  

The conversation went as it usually did, with her mom filling Miranda in about her day-to-day life as an empty-nester and then waiting to hear about Miranda’s day. 

Miranda’s day was usually about the same: wake up, fill prescriptions, shower, go to bed. Repeat. Honestly, it was one of the things Miranda liked most about her job. There were some fluke days, sure, but the routine was comfortable. Everything was in its place, and she made sure it was that way. 

Except it was one of those fluke days. Instead of that stressing her out as it usually would, Miranda grinned into the receiver of this phone. 

“My day was pretty good, actually! Get this, I literally ran into this guy--” She told her mom the story, but she began to laugh too hard to actually repeat the joke. 

After about two minutes of Miranda trying to collect herself, she finally delivered the punchline of Dominic’s farewell. 

Her mom gave a brief courtesy laugh before clearing her throat. 

“Honey, that’s great! This Dominic guy sounds...fun. Did you get his number?” 

Miranda’s laughing died down entirely. 

“Oh, uh. No, I forgot.” 

“Miranda, we talked about this. You gotta put yourself out there again. Do you know his last name or anything? Could you add him on, I don’t know, Facebook?” 

“Oh...no. We were both pretty busy, Mom. We were both working.” 

“That’s not an excuse. You said the same thing after school once things ended with Carter, remember? What if you were meant to be with this guy, but you were so focused on work, that--” 

“Oops, I think I heard something fall in the bathroom. Gotta go. Love you, Mom.” 

“Mira-” 

“Bye!” 

Her mom sighed. “Bye, sweetheart. Take care.” 

Miranda hung up and stared at the ceiling. It was a pet peeve when her mom began playing the “college guilt” or “Carter” card. School was eventful enough. She deserved normalcy. She deserved a moment to breathe. 

Miranda took a deep breath before forcing herself to get up. And her mom implying that running into some random guy with a good sense of humor was fate? That it was meant to be? 

That’s just absurd. 

Everything was a series of coincidences if even that. 

As Miranda got ready to shower, she accepted that she’d never see Dominic again. 

And that was fine. Her mom would just have to accept that. 

After all, Miranda had work tomorrow.

--- 

“Hi! How can I be of service to you today?”

“...Miranda?” 

She blinked in surprise before turning her full attention to the customer. 

“Oh, it’s you! It’s Dominic, right?” 

He relaxed a bit. 

“Yeah! You can call me Dom, though.” 

“Well, what can I do for ya, Dom?” 

“I’m here to pick up a prescription refill. I, uh, changed to this pharmacy recently.” 

She quickly got him the prescription and checked him out without putting in much thought. She didn’t put in much thought when she got the order to refill his prescription again a few months later, with the same relatively low pill count. 

In fact, Miranda began to cherish when Dom stopped by, however brief. He made her laugh and even stopped by when he happened to be in the area.  

It was a nice sentiment. 

Keyword: sentiment. Not fate. There was conscious thought involved. 

Miranda stopped counting how many times Dom came in and instead focused on how excited she’d be to talk to him next. 

—-

It was mindless until it wasn’t. 

Dom came in and, for once, he didn’t walk in with the sheepish grin she came to associate him with. He instead seemed…embarrassed. 

“Oh! Dom. How are you today?” 

“I…”  He trailed off, suddenly unable to find the words he was looking for. 

“What’s wrong?” Miranda asked immediately. He flushed slightly.  

“My...car won’t start. Someone helped me jump it, but it’s not the battery. Do you have a phone I can use to call a tow?”

“I can call my roadside assistance company,” she offered.”That might end up being cheaper. I just have to wait until my break to call. Would that be alright?”

“That’d be great.” Dom still seemed more upset than anything. 

“They might not be able to pick you up, though. I can drop you off after my shift. Cars are a pain in the ass, right?” 

He looked away. 

“Dom, what’s wrong?” 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean we’ve been talking some time now.” Miranda crossed her arms. “I’d like to think we’re friends. Is it just the car? It doesn’t really seem like it’s just the car, even though those can get so expensive, especially if—“ 

“It’s not the car,” Dom said. “Or, well. Not just the car, I guess.” 

“Oh?” 

“Miranda, it’s dumb , that’s the thing. It’s me being stupid. This isn’t my closest pharmacy.” 

She unfolded her arms and looked at him in puzzlement. 

“Then why would you-“ 

“I wanted to talk to you again.” He was redder than he’d ever seen her. She vaguely wondered if he needed to have his blood pressure checked. 

“I wanted to see you, and I happened to be going to my GP. So I...requested a smaller refill size and changed my pharmacy to the one on the other side of town. My car was already ancient, and I killed it because I was being impulsive.  Now I don’t know how I’m going to get to work tomorrow and it’s because I wanted to talk to a girl I met once. And the one day I forgot my phone at home…” 

He just shook his head before rubbing at his arms. 

“I like you, Miranda. I’m sorry for not telling you the whole truth. You’ve been a good friend.” 

Miranda looked at him blankly. There were dozens of possibilities of what she could say, and none felt quite right. 

There was this strange sting to it, too. She wasn’t sure why it hurt for him to have fabricated that it was closer. If that was the case, would it make their friendship more genuine? Or is it enough that he went out of his way to talk to her? Where was that balance, and which was more important?

Dom was tracing the tiles on the floor with his eyes, desperate not to look at her. 

Miranda sighed. 

“Okay. You might want to have a seat. It’s not too long until my break, so I can call for the tow truck, but I won’t have time to drive you back until later. My shift’s over in a few hours.”

“You’re not upset with me?”

“I’m not gonna lie, it kinda sucks, Dom.” He cringed slightly at that. “ But , I meant what I said earlier. You’re a friend of mine. I like to think you’d do the same.” 

“I would.” Dom finally relaxed slightly. “Thanks.”

The rest of the shift went fine, Miranda supposed. Dom sat in the waiting room and didn’t look up at her at all. He looked like a scolded child. 

He left briefly when the tow truck arrived and took his car away, and then sat right back down. 

The car ride was almost silent. 

Dom fidgeted in the passenger seat as Miranda tried to relax. She could cut the tension with a knife and it was going to kill her before—well, she chided herself mentally. Statistically, she’d die in her seventies of old age or illness. 

But either way, she was uncomfortable now and she'd be damned if she didn't try and fix it. 

“So...what did they say it was? Do they know?”

Dom jumped slightly. “Oh! It was, uh, my starter. It went out.”

