Ruby

I drove down to the mall today to meet up with my brother, Ryan.

I called him back the day after he left the message on my voicemail, and he answered. We talked for thirty minutes - about everything and nothing - and decided to meet up for lunch about a week later, when we both had a free afternoon. I think he's just as nervous and excited to meet up as I am. I'm extremely nervous.

After parking Garrett's car in the crazy busy parking lot and hurrying into the mall, because I'm barely on time, I crash right into someone standing up from a table in the food court.

To me, meeting at the mall is a bit strange. Ryan said he needed to pop into a store that has an item he can't find at the mall in Canton, so we can "grab lunch and go from there."  I wish I'd been able to bring Garrett, but this Thursday afternoon was the only day Ryan and I both had off this week - and Garrett works Monday to Friday.

I obviously was not looking in front of me as I was glancing around the busy food court, hoping to spot my brother. I don't even know what he looks like now, which is craziness. It's been almost ten years since we've seen each other. Now, I'm face to face with someone and I'm apologizing and backing away as fast as it happened.

But then -

    "You."

I recognize the voice, which is pathetic. I've been hearing his voice in my head for a week, even when I don't want to. He called me gorgeous. Besides Garrett, no one has really paid me that kind of attention in my adult life. I haven't let anyone. Now, this guy from the museum like two weeks ago is right in front of me, once again.

"This has to be fate," he says quickly.

I roll my eyes and am already looking around the food court again, looking for Ryan.

"You don't think it's fate?" he asks again.   

    "Don't believe in fate," I tell him.

"You don't date. You don't trust people. And you don't believe in fate," he accuses me.

    "All correct." I am not looking at Jakoby when I say this and finally I spot someone a few rows over who I am assuming is what my brother looks like now, all grown up.

"Hmm. Well, I think it's fate. Two weeks ago we met at the museum. Today you literally run into me in the mall food court," he goes on, as if I seem invested in this conversation.

I'm not, really. "It's a coincidence. I have to go. I'm meeting someone."

Before I can take a step, his hand is on my arm. "How about if we ever see each other again, you have to give me your number?"

The touch, more so than the question, startles me. I like how his hand feels on my bare skin, more than I'd ever admit. He has strong hands, his fingers are sort of callused. I look back at him and nod.

"Yes?" he asks, wanting verbal confirmation.

"Fine. But it's can't be here, or the museum," I spit out.

"Of course not," he agrees, and then grins.

"And you can't, like, stalk me or anything," I add.

Jakoby smiles. "No stalking. Got it."

"Okay." Now, I take a step and then another and hand falls away from me. "Bye."

I don't look back, even though I want to. I keep putting one foot in front of the other and when I reach the table where my brother is sitting, I just know it's him. I can feel it. He looks up and smiles this warm, welcoming smile.

"Oh my god, Ruby!" He's out of his seat and his arms are wrapped around me right away. He hugs me for a long time before pulling away and looking into my eyes.

His eyes are the same as when he was a kid. He looks so good, so well taken care of. I mean, I know he's twenty. I know he's likely been on his own for awhile. But I'm just glad to see he is doing well.

"Ryan," I say, because I don't know what else would be appropriate.

"Ahh, sit?" he suggests, and then pulls out my chair and then his own. "You look great."

I sit, and tuck the chair in a bit before I notice that there's two slices of pizza on the small table. It looks amazing. He notices me looking at it.

"I hope you still like pizza? I know it was your favourite. I went ahead and ordered because I got here a bit early," he goes on, pushing the piece with veggies towards me. "And an ice tea."

"Thank you," I say, and look at the food again before looking back up at him.

He's got a bit of facial hair and his hair is cut short, but styled. He's wearing a dress shirt and the sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. It hits me quickly that he looks so much like our father, but I have to swallow that thought and force a smile.

"So... wow. This is..." he starts again. I nod. "Honestly, Kaylee came home that day from the museum, with her nephew... and she was acting weird and I was like, what the hell? And then she blurts out that she thinks she talked to my sister." Ryan pauses and sips his drink. "It was so random, that she went to that museum. She was babysitting that day and decided to take him on a road trip and he loves dinosaurs."

"We have a pretty great dinosaur exhibit right now," I say, then smile.

"Yeah, she read about it. So Kaylee came home that night and she gave me your number. I know it took me two weeks to call you, Ruby, and it shouldn't have-"

"No, that's okay. It really was out of the blue. It was shock to me, too," I tell him, then reach for the pizza because my stomach is growling.

"Yeah. I still feel bad for not reaching out sooner. But knowing you lived an hour away from me? It was crazy."

