"Hmm?"
"Do you ever worry about your parents just…up and dying sometimes?" she asked slowly.
He looked at her. "Is your dad okay?"
She shrugged. "He's been having more pain than before."
He nodded and set back to polishing. "I know you hate to hear it, but I'm sorry about your dad. He's a really great guy, Ash."
"I know," she said, sitting the broom down. Her face contorted with hurt. "But do you ever think about what it'll be like when your folks are gone?"
"Yes," he replied softly.
"You do?" she asked.
"Everybody does," he told her.
"I never did," she admitted. When she looked back on herself even a few short months ago, she saw that she really took her parents for granted. Not every kid gets a great set of parents the way she did. As far as moms and dads go, Ashley's were pretty cool.
"I guess I never thought about your parents going before, either," he confessed. "They are always so energetic and fun. I figured they'd both live to be 100."
"So did I," she said, plopping down on the couch behind Taylor. He looked over his shoulder at her and smiled.
"I'm sure they did, too," he said. "Life throws you for a loop sometimes, huh?"
"Boy, heidi, does it ever," she remarked.
"Don't get yourself down about it," he said. "Some things are just meant to happen."
Ashley nodded, her stomach twisting itself into knots. This house was driving her crazy. "I don't want to clean anymore," she told him. "I want to go do something."
"Like what?" Taylor asked. "We aren't exactly in fun central."
"Sure we are," she protested. "We haven't been to the art history museum downtown in ages. Is it still there?"
He thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think so. You want to go there?"
"Sure," she said.
"Give me a minute," he said. After a few more minutes of polishing, he looked satisfied and scrambled to his feet. He put the polish back under the sink, and told her that he was going to put on a clean shirt. "Do you want something clean?"
She looked at herself. Her jeans looked okay, but there was dust all over her white t-shirt. "Sure."
He jogged up the stairs. Soon enough he was back in a clean shirt. He held out a nice polo shirt to her. "It's Chloe's. I'll bet it'll fit you."
"Are you sure she won't mind?" Ashley asked.
He shrugged. "She never wears it. I don't see why she would."
Ashley went to the closest bathroom and changed. She then joined Taylor again in the living room. "I was right," he said. "It fits you. You wanna drive?"
"Of course," she snorted, snatching the keys he held in his hand. "Let's go."
He followed her out the door and to the car. "I think I should've called the museum ahead of time. Give them a forewarning to hide all of their breakables, 'cos you're on your way."
"Shut up, dweeb," she said with a laugh, "before I break you."
Taylor bit his tongue to keep from saying that she already had.