“That’s a pain.” 

“Yeah.” He turned to face her. “The car had a ton of miles, so I’m sure it was about time.”

“Well, here’s hoping for a quick fix, right? You said you need it for work?”

“Yeah, Cody takes the bus.”

“And Cody is…?”

Truth be told, Miranda remembered. Of course, she did. Whenever Dom mentioned his son, he lit up like he thought Cody hung the moon. 

Sure enough, Dom immediately grinned. 

“Oh! He’s my son. He’s with his best friend today, so he shouldn’t be back until later. But I don’t like being without my phone. What if something happens, you know? I can’t believe I forgot it—Wait, I did tell you I had a son right?”

“That’s right! I guess I just forgot his name. What school does he go to?”

Miranda kept asking small questions the whole way back, pausing only to listen to her phone navigate. The plan worked. Dom slowly but surely began talking more animatedly, once again becoming her friend from the pharmaceutical aisles. A weight lifted off her chest to see some of the storminess leave his gaze. 

She was surprised at how fast the drive went by. Dom’s mood had entirely lifted, though, and he practically jumped out of her truck. 

Miranda smiled seeing his spirits lifted and grabbed the clutch of her car, ready to pull out of the driveway. 

On his way to the door, Dom seemed to realize something. He ran back over and motioned for Miranda to roll down her window. 

“Hey, this really, really did mean a lot to me. Could I take you out to dinner as a thank you?” 

“Uh-“

“I swear to god it has the best Chinese food I’ve ever eaten.” 

Miranda tightened her grip on the shift, suddenly feeling somewhat nauseous. 

“Is it like… a date?” 

“Only if you want it to be.” Dom’s ears tinted red a bit but he kept going. “I just want to hang out with you when you’re not refilling my meds, but it’s absolutely no big deal if—“

“That sounds fun.” Miranda forced another smile, mind at a terrifying halt. “I think hanging out would be nice.” 

“Okay! I’ll, uh, text you the details! You know, now that I have my phone again and everything” He glanced past her car to look at the neighbors’ house, seeing the cars in the driveway. “Thank you again, so, so much.”

“I’m glad I was able to help. I gotta go, but I’ll talk to you later, Dom.”  

Some more tension seemed to leave his shoulders. 

“...See you later, Miranda.”

—

A week later, Miranda tried to find a parking spot in a lot that had more cracks than asphalt. 

Her car jolted with every bump it ran across until it slowed to a stop in what she assumed was a parking space. The paint had long since faded, though it seemed this part of town was quiet enough it wouldn’t really matter. 

The restaurant seemed welcoming, a faint orange glow from the interior lights behind the blinds. Miranda adjusted her jacket, trying to gather the confidence to walk in. 

She turned around and sighed in relief as she saw Dom’s car parked toward the front. Some movement occurred from inside, and Miranda had to stifle a laugh as she realized he was waiting in the front seat. 

Miranda bent over and knocked on the passenger seat’s window. Dom jumped and whatever papers he was holding scattered across his car. 

As soon as he realized who it was, he immediately grinned and rolled down the window. 

“You came!” 

“Of course I did,” Miranda said between laughs. “Did you think I wouldn’t?” 

The same look flashed in his eyes for just a moment at the thought before he forced another smile. 

“I’m just happy you’re here,” Dom said. He rolled up the window and stepped out of the car, tugging down his button-up shirt. 

Miranda’s face flushed slightly at the sight but decided not to dwell on it. 

“Ready to go in?” She asked.

“I’d like nothing more.” 

The two walked in together, Miranda holding open the door. Dom nodded in appreciation before walking in. 

Miranda wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it wasn’t for the whole restaurant to cheer as soon as he walked in. 

She blinked in surprise as the waiter upfront waved them over.

“Dom!” The server beamed. 

Miranda went up but was met by a sheepish smile from the server. 

“I’m sorry, ma’am, I’ll be with you in just one moment,” they said. “I’ll be with you as soon as possible, I promise.” 

They went over and grabbed a couple of doggy bags of food. 

“Dom, we got this ready for pick-up a bit ago. There’s one for you, and one for Cody.”

“Oh-“

“And we added extra napkins again, after the incident in January.”

“Actually-“

“And a couple of extra fortune cookies, because Cody’s friend likes to take them.” 

“I’m here to dine in!”

The whole restaurant went silent. All chatter ceased. Miranda turned away, unsure how to react to the sudden shift. 

“Oh, oh my god, Mr. Dominic— I’m so sorry. We shouldn’t have-are you sure? What’s the occasion? Did we do something wrong with the last order? I knew the ginger-“ 

“The new ginger sauce was great,” Dom smiled reassuringly. “And it’s still just Dom, Denver. I just really wanted to take my friend here to try it!” 

 He gestured to Miranda as if trying to hype her appearance up. 

“I thought she should try the best stir-fry I’ve ever had in my life.” 

The server—Denver, Miranda guessed—sighed in relief and laughed. 

“That’s very kind of you,” they said. “I’ll send back the food—“

“That’s alright! I’ll still take Cody’s for later. Don’t worry about mine either. This is perfect.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Of course.”

Denver smiled again, this time much softer in their relief. 

“Table for two then?” 

—-

The dinner was good. Miranda agreed with him that it was the best she had in a long time. 

The rest, she was loathe to admit, she couldn’t remember perfectly. The whole dinner seemed to go by much more quickly than she anticipated. 

( Years later, Miranda was still angry that she didn’t take more time to remember all the details. They were both younger—and she had been so guarded that her reaction only made sense. But still...)  

“-And that’s how I removed Cody’s best friend from a mailbox. Uh, in a questionably legal manner. So don’t...tell…?”

She wasn’t sure if it was the outlandish nature of the story, or how his enthusiastic storytelling ended with the same sheepish grin. 

It didn’t matter, though, because Miranda laughed so hard her drink came out of her nose. 

That, in turn, caused him to laugh. 

( “I’m pretty sure I told the story about the petting zoo,” Dom later corrected. Miranda shook her head.)

( “The petting zoo was a different time. I was there for that one,” she responded. “ I was the one that called the fire department when the goat didn’t back off.”) 

Cody’s food was cold by the time they were done talking. So was Miranda’s. And, despite how good it was, the food lay completely forgotten. 

She took her check and he took his. As Miranda signed her name toward the bottom of the receipt, she froze. 