"Yeah," I agree. "I was in a foster home in Cleveland as a teenager and when I aged out of the system, I found out about a shelter here... so I've been in Youngstown for three years."

Ryan's expression hardens, like he wasn't expecting that. "You were in the system until eighteen?"

I nod, then shrug. There's no way I will be talking about that with him today.

"Ruby, I spent years feeling guilty that I got adopted by the Kings. They were so great and my life in Buffalo was... it was good."

"Good," I repeat, and force a smile. "That's all I hoped for."

"But you-"

I shake my head, interrupting him. "Don't worry about that. How'd you end up back in Ohio?"

He smiles again. "So, I met Kaylee senior year.  We've been together three years. Last summer, she applied to colleges down here because her sister lives in Canton. So, we moved down when she got accepted."

"Wow. We made it back together after almost ten years," I say, shaking my head again. "I did try to find you on social media and stuff over the last couple of years."

"Yeah? I made some accounts in high school but haven't really accessed them recently. Not big on social media," he answers, then shrugs.

"Not me either, really. I just didn't know how else to get in touch."

"I've thought about you so much, Ruby. I just didn't know where to start to try to find you," he answers, then looks down at his hands. "I guess fate was on our side that day that Kaylee went to the museum." He picks up his pizza and takes a big bite, like mentioning fate is no big deal.

Fate. Fate is not real, it can't be. There's no way I was given the shitty childhood I was for some bigger reason. There's no way there's some all-mighty power out there bringing people together for a reason.

But yet, it seems like Ryan believes in it. And Jakoby does, too.

At the end of our lunch, we decide to get together again soon. Ryan agrees to text me tomorrow when he takes a look at his work schedule for the coming week. He works at a sports apparel retail store. I tell him I'd love for him to meet my roommate and best friend, Garrett, and he says he'll bring Kaylee next time we hang out. It's kind of like we fell back into this easy relationship, just like that. It feels too good to be true.

*

It's full blown fall a week later, somehow. It's October now and the weather has changed drastically. I need a sweater when I leave to walk downtown about ten minutes, to get cat food, since Garrett forgot it on his grocery trip earlier in the week. Poor Muffin ran out of food this morning and she meowed at me for an hour when I got home from work. Deciding to walk to pick it up seemed like a good idea until I got outside.

Our apartment building is only a couple blocks from downtown and I enjoy walking when I can, but it's chilly, and windy. I regret this decision, but I press in my head phones and listen to some Taylor Swift as I walk. Thankfully, I'm basically in front of the grocery store before I know it. I don't pay much attention as I pass someone sitting on a stool outside the store, but suddenly said person is standing and waving his arms around in my direction.

I pull out my headphones, shocked. "Seriously?" I ask him in disbelief.

Jakoby looks amused, more than anything. He's still sitting on that stool, his dark hair looks sort of wild today. Maybe from the wind.  "Wow. This is the first time I've ever played here. I swear."

"I only came down here tonight because my roommate forgot to get my cat's food this week," I tell him, for some reason.

    "Fate." The word comes out fast and then he's grinning.

I shake my head. "Not a real thing."

"So, you have a cat?" he asks, a smug smile still on his face.

    "So you're a street performer?" I toss back, thinking this will be an insult. I didn't actually hear him singing or playing, since I had my headphones in.

"Yeah, I am. I don't believe in conventional jobs," he tells me proudly.

    "But you believe in fate?" I ask, more confused than ever.

"Of course." He nods and tosses his guitar onto his back.

I am flustered, but I don't want him to see that. "I have to go."

"You owe me your number," he reminds me. God, he's getting on my nerves.

I stop and look back at him. "Fine. But I don't date."

Jakoby grins again and reaches into his guitar case for his phone. He presses a few things and then hands it over to me. Reluctantly, I type in my number and pass it back. I mean, a deal is a deal. A week ago, at the mall, I agreed to giving him my number if we ever saw each other again. All three of our encounters were random, as far as I know. And it's not like I haven't thought about him. A lot.

"Thank you," he says, then winks at me.

"You're not going to be like obsessively texting or calling me, are you?" I ask, without really thinking.

He laughs and then shakes his head. "I think we met for a reason, Ruby. I think the universe had us running into each other like this because we were meant to meet. So, I trust things will happen naturally from here on out."

What does that even mean?

"Right. Okay, well I don't believe any of that, but anyway. I have to get cat food so my cat doesn't starve to death," I tell him quickly.

"Alright. Bye, Ruby," he finishes with a wave.

I lift my hand and wave back and then turn and walk into the store.