Free The Unexpected List (The List Trilogy) by Chrissy Anderson Page A

cut super short so as not to interfere with his recreational activities.  His arms, it seems no matter what time of the year, are golden brown.  His smile is as carefree and bright as it was when I met him fifteen years ago.  But his ordinarily lively eyes…just turned noticeably weary.  I can tell he just realized that he forgot Craig told him I’d be dropping by to pick up Kendall’s Puffalumpa.  The absentmindedness would’ve made me mad when I was married to him, now it just makes me chuckle.  Just like I thought the overly casual outfit he wore to Kelly’s funeral was a little endearing, I sort of think the absentmindedness is too…now that I’m not responsible for it anymore. Slowly pulling up to each other’s car, I roll down my window.
    “Nice digs, man.  Who knew you were such a heavy roller these days.”
    “I wish I could take credit for all of it, but it belongs to her parents.”
    Aha!  I knew it!
    Peering into the back of my car he sweetly asks, “Hey there, Kendall!  Got your guy back?”
    “Puffalumpa’s  a guuuuurl , Ku-Ku!”
    “Oh, that’s right!  How could I have forgotten that?”  Nervously looking back at me, “So, how’d it go in there?”
    “I almost decapitated her, but she made it through alright.”
    “Yeah, Ku-Ku!  Ki-Ki squeezed Kayla’s head!  It was funny!”
    I wish I had a camera to capture the look on his face.
    “Dude!  We’re kidding…sorta.  Don’t worry, it went fine.  She was obviously caught off guard, but she triumphed in the end by walking into the house all by herself without falling out of her shoes, grabbing the correct stuffed animal…which by the way must’ve been difficult because I bet she has a lot to choose from on her bed, and then she walked the whooooooole distance to my car without losing her way the entire time!  You should be proud, really.”
    “Having fun?”
    “Kind of.  But, c’mon!  It’s too easy.”
    “She’s actually pretty smart, Chrissy.”
    “Smart enough to get into Stanford on her very own?”
    Now laughing a little himself, “Not that smart.  Both of her parents went there.”
    His honestly was always something I appreciated.  Looking back toward the house, “So, what’s up with this place, Kurt?  Seems kinda fancy for you.”
    “Kayla’s folks are gone six months of the year.  It was too hard to pass up the accommodations while I figured out my next steps.”
    I don’t really want to know, but thanks to Craig, I’m now forced to visualize Kurt’s reality.  I’d rather just hear it straight from him that it’s FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC than torture myself with manufactured thoughts.   I don’t know why, but I feel an intense need to hear it straight from him that Kayla represents the peace, sanity, relief, and safety that we set each other free to find.
    “So, like…is she in your next steps?”
    “Would it bother you if she was?”
     “Not at all.  I was just curious.  I mean, it seems serious.  You’ve got her buddying up with my best friends and all.”
    “Does that bother you?”
    “You knew it would.  Remember?   I’m a truly, madly, deeply kinda gal.”
    “About that… Are you ever gonna explain to me what that means exactly?”
    I get the sense he’s trying to be charming, but I can tell he really doesn’t know what it means to be a truly, madly, deeply kind of person.  But, I’m no dummy.  All energy to continue to explain it to him would be wasted.  That was a lesson I needed to learn…let’s see…forty seven times!
    “Been there.  Done that.  Failed miserably, Kurt.  Don’t worry, though.  I’ll manage the expectations of my friendships with Courtney and Nicole directly with them.  Go ahead and invite them to allllll the backyard barbecues you want.  I can just divorce them too if they don’t see things my way.”
    I was trying to be funny but it looks like I hit a nerve because his smile is gone.
    “You expect too much from people,