Dom made her laugh. He was honest, and not in the “technically-correct” field Carter played in. Dom, as far as Miranda could tell, was genuine. Was it cruel then to think it through this much? To treat him as part of an equation? Or was it better to spend time thinking it through, taking time to understand her full intentions and all the consequences of—

“-randa?” 

“Hmm?” Miranda blinked back to reality and quickly set down the pen. 

“Are you ready to go?” He had grabbed Cody’s food. 

“Yeah. I guess so.” Miranda grabbed her purse and stood up, still trying to process. Honestly? It was the best time she had in a while. That was probably pretty sad, but she was happy it was with Dom. 

The two walked out quietly, Miranda awkwardly shuffling to the front to hold open the door again.

They hesitated outside before Dom spoke up. 

“Well, did you like it?”

“Yeah! You were right. And, uh…” 

She swallowed her fear and chose without thinking. 

“Thank you, Dom. For the, um, date.” 

Even though it was probably only a twenty-second pause, Miranda’s face felt like it was on fire. 

“...It was a date?”

“Only if you want it to be.” She forced a smile as she tried to read his expression. His face immediately reddened, starting at the ears. 

“I think dating would be nice,” he responded. 

Miranda grinned, letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She bent down to kiss his cheek before taking a step back and toward her car. The stubble left a scratchy feeling on her lips. 

“Next time I’m choosing! And don’t misplace your phone again, because I’ll text you the details.” 

She turned around and sped-walked back to her car so she didn’t embarrass herself more. 

( She found out later that Dom was still holding the cheek she kissed as she peeled out of the parking lot. ) 

—-

“You’re dating again?” 

Miranda’s mother sounded tinny over the phone. Miranda made a mental note to get the WiFi fixed. 

“Uh, I guess! It’s really only been a few dates, Mom.” 

“That’s fantastic! Oh, Miranda. I’m so happy to hear that.”

“Heh, yeah.” Miranda fidgeted her hands as she focused on the floor. 

“And you said it’s the guy from your meeting?” 

“Yeah…” Miranda swallowed and flopped backward in her bed. “Hey, Mom?”

“Yes?”

“Please don’t tell Dad.” 

The other end of the phone was silent. 

“Miranda, he’s your father. I tell him everything.” 

“I know that,” Miranda responded slowly, choosing her words carefully. 

“But I need you to respect me as an adult and as your daughter. After—“ She took a deep breath.

”—After Carter , I am not comfortable talking to him about this. He made clear how he feels. I’ll talk to him if the relationship becomes serious.” 

Her mother didn’t respond. Miranda trailed her eyes over the patterns in the ceiling, trying not to count the seconds of silence. Before she could make the resolve to avoid her mother if need be, she responded. 

“Okay.” Miranda’s mother sighed. “Fine. But he is your dad, so you do need to tell him. I can’t promise anything won’t slip if you take too long.”

—-

(That night, enamel be damned, Miranda spent twelve minutes brushing her teeth trying to get the horrible bitter taste out of her mouth from saying her ex-fiancé’s name.) 

—-

Miranda was not superstitious. 

But, as it turned out, Cody was. 

She tried to keep up. It was strange, to say the least, to talk to a child. No— a teenager , she mentally corrected herself. He’d hate being called a child. Probably. Teenagers do, right?

Regardless, Miranda knew she wasn’t going to have kids due to...a few reasons at this point. But it never was because she didn’t like them. Years of not talking to them, though, put her a bit out of practice. 

“Nice to meet you. I’m Miranda.” She held out her hand for him to shake. 

“Cody.” He shook her hand and... Were kids—no, teenagers— always this small? Damn. Miranda was almost positive she was taller than him at his age. 

The two sat back down in the coffee shop, Miranda mentally tracking where Dom was in line. 

She had been avoiding either meeting at his house or letting him drop her off at her apartment. It wasn’t that Miranda didn’t trust Dom, but she craved any feeling of safety she could get. And Dom never questioned her or pushed the issue. 

He was somewhat insistent, though, that she met Cody. It was strange to see the teen she heard story after story about. 

Miranda looked back over her shoulder to look at Dom again. He caught her eye and grinned, giving her a thumbs up. She rolled her eyes, unable to stop herself from smiling back. 

She turned back to Cody, sitting down and gesturing for him to do the same. 

The two sat for a second. It seemed like Dom would take a moment and Miranda wanted to kill any awkward silence before it arrived. 

“So,” she scooted her chair forward. “Dom said you had a video channel?”

 “Oh, yeah! My best friend and I have a paranormal investigation channel.” 

“Neat! I have to ask, though. Do you believe in ghosts?”

“Well, yeah!” Cody laughed awkwardly. “The universe is really, really big. The idea of nothing happening after this, with all the strange and unknown things that happen all the time—it just doesn’t seem likely.”

“Huh.” Miranda quickly looked back at Dom out of the corner of his eye. It looked like he was almost done ordering. 

“What about you?” 

Miranda’s stomach dropped slightly. She looked at Cody for a second, not wanting to tear him down but certainly not wanting to lie. 

“...No. I don’t believe in them.” She tended immediately when she saw Cody’s posture deflate slightly. “It’s not—I’m not saying you’re wrong! You make a strong argument. But if I choose to believe in ghosts, that means my job has some strong repercussions that I’m not sure I want to process.” 

“Oh. I guess that makes sense.” 

Miranda cleared her throat, trying to pretend her face wasn’t burning in embarrassment from the little bit of an outburst. 

“Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to ramble. I really do think it’s neat. What is the channel name?” 

He seemed to light back up at the question and she had to refrain from sighing in relief. Take that. And she was worried she was out of practice!

“It’s MiCoVerse.” 

“How’s that spelled?”

“Well, it’s ‘M-I,’ short for Milo and ‘C-O’ for Cody. And, uh. Verse.” 

“I’ll have to check it out then.” 

Cody smiled in response as Miranda wracked her brain to try and remember where she heard that name before. Milo...Milo…

“Oh! Is Milo your friend that almost completed the milk chugging contest?” 

“Yes.”

“Isn’t he also horribly lactose intolerant?” 

Cody laughed. 

“Yeah, that’s Milo. He thought he could finish before his body caught up to him and then post it for clout. He...did not make it.” 

“He sounds like a riot.” Miranda smiled. 

“What are you guys talking about?” 

Miranda jumped slightly before settling. 

“Hey, Dom. I was just asking Cody about MiCoVerse.” 

“He and Milo both put a lot of work into it. I don’t mean to brag, but my son’s channel is pret-ty cool.”

