I was not at all embarrassed to admit I ran to him.

When I came up the drive and saw Eddie sitting there on the porch, I ran, my backpack banging against my shoulders as I did, and when I got there, I all but threw myself at him. It was silly and childish, but I needed him then. I knew I couldn't kiss him or even really hug him like I wanted to, which made me sad if I thought on it for too long, but this was good, too. It was what I needed.

I shook my arms out of my backpack straps one at a time and it thumped down to the porch, then I was scrambling onto the loveseat, getting both my arms under the blanket wrapped around Eddie so I could put them around him, too.

"Hi," I said, my face pressed against his shoulder.