I Fell in Love with Hope - Lancali

Sony and C listen attentively. Neo, for a change, half here, half in his
own head. He props his chin on the manuscript against his chest,
swallowing once.
Sony looks at him out of the corner of her eye, then she glances at
the pocket of her sweatshirt, the one Neo is wearing. One of her
mischievous little grins lights her face.
She grabs Carl mid-speech and pulls him closer to her. Carl stutters
over his words, and deftly shuts up when Sony whispers in his ear,
“It has to say this, pss, come ‘ere.” I don’t hear the rest, but Carl
looks up as she talks, as if memorizing her words.
“Alright,” he nods, once she’s done. “You want a design with it or just
the phrase?”
“A design?” Sony cocks her head to the side, her knees up, dirty
white sneakers tapping on the chair’s seat.
Our first meeting flashes in my memory. The same shoes forever on
her feet, the same temper and bravery no matter how much breath
she can draw.
The same careless, joyful, passionate attitude she’s always had, the
spirit of a child in the body of a thief that could rob even a
sentimental vending machine.
“I have an idea,” I say.
Sony beams at me. “Okay! Don’t tell me though! I want it to be a
surprise!
It better not be Eric’s face.”
“It’s not,” I promise.
I whisper my idea in Carl’s ear. He pulls out a little notepad and
draws a simple version of my request. I tell him it looks right, and he
prints the stencil.