“Dad!” 

“I’ve watched a handful, and it really is worth checking out.” Dom took the cups out of the carrier, trying to be as careful as possible as not to spill. “Cody, hot chocolate. Miranda, as you requested, a black coffee with sugar.” 

“What did you get?” Miranda asked. 

“Oh, the, uh, caramel latte. It looked pretty good on the menu.” Dom took a sip before cringing. “Ack! Hot-okay, that was a bad idea.”

Miranda snorted before taking her coffee and blowing on it. 

The three sat talking for a while, Miranda asking Cody questions about school, MiCoVerse, Milo—anything that could come to mind. 

Underneath the table, she held Dom’s hand. His palms were wider than hers. Her fingers were significantly longer and thinner than his. However, as much as Miranda tried to ignore it, they seemed to fit in an imperfectly perfect manner, like two odd puzzle pieces that just happened to line up.

It was nice. 

—-

“Miranda? What is it? Is everything okay?” Dom yawned and furiously tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. “It’s two in the morning.”

“Oh, shoot. Sorry, I thought it was earlier in the evening.” 

“It’s no problem.” Dom sat up slightly, tiredly smiling into the receiver. “What’s up?” 

“I was watching some of the MiCoVerse videos, and I had some questions.” There was the sound of pages flipping on the other line. Dom’s brows furrowed in confusion before realizing she had been taking notes. 

“Like, how does the technology work? How has it been proven? What’s ‘clout?’ How often do they go to a haunted house and—hell, Dom, what makes a haunted house? Do they film at every location they go to, or only if there’s enough activity?” 

“...They do a pretty good job, don’t they?” 

The other side was silent for a moment before Miranda sighed. 

“They really do.”

—-

(In college, Miranda Kearney was on the medical track. 

So far, it was going well. She had a couple of basic biology classes that she aced, despite the larger class size, and she looked forward to bio classes more suited to her niche in the future. But, naturally, she couldn’t stick to just science. The looming threat of electives remained. 

After doing some digging, Miranda Kearney decided to take a class on Ancient Rome to fill a humanities credit. She agreed to it with her fingers crossed, hoping for an opportunity to make fun of Pliny the Elder.

It turned out to be more intertwined with mythology than she thought. She had hoped for more infrastructure discussion, but this was fine. The class went well. It was surface level, after all. 

One of the readings about Cupid (and Psyche) stuck with her, though. And not in a positive way. 

The idea of an arrow, something that would take control, change whatever your future was, and instead make you fall for someone, was—well. That’s where Miranda Kearney wasn’t sure. Was it dumb? Or scary? Both? She worked so long and so hard to get where she was today and had no plans of stopping. Regardless, the thought persisted and tormented her, reminding her of what she considered to be the worst option. Was something deep down in her wanting it to be that easy?

The personal crisis didn’t last long.  After all, the final project was a presentation. She finally was able to discuss Pliny the Elder’s Natural History and the modern ramifications of said work. At least she’d get a class reaction from the strange and often dangerous medical suggestions Pliny proposed. She received a perfect score. 

Her professor said she’d love to see what amazing things Kearney would do someday. 

In medical school, Pliny came up again. It was a one-off mention from the professor, asking the class if they heard of him. Miranda Kearney raised her hand, but someone beat her to it.

The teacher thanked Carter for his answer—and Carter said Pliny died in Pompeii! Ha. It was much more likely to be a heart attack, despite what Pliny’s nephew said. 

Regardless, they made eye contact as Miranda Kearney dropped her hand. Sparks of a [once] friendly rivalry began.) 

—-

“Hey, Dom?” 

“Yeah?” 

“When’s the last time you turned on your oven?” 

Miranda pulled her head out of the stove and stretched a bit, back aching with disagreement from trying to find the source of her culinary crisis. 

She looked across Dom’s kitchen.

“Uh…” 

“Dom, I care about you from the bottom of my heart so please don’t take this the wrong way, but have you ever used it?”

“Yes. I know for sure I’ve used the top part a handful of times, I think—“

“One of the burners?” 

“Yes! And I think I’ve used the actual over before. I know for sure once or twice for reheating.”

“Do you know when the last time that was?” 

“No idea.” 

“Well,” Miranda sighed. “I wanted to make you guys something tonight, but I don’t think that’s going to work.” 

She closed the oven and leaned against it. 

“I think your igniter’s out. It won’t turn on,” she continued. “It’s a shame you don’t use this kitchen, really. It’s pretty nice.” 

“And here I thought you were dating me for my good looks and dashing personality,” Dom responded. 

Miranda laughed dryly, knowing the sarcasm in his tone wasn’t at her expense. She walked back across the kitchen and kissed him gently. 

“Of course I am dating you for your good looks and dashing personality,” she smiled. “The kitchen’s a bonus.” 

It was Dom’s turn to laugh now, and Miranda smiled harder at the sight. 

“Does that mean I should order carry-out?” 

“You wish. This makes things trickier, but I’m still going to find a way to cook for you both to make sure you guys are eating healthy.” She set her hands on Dom’s shoulders. “That’s a threat.” 

“Well, consider the threat received.” Dom chuckled. “I love you, and I’m sure whatever you come up with will be perfect, even if the oven’s broken. Thank you for cooking for us.”

It wasn’t the first time he said it, those three words. It was kind of him to embed it in, too, so she didn’t have to respond. But every time she tried to gather the courage for the proper response, the horror of being exposed—of falling too hard before something terrible occurred, as it does, leaving her alone again— haunted her. If she said it, it became real. And the real has consequences that she didn’t understand nor want to.

Right then was nice. The future was terrifying. 

So, instead, she said: 

“If you order the part, I’ll install it as soon as it comes in.” 

with every word dripping with an affection only associated with the phrase not-to-be-named. An unspoken promise of ‘I’ll be there.’

She kissed the top of Dom’s head. He turned red anyway, knowing what she meant. 

Miranda got to work, scavenging the kitchen to see what she could use to prepare something that at least had the chance of not sitting under a heat lamp.

—-

(Years after college, Miranda had a presentation. She ended up bumping into someone after—someone who was kind and made her laugh. 

“Nice to meet you, Dominic. My name’s Miranda,” she had said. 

Some immature part of her tried not to remember it, but she received a paper cut when she helped him scoop up the papers. It had been innocuous, neatly wrapped up with a bandaid as a precaution after helping her co-worker. It was a coincidence, a careless accident as she had been so focused on the conversation she hardly even noticed. But by all means, she had been struck. 

