I flushed and squirmed a little when Elio said he wanted to hear about how things were going with Eddie, not because I didn't want to tell him, but I still wasn't always sure how to talk about it. I liked Eddie so much and I liked being with him, but I was also aware there were expectations on people in relationships. Expectations of things I wasn't ready to fulfill.

I didn't think Eddie was either, which was a relief, but it still meant questions or comments I didn't always know what to do with.

"Things are good," I said, tucking my money away. I would buy Elio something later, I never wanted to take advantage of anyone's generosity. "With Eddie, I mean. I like him a lot. We didn't tell any of the workers at the Home so they haven't made us move into different rooms yet."