dragged the air mattress up to the widow?s walk and eventually
figured out how it was supposed to inflate, but Lucas had to read
the instructions in Spanish because the English ones were nearly
incomprehensible. Hilariously so.
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?Insert mouth to the purpose inflation,? Helen whispered, quoting
one of the stranger lines of the English instructions as she fixed
up the newly filled mattress with sheets.
?Expel lung into inflator tube,? Lucas whispered back. He stuffed
a pillow into a fresh case. ?That sounds like it would hurt.?
Trying to silence their giggle fit only made it harder to stop. They
both crumpled up on top of the mattress, stifling their laughs.
Every now and again they would get control over themselves?only
to snort and stuff their hands back over their faces as soon as they
made eye contact. It went on way past the time when their throats
started stinging with the tension of holding in the sound. Finally,
they got it all out and just lay there on their backs, breathing heavily
with the exhaustion of a damn good laugh. Helen felt Lucas take
her hand and shake his head at the night sky.
?What am I doing?? he whispered to himself, digging his other
hand into his hair.
?What? We?re not allowed to laugh together now?? she
whispered, the ghost of a smile still haunting her lips.
?It?s not that,? he said, turning his face to her tenderly. ?But it?s
not exactly healthy for me to enjoy your company so much that
something as stupid as blowing up a mattress is this much fun. As
soon as I think I?m in control, you make me laugh or you say
something so smart, and I feel like I lose a little bit of myself. I
thought I was prepared, but this is much harder than I imagined.?
?And what exactly is ?this,? Lucas? Why are you sleeping on my