And this time? 

She would only be Miranda.) 

—-

“Hey, Cody? What’s the difference between ‘stan’ and ‘kin?’” 

Cody was quiet for a moment, trying to think it through. 

“That’s...kind of a tricky question? But, uh, I can give an example, I guess! It’s like how Milo is kin with Sharkboy from the critically-acclaimed 2005 movie The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl—“ 

“Rude!” Milo turned red and elbowed him, causing Cody to burst out laughing. 

“Sorry, sorry- I just-I saw the opportunity—“ 

“Ah.” Miranda nodded as the two dissolved into more laughter. “No, no. I see what you mean.” 

Many hours later, Dom got a text in the middle of the night. He cleared the sleep from his eyes and saw it was, in fact, his girlfriend. 

Mira <3: Sharkboy and Lavagirl is NOT critically acclaimed! 

Dom just chuckled, careful not to reply just yet. She’d be worried if she knew he was still up. So, instead, he came up with a million different ways to respond in his head, ready to reply as soon as the clock hit an appropriate time. 

—-

(Miranda had gone to get drinks with her work friends. It had been a quiet evening, full of idle chatter and laughter when Miranda suddenly felt a familiar tickle in her nose. 

She turned and sneezed in her elbow, getting the attention of the group she was with. She raised a hand to brush it off but sneezed again.

“Uh oh, Miranda.” One of them said in a teasing tone. “Someone’s thinking about you.” 

“Yeah, yeah” is what Miranda wanted to say. Instead, she got half the first syllable out before sneezing a third time. 

The person who totally called her out and called attention to it got a tissue out of their purse and handed it to her. The rest of the table had burst into giggles. 

Miranda rubbed her nose a couple of times before rolling her eyes. 

“It’s nothing. Just dusty in here.” 

“Is Dusty the name of the guy that came to the pharmacy to see you all the time?” 

That did it. The giggles turned into full-blown laughter as Miranda blushed and took a sip of her drink.) 

—-

Dominic Bridges was hurting.  

Miranda was sure of it. 

The pain had clearly been there since before they had even met. 

Well, ‘clearly’ wasn’t quite right. There were some things that, if she hadn’t known what to look for, and later gotten to know him for that matter, she probably wouldn’t have noticed. 

It was made all the trickier by the ways he presented himself. At times, he was a father doing his best. Others, a goofball, or a hard worker, or— the list goes on and on. 

They weren’t mutually exclusive, and that notion includes whatever caused Dom hurt. 

It wasn’t her place to demand an explanation. It wasn’t her place to ‘fix’ him, but she tried her best to help him however she could. He hadn’t told her much—not yet. To be fair, she hadn’t told him much, either. 

These things take time, Miranda reminded herself. Healing takes time. 

That’s what she told herself as she walked back into the living room, holding a cup of coffee for each of them. 

He was facing away from her and to the wall. Miranda’s stomach dropped. 

“Dom?”

He turned to face her and forced a shaky smile. Tears were sloppily trailing down his cheeks. 

“Hey.” His voice sounded hoarse. 

Miranda set the coffees down and went to join him on the couch. 

He swallowed and opened his mouth to say something, but it died before it could come out. Dom shook his head and clamped one hand over his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut and trying desperately to stop crying. 

He shook his head again and wiped his face. 

“I’m sorry, Mira. I-“

It was Miranda’s turn to shake her head.

“Come here,” she said quietly. 

She held her arms out and Dom hesitantly accepted the hug. Miranda hugged him tightly and he slowly wrapped his arms around her. 

“Sorry. This is-it’s dumb, really.” 

She only hugged tighter and buried her face into his shoulder. 

Sure enough, there was a gasp, and then Dom let out a broken sob as he melted into her grip. 

“I’m sorry-!” 

Trying to hold it back was like trying to stop a dam from erupting. He wailed, covering his face with his hands. 

Miranda resisted their urge to hold him closer, digging her nails into his shirt and squeezing so tightly his pain had no choice but to be forced out of him. Like a balloon. Or a tube of toothpaste. Instead, Miranda loosened her grip slightly as he began to struggle to catch his cries up with much-needed breath. He dropped his hands in turn, letting the tears cascade freely. 

After a moment, she pulled back slightly so her face was no longer in his shoulder, allowing him the opportunity to gasp for air easier between sobs. It began to trail off slightly in turn. 

Don laughed shakily as his hands went back to his face, nails slightly digging into the skin of his cheeks. 

“I never wanted you to see me like this.”  

Miranda simply shook her head, unsure what to say. So she sat there, cradling his head—kissing the top more than once, running her thin fingers through his hair—trying to reassure him without killing whatever catharsis he needed. 

And eventually, the cries slowed to a stop. 

Dom fell into a light sleep with his head in Miranda’s lap. Her fingers gently ran through his shaggy hair, brushing it out of his face as she thought. She couldn’t ‘fix’ him.  That wasn’t her job and that couldn’t be healthy for either of them. He wasn’t a charity case and neither was she. But she could intervene and help in any (rational) way she could. For now, she wouldn’t move. It seemed like he hadn’t gotten any sleep for some time and this may be her best opportunity to make sure he gets some kind of rest. 

Another part of her wondered who the apologies he spouted out were for. Some were for her, but the others?

The two cups of coffee went cold. 

—-

“How’s the book?”

Cody jumped slightly but relaxed as he realized it was only Miranda. She sat in the chair near himself and sighed in relief, knees aching after a full shift. However, the tired smile didn’t leave her face. 

“It’s good!” Cody lowered it slightly to smile at Miranda. “I won’t spoil anything, but there was a twist that I did not see coming.”

“I don’t want to spoil either, but I think it gets even better by the ending.” Miranda’s grin grew larger and more mysterious. “It sets up well for the next book.”

“Oh?”

“Yep.” She leaned her head into her fist. “I can lend the next one to you if you want. I have it in my apartment.” 

“Really?” Cody shut the book and beamed at Miranda. “Are you serious?” 

“About as serious as when Marcus—“

“No spoilers!”

—-

Dom was hurt. 

It was minor, the doctor reassured her. He’d fallen down the stairs. 

He went crashing down, hitting his head and losing consciousness for a moment. The worst of the injuries was a relatively mild fracture in his ankle.  

It happened right as Cody was coming home from school. Dom was going downstairs to greet him. 

