42.

Ethan serves takeout noodles.

Milly blinks awake. “For breakfast?”

He smiles. “I’m going to help you get caught up on decades of pop culture. We start with the best: The Wire.” He flicks on his TV.

In a scene from that show, a man says the world gets hotter from global warming while the people of the world grow colder and more callous.

Ethan reaches for her hand and squeezes.

She looks down, then into his eyes. Tentatively, Milly squeezes back.

He smiles. “Are your hands never cold?”

“Sometimes I get chills. But I brought the desert with me.”

He presses pause. “Do you want to go camping or something?”

“I had my fill of the outdoors as a kid.”

“Roller-skating?”

She chuckles. “I’ve never broken a bone and I don’t plan on starting now. Is this what girls want, your age?”

“My age? You’re only a few months older than me!”

Milly smirks and shrugs.

Ethan gulps. “I know it’s faux pas to ask, but you mentioned your ex before. Was he older?”

“Quite a bit. Marriage has benefits. It wasn’t painful at first, but it became so. I left him.”

“You were married?”

“Well, you asked.”

“Wow.” Ethan presses play, then lets go of her hand.

On TV, characters discuss shooting. It’s best to aim low — for the butt.

Milly’s phone lights up.

—   Training today. 14:00 HQ ~Hi0