Series: Like Us Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 241
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
“Just a lotta weird,” Donnelly grins.
I smile too, but mine flickers in and out. And Donnelly’s lips gradually drop into a frown as my dad combs through a few more pages.
“We can take out the sex,” Donnelly mentions. “If that’s the problem—”
“That’s not the problem, Paul.” Dad removes his glasses—to pinch his eyes. Because he’s crying. Or at least, he’s trying to restrain the sudden onslaught of tears. He shuts the comic and raises the front of the manuscript to us. The title visible in all its glory.
Human Him, Cosmic Her
Written by Luna Hale
Illustrated by Paul Donnelly
“If you don’t let me publish this,” Dad says, clearing his choked voice, “that would be the problem. Because this, what you two created—your love, your lives, through space and time—it’s the best goddamn submission I’ve had in decades.”
My chin quivers. Don’t cry. You’re a professional. “You have to say that.”
“No, I don’t,” Dad says sharply, searching in the desk drawers. For tissues, I think. “I could’ve said the art is trash and the panels don’t make sense.”
“Art’s not trash,” Donnelly starts to smile. “Panels make all the sense to us. It’s a winner. We know it.”
“Does she?” Dad places his proud eyes on me. “Do you, Luna?”
Yes.
“It will resonate,” I say deeply. “It’s known.”
“It is known,” Dad agrees, holding my gaze with even more pride. It swells triumphantly inside me, and I wipe my cheeks quickly with my blazer sleeve. He extends the tissue box, and I take one as he says, “And your mom would be very upset if I rejected it. She’s already read it front to back three times.”
Wow.
Dad stands. “I read it four.”
Donnelly grins. “Wanna go for five?”
He smiles back, no sarcasm attached. “Thank you for sharing your story with me, Donnelly.”
“You can call me Paul.” His voice is raspy, choked. He clears it too. “Thanks for helping me love my name again.”
It’s not something he’s running from anymore.
Dad comes around the desk, and he hugs me first—his love so mighty and resilient. And he shakes Donnelly’s hand and brings him into a hug too.
Weirdly and beautifully enough, I’m not expecting an asteroid to crash down and crack open our universe just to swallow us into a black hole.
I believe our future is very, very bright.
77
PAUL DONNELLY
Lo passes around a bowl of mashed potatoes. Meatloaf already sliced and dug into. A homecooked meal spread across the dining table. This isn’t my first family dinner. Been eating with the Hales since the penthouse flooded, but this night hits different.
I’m not preparing for a quick sprint out the door. I know for a fact I won’t have to be light on my feet. I’m comfortable and laughing with everyone when Ripley says oopsie doopsie after Maximoff accidentally splatters ketchup on his shirt.
“Careful, wolf scout,” Farrow laughs harder.
“Want this?” Maximoff tosses him the ketchup. “It’s defective.”
Farrow shakes the plastic bottle with a stretching, self-satisfied grin on Maximoff. My best friend knows how to undo his husband at almost every meal. Maximoff tries hard to stay aggravated, but he’s smiling at Farrow now too.
He squirts the ketchup without a mess. “You were saying?”
“I fixed it for you,” Maximoff gestures to the Heinz bottle. “You’re welcome.”
“I never said thank you.”
He groans, and we all laugh. Xander reaches across the table for the pepper, bumping a water glass, and Easton catches it from being knocked over.
“Shit,” Xander curses. “Thanks, East.” He offers him the shaker. “Pepper?”
“Yeah, I’ll take it,” Easton says. He’s been using a fork and knife with cotillion-esque etiquette to cut his meatloaf. Feels like a Cobalt is at the table, but he never seems out of place. Everyone makes sure of it. Maximoff has already asked him about chess club, and Lily’s told him how she picked up his cap and gown for graduation next week.
Kinney offers me a basket of garlic bread. I take a piece, and as the conversation morphs into a discussion about the best overall ending in the MCU, I lean back and rest my arm around my girlfriend’s chair.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has to be in the top two at least,” Luna defends her favorite.
“I mean, we all agree nothing will beat Infinity War, right?” Xander says.
“God-tier,” I pipe in with a rock on gesture.
“Meh,” Lo says, just to disagree with me.
“Meh?” Luna, Kinney, and Xander respond together like he’s had a brain transplant in the past two-seconds.
“The last Thor movie ranks higher.”
Kinney has a face like she smelled a fart, which is killing me and Farrow, but we’re doing our best to not double-over laughing. She deadpans, “What happened to Dad?”
“Body-snatchers at play?” Luna asks me.
I touch my chest. “Still Donnelly.” I put a hand on her head. “You feel like my space babe.” I’m about to kiss her at the table for a taste-test.