Cody heard the commotion, found his dad unconscious, and called for help. 

Their neighbors — Milo, as well as his dads, Dan and Jake, she remembered — were already there. 

Miranda had her phone off during work. She came right over, but it still wasn’t fast enough. 

Dom was hurt, and she didn’t even know. She reviewed the details back and forth, rolling them around in her head until she could hardly remember if the ankle injury came before or after he fell. 

He was fine. A bit banged up, but fine. She’d tell herself that a million times. 

Miranda got to the hospital still in her stupid work clothes. 

He’s fine. 

She smacked her steering wheel and yelled, scrubbing at her face in an attempt to cool off and focus. 

He’s fine and so is she. 

Miranda ran a hand through her hair as she made her way in. She’d let the neighbor crew know she was on her way immediately, maybe breaking a few traffic laws to get there sooner. 

It was sort of a relief to see Cody first, even though she nearly speed-walked past him in his haste. They came down to see her, step out and grab dinner so Miranda could have just a moment alone with Dom. 

“Cody!”  Miranda skidded to a stop so hard she nearly lost her balance. 

“Miranda?”

She had the brief, odd urge to hug him but shook it off. He was just. So young, and that had to be terrifying. So, instead, she clapped a hand over his shoulder and gently squeezed, slightly bending down to get closer to his height. 

Miranda looked around before spotting Dom’s neighbors and giving a polite wave. 

Her attention immediately turned back to Dom’s son. 

“Are you okay?” She asked. 

“Me?” Cody asked. “Of-of course I’m fine. It’s Dad that—“ 

“I heard. I came as soon as my shift ended. I’m going to go up and see him now.” Miranda said. “But you found him and called for help. Are you okay?” 

Cody opened his mouth and closed it before nodding. 

He hesitated before continuing. 

“I was just-he was bleeding a lot. It was scary. But I’m fine.” 

“He was bleeding?!” 

It was the wrong thing to say and Miranda closed her mouth so hard after her teeth clicked. 

Cody paled a bit in response, grabbing the arm that was still on his shoulder. 

“Wait, that was bad? That’s what I thought, but the doctor said—“ He looked up at her with a look she hadn’t seen on his face before. She was worried he may cry. 

Instead, he shook his head. 

“Miranda, my dad will be okay, right?” 

She looked at him for a minute, pausing from jumping right to an ‘of course.’ Truthfully, the answer was, no, she didn’t think so. Cold coffee came to mind. 

But his injuries didn’t sound that bad based on the phone call. Just scary. And as much as she wanted to brush it off, telling Cody it was all fine so he didn’t have to worry about it, Miranda had to remind herself he wasn’t as small as he seemed. He was a teenager. He deserved to be treated like one. 

“It didn’t sound like his injuries were that bad based on when I talked to the doctor,” Miranda answered truthfully. “Head injuries can bleed a lot. He probably nicked his head on the way down. I’m not going to promise you anything because the human body is messy as hell, but all things considered, I’m sure he’ll heal up fine. He’s probably just here still as a precaution.” 

Cody nodded and lifted his glasses to rub at his eyes for a second. Miranda’s stomach dropped a bit, wondering if that was too much. 

But instead, he smiled. 

“Thanks. Good to know.” 

“Go get some food, all right? I’ll keep you updated.” 

Cody nodded and Miranda stood back up, back twinging in protest. 

She made eye contact with Dan, and waved again, taking another step to the first step. 

“Thank you! I’ll see you fellas in a little bit, yeah?” Miranda called out to them. 

“Sounds like a plan,” Dan replied. 

She didn’t wait to see them out the door as she rushed to get Dom’s room information. If they were keeping records, Miranda was sure she’d broken some kind of hospital speed-walking record (with life-or-death emergencies and, like, someone flatlining obviously exempt). 

So, needless to say, it was more jarring than anything — to worry so much — to see Dom looking more embarrassed than anything else. His ankle was elevated. There was a small bandage to cover where she assumed the cut was on the back of his head. He jumped a little and cringed as soon as he noticed her standing in the doorway. 

“Oh, uh, hey, Mira.” 

She just stared at him. Her brain wasn’t providing anything to say. That felt weird. She always had something to say to him. 

“It’s not as bad as it looks! I, uh, would have texted you, but my phone was in my back pocket when I fell. It….kind of snapped in half.” 

She believed that. She only texted him a couple of times after finding out; she assumed he’d let her know. It didn’t make her feel better or less anxious, but she figured something like that was the case. 

Instead, her eyes narrowed as she focused on his face. Fluorescent light can sometimes exaggerate things, and he did have a long day, but… 

“You--” Miranda’s voice cracked. She cleared her throat before continuing. “You haven’t been sleeping.” 

It wasn’t a question, and Dom winced a little. Miranda walked closer, pulling the chair closest to the bed even closer. 

“I had to pick up a few extra shifts --” 

“When’s the last time you slept?”

The room was quiet for a moment. Miranda was shocked she could get it all out so evenly. She sat down, her legs shaking even though she was reassured he was safe. 

He tried to make eye contact with her but looked away. His silence said enough. 

“Cody was worried.” It was a cheap shot, she knew. “I was, too.” 

Miranda was suddenly very self-conscious about what to do with her hands. She wanted to hold his hand, but it didn’t feel right. It felt wrong to clasp them together and leave them in her lap. So, instead, she played with the hem of her shirt. 

“I’m sorry.” His voice was dripping with sincerity. She knew he meant it because that’s how Dom was. Is. 

“I know.” She cleared her throat. “I- Dom, you mean so much to us. I wish you spent as much time worrying about yourself as you do about Cody, about me. I just—“ 

Miranda felt her face flushing. The words weren’t coming out right. 

“You’re important, too,” she finished. 

The room was quiet for a moment. They didn’t meet each other’s eyes. 

“I don’t know.” Dom finally said. 

“What?” 

“I don’t know the last time I slept for the whole night. I was able to sneak a couple of hours in yesterday, but I guess I still blacked out for a moment while going down the stairs. I just wanted to make sure everything was...okay.” 

There wasn’t much emotion in his voice. Maybe exhaustion leaking through. Maybe the same distance that worried her. 

It’s okay. She’d think through what to say and-

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”

Oops. That slipped out. 

“Dom, you’re hurt. You’ve been hurting. I’m not asking you to tell me everything. But you always act like you’re in this alone and—“ Oh. Her voice broke. At least she wasn’t— 

Spoke too soon. She was overthinking what to say next. Tears beaded up. 

