The cold afternoon breeze swept across the path in front of our house, making Aeri's long hair dance around her face. She stood close to the edge, hands wrapped around the paper grocery bag, staring at me and taking my face and expression that were just starting to flicker on. Sonny stood a few steps behind us, watching everything like he belongs there.
"Ezra…" Aeri said my name softly, almost like a whisper. She turned to me and looked straight into my eyes. For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. Just the sound of the wind and distant traffic.
"Ezra, I—" she started again, but her voice cracked a little.
I cut her off gently. "Are you okay?"
She blinked, surprised. "Umm…?"
"You look tired," I said, stepping closer. I reached out and placed my hand on her cheek, then slid it down to the side of her neck. Her skin felt warm—too warm for how chilly it was outside. There was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead even though the breeze was freezing.
