My comment seemed to make her blush, and I wasn’t exactly sure why.
“It’s going,” she breathed out in a sigh. “I don’t know how I’m surviving either. I think I’m just on autopilot. And a lot of caffeine.”
“But it’s still what you want?” I asked, remembering what she’d told me when she was here last night.
“Of course.” She answered almost instantly, like it was how she always answered that question, but then added, “Well, I think. I mean, it’s been the plan for so long. And I’m so close to finishing.”
“And then what?” I asked, curious to know what her plan entailed.
“Uh …” She fiddled more with the pillow in her lap. “Go see if I can get a more prestigious job in a big city, I guess.”
My brows rose, her answer surprising me. Not that I couldn’t picture her climbing the ranks at some big shot company in a city somewhere, but for some reason it didn’t seem like that fit her, didn’t seem like somewhere she could truly be happy. I wasn’t sure why I felt that way. We’d only known each other for a short time, so I could be wrong.
“Well, I’m sure this will all be worth it one day when you’re sitting in your corner office,” I said with a smile.
She chuckled. “That’s the hope.”
I nodded, taking it all in. “Sounds like we both have a lot on our plates.”
She smiled faintly. “Apparently so. But I think we’re surviving.”
“Barely.” I glanced at the tank. “At least Sharkira has it easier than us. All she has to worry about is swimming from one side of the castle to the other without crashing into it.”
Livvi laughed softly. “True. She’s a little overachiever already, though. Did you see how fast she darted through that coral earlier?”
“I did,” I said, smiling.
“Not that I’m saying her name should be Sharkira, but I do think she needs a strong name like that.” She nodded toward the tank. “Something that can carry her through the tough times, even if it’s just swimming from one side of the castle to the other.”
I leaned back, smirking. “You really are trying to turn a fish into a life coach, aren’t you?”
“Maybe.” She shrugged. “Or maybe I just read too many books and admire the way characters survive impossible odds. They can be inspiring, and that’s what I hope she can be.”
A comfortable silence followed as we both watched our fish swim through the tank. It was obvious that Livvi had put a lot of thought into this whole fish thing, and I was grateful she cared so much. It was nice to feel like I had someone cheering me on, someone who was starting to mean a lot to me.
“Have you told Calico about this?”
We hadn’t talked about her friend Cali since I’d sent my own video to her, but I had a feeling that not much was held back between her and Livvi.
A look of surprise crossed her face. “This?”
I wasn’t sure why my question surprised her. “Yeah. About our fish.”
The relief that washed over her features was obvious. “Oh, yeah, of course. She’s excited to see what we name her.”
I worked to hide my smile as I sensed that she’d thought I was talking about a very differentthis, like, as in her and me. Which then made me wonder what she had been telling her friend about us.
“Although,” she continued, “who knows when we’ll finally decide on a name. I’m terrible at naming things. It seems easier to just keep brainstorming, hoping at some point I get it right.” She gestured to the fish in the tank. “Because if you name it wrong, you’re stuck with it forever.”
I froze for a moment, heart skipping. Those words—they sounded almost exactly like something I’d heard before. Or more likereadbefore. Just last night, I’d been having a similar conversation about naming things withReadToLiv.
ReadToLiv.
Liv.
Livvi.
No. No way. It couldn’t be.