Miranda sighed and wiped her eyes. 

“I wish you could see you the way I do. The way any of us do. I love you so much, and you don’t have to do this alone. You don’t have to be alone.”

She sniffed and wiped her eyes. That was embarrassing. Miranda finally forced herself to look at Dom. He was looking at her with so much concern and almost surprise, almost like—

Oh. 

Oh. 

If she was flushed already, she must have turned entirely scarlet. Her ears heated up as she gave a brief incredulous laugh at herself. 

“That doesn’t count as my first ‘I love you.’” Miranda said, even if her shy smile discounted it. “You’ll get it for real when I’m not frustrated with you.” 

“Okay.” He said. “Are you okay?” 

Miranda just chuckled dryly. She wiped the last few tears off her face. 

“I will be as soon as you get checked out of the hospital, you goof. I should be asking you.”

“They want to keep an eye on me overnight.” 

Miranda hummed in acknowledgment. One of her hands left the hem of her shirt and met Dom’s. She intertwined her fingers in his. 

“Then I’ll be fine tomorrow morning, huh?”

There was a brief moment of silence. 

“I’m sorry for worrying you guys,” Dom said quietly. 

“You can tell Cody that too, yeah?” she rubbed her thumb on the back of his hand. “You know, you’re a bit of an oddity. Most stair-related injuries are from younger children, people in their twenties or so, and then elderly folks.” 

“Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah.” Deciding to lighten the mood, she filters her head to the side a little and grinned at him. “I should’ve known you were a little bit clumsy when you ran into me at the office.” 

“No way!” Her plan worked; he burst out laughing. “You definitely ran into me.” 

The two laughed for a bit, eventually trailing off. Eventually, the room fell into a peaceful quiet, Miranda still rubbing small circles into the back of Dom’s hand. 

After a bit, she jumped and pulled her hand away on reflex as she remembered something. 

“Hey, Dom?” 

“Yeah?”

“I think I said ‘hell’ in front of Cody.”

—-

Miranda was quickly getting used to being one of the earliest risers, followed by Dom. 

It took her by surprise the first time she was making a pot of coffee, and Milo stumbled downstairs alongside Cody. 

However, things change. She didn’t even bat an eye as Milo slunk into the room and sat at the table. 

“Oh, hey, Milo! Did you spend the night?” Miranda asked. “I’ll throw in a couple more waffles in the toaster then.” 

Miranda even left them out, knowing full well Milo might be there. 

“Thank you,” he muttered in a voice still thick with sleep. Cody plopped down beside him and Miranda handed him his plate. 

As soon as she was wrapping up the second round of waffles, though, Dom limped into the room, trying not to put pressure on his wrapped-up foot. 

Miranda clicked her tongue in mild disapproval but didn’t say anything right away. She handed Milo his waffles and gave Dom a cup of coffee. He offered a quiet thank you. 

“Sleep well?” She asked him quietly. 

He smiled back. “Of course.” 

Miranda let silence fill the room as she downed the last few sips of her mug. Then, without blinking, she turned to Cody. 

“Cody, can you tell your dad it’s not ‘poggers’ to walk around on his ankle?” 

Milo immediately wheezed, causing him to inhale the bite of his frozen waffle. Cody gently hit him on the back, trying to help with his choking, but couldn’t help but laugh as well. 

“Dad, Miranda said—“ 

“Yeah, yeah. I heard her.” Dom sunk in the dining room chair.  “You guys better hurry up before you miss your ride.” 

Miranda got up and grabbed a glass of water for Milo, stopping herself from going on an ‘if-someone-is-still-coughing, you-really-shouldn’t-do-any-assistance-even-if-they’re-choking’ lecture. 

Milo gladly accepted the glass and gulped it down as Miranda poured herself another cup of coffee. 

She just took the rest of the scene in, watching Milo and Cody chatting with Dom occasionally chiming in. 

It wasn’t very much longer and they were both out the door. 

“That was evil of you, I think, Mira.” 

Miranda looked at Dom from the corner of her eye. 

“Oh?” She tried not to smile. “What makes you say that, Mr. Bridges?” 

Miranda took a sip of her coffee so he wouldn’t see her face as she tried to keep her composure. 

“You definitely looked that word up to use against me.” Dom wasn’t even trying to hide his amusement. “I am almost positive that they’ve never said that word out loud— well, here at least.”

That did it. Miranda snorted, quickly holding her coffee arm out so she didn’t spill it all over herself. 

“I’m sorry—“ she said in-between laughs. “I’m just glad I said it kind of right! It was the closest I could find to what I was looking for—“

“Do you even know what it means?” Dom began cracking up as well. 

Miranda shook her head, shoulders still jolting up with muffled giggles. 

“I mean, it worked, didn’t it? You’re sitting now.” 

She tried to take another sip of her coffee but instead decided to set it down on the table, electing to sit right next to Dom. 

“I’m going to start buying decaf coffee or something,” Dom muttered, trying to feign annoyance. (Even if his smile gave it away.) “Come into my own home...drink my coffee..almost kill the neighbors’ son....get my own son to bully me…”

“I already told you, I’m actually here for your looks, charm, and kitchen. I’d just switch to decaf.” Miranda said, before clapping as she remembered something. “Oh! Did you know that decaf coffee isn’t actually caffeine-free?” 

“Oh?” 

He intertwined his fingers in hers as she talked about caffeine content, eventually turning into a tangent about the conflicting studies about the benefits of coffee. He didn’t interrupt once, his smile never leaving his eyes. 

—-

“Dominic Bridges!” Miranda slapped the plastic spatula against the counter. 

“Yes?” 

She propped a foot up a chair and turned to point the spatula at him. 

“It’s about time I made true of my word!” She balled her hand into a fist. “And now that you’re mobile in the boot and got the okay from your doctor to be on your feet, I will teach you how to cook!” 

He blinked in surprise. 

“Okay?” 

Miranda took out the ingredients and supplies she packed one-by-one. 

“I thought we could start with some spaghetti. That was one of the earliest things I learned how to cook!” she beamed. “I got some pre-made sauce and noodles, and I thought we could start with ground meat.” 

Once she got it unpacked, she turned to face Dom again. 

“Are you ready?” 

Dom took one look at the excitement on her face and smiled tiredly. 

“Of course,” he lied. 

—-

He was not ready. 

Miranda learned that quickly. At one point she thought she’d have to take him to the E.R. again because he tried to grab the handles of the pot with the boiling water with his bare hands to try and strain it. 

(“The pot is hot.” 

“Yeah, baby,” Miranda said as she guided his hand under some running cold water. “The pot is hot.” )

They ended up having to throw out the meat because it was burned beyond recognition. The sauce was damn near meeting the same fate, but Miranda was able to skim some off the top and bottom. 

The noodles were, thankfully, okay. A little mushy, but fine. 

“Do...you think Cody would like it?” 

Miranda was quiet for a moment, weighing her options. 

“I don’t know,” she answered. “This took a bit longer than I thought, and I’ve got an evening shift tonight.”

“Oh.” 

“No, don’t worry about it. We started with smaller servings, right? We can eat some now and I’ll pack the rest for my dinner tonight! I brought a thermos in here somewhere.”

The two sampled relatively quietly, both slightly still worn out from putting out both fires. Miranda finished her plate and did some digging to produce the thermos and shoveled the leftovers inside. 

“Thanks, Miranda. It was...a lot, but it was fun.” 

She kissed him on the temple, causing him to blush. 

“I had fun, too,” she said. “Thanks for indulging me in a cooking lesson.”

( Dom conveniently left out he had made plans earlier that week to take a cooking class before Miranda wanted to practice with pasta. It might have flopped this time, but he’d surprise her and Cody both. You know, one of these days. How bad could it be?)

—-

“You look great,” Dom said. 

She beamed at him as she put in the other earring. 

“Thank you! I’m sorry I’m a few minutes late. I had to help a customer toward the end that took much longer than I intended.” 

“Not a problem.” 

“You look pretty handsome yourself, mister.” 

Dom blushed, causing Miranda to snort. She elbowed him gently before grabbing his hand. 

“Hey, you ready to go?” 

The date Miranda picked out was a change of pace, to be sure. She wasn’t positive on the idea, but after talking with Dom they elected to go on a fancier date for kicks. It took Miranda a bit to make reservations; the place was fairly new and met a bit of a crowd because of it. Dom ended up driving for simplicity’s sake. 

As he found a place to park, she hopped out of the car and sped-walked in. Miranda waited until the host was free before sheepishly walking up. 

“Hi! Sorry for— sorry. My name is Miranda and I had a reservation for two?”

“I don’t think we have- no, I don’t think we have any reservations under Miranda.” 

“What about Kearney?” 

“Oh!” They flipped through a page before wincing. “Oh. We’re sorry, but we had to give the reservation up because of time restraints. Someone just took that table.” 

“Oh.” Miranda mimicked. She fidgeted with her hands. 

“I’m sorry. We could let you know if we have another opening tonight if you want to wait.” 

“That’s okay.” She forced a smile. “I totally understand. I’ll go talk to my boyfriend and we’ll talk it over.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah! I’ll let you know if we change our minds. Thank you so much for your help.”

Miranda walked outside the restaurant and plopped down on a bench. She took a deep breath and bounced her leg as she waited until she saw Dom. 

He smiled as he approached, but it quickly fell as he saw her face. 

“Are they clearing our table or something? What’s wrong?” 

“We—I blew our reservation. Too late.”

“Ah.” Dom sat down next to her and folded his hands into his lap. “That’s okay.”

“It’s not though,” Miranda muttered. “I-we had a plan for tonight.” 

“I thought you weren’t particularly crazy about the restaurant served.”

“It’s not that, Dom.” Her face flushed with embarrassment. “I had a plan for the evening. And- and when I make a plan, even if something better happens, I just. It’s not what we originally thought. That’s…”

She sighed and ran her hand through her hair before hunching forward slightly. 

“It wasn’t part of the plan. It was supposed to be a nice dinner. We couldn’t go where we planned because I messed up time-wise. The evening is going to be...this way now.” 

Dom was quiet for a moment. 

“What do you want to do then?” He asked. 

“I don’t know.”  

“Do you want to go home?”

“I don’t know.” 

“Did they say we could wait?” 

“Yes, but they didn’t know how long it would be if we get in.” 

“Do you want to do that?” 

“No.” 

Dom was quiet again. 

“Well, there are a few things we could do, if any of these sound like something you’d enjoy,” he said. 

She looked at him from the corner of her eyes. 

“Hmm?” 

“We could find dinner somewhere else; we could walk around. I think there’s a park nearby; we could get ice cream; we could go home.” Dom responded. “Do any of those sound good to you?” 

Miranda sat for a moment thinking. 

“I don’t know,” she said again. She cleared her throat before continuing. “The park or ice cream sounds nice, I guess.” 

“Do you want to walk to the park now? It’s getting fairly dark, but we could also sit here for a moment.” 

“No, no. We should get going.” Miranda took a deep breath and stood up, rocking back on her heels. “I love you. Thanks for coming up with a backup plan.” 

“Of course. I love you, too” 

The walk ended up being a good idea. The park was small and mainly consisted of a playground. It was getting late enough (and chilly enough) that no one was really there. 

She and Dom sat on the swings for a bit, watching as the stars grew brighter. A breeze began picking up as well, clanking the other pair of swings together. 

“Hey, Dom?” 

“Yes?” 

“There’s...so much I want to tell you, but I can’t. Not yet. I don’t- I wouldn’t even know where to begin.” 

He was quiet again for a moment. Miranda swallowed down her anxiety. She couldn’t feel his eyes on her face, so she assumed he was watching the sky as well. 

“I understand that.” His voice cracked a bit. “The same goes—the same for me.” 

The two sat watching the sky, the silence gently filling the spaces where words and stories weren’t told, made warm by the unspoken promise of ‘someday.’ 

All of a sudden, Dom jumped slightly. He grabbed her hand and pointed it at something in the sky. 

“Look—it’s a shooting star.” 

She caught it right at the end, as the subtle white light fizzled and faded out of view. 

A “huh” was all she managed. 

“Did you make a wish?” Dom asked. 

—-

On the ride home, Dom intertwined his fingers in hers. She fell asleep in the passenger seat, exhausted physically and emotionally after a long day, with a smile on her face. 

—-

Miranda was not superstitious. 

She took a bite of the eggs. They were charred and immediately filled her mouth with the taste of ash.

 But, by all accounts, it was still technically edible. So she put some hot sauce on them and took another bite. 

Miranda looked over and saw her boyfriend absolutely beaming at her. 

She smiled back and decided she might— maybe —believe in fate after all.