Page 71 of The Quirky Vet

"Hey, Fiona," Muir greets her enthusiastically.

"How on earth does she remember us after all this time?" I whisper to him.

He puts his hand on my shoulder, angles his head just right, and says with a smile, "'Cause we're pretty damn unforgettable."

I don't know about thewe, buthedefinitely is.

We're about to place our order with Fiona when she beats us to it. "One chicken and beef pho, one veggie pho, and one spicy pork bánh mì, cut in half," she says in her lovely Vietnamese accent.

Muir goes to open his mouth, but once again, Fiona is too quick. "Yes, yes. With fresh chilli on the side."

"That's unreal," I say, stunned she remembers not just our faces but also our specific order. We used to come here a lot during our uni days, but that was years ago.

She rings up the total on the same old-school Casio calculator she's had since back then, and after I pay, we grab our usual wooden table in the corner.

"Some things never change," Muir observes with a big grin as he slides into a plastic chair.

"Some things don't," I agree, taking in the walls adorned with vibrant posters of famous Vietnamese landmarks, the small shrine in the corner with incense sticks burning, and the hanging rice paper lanterns along the window. "But then again, some things do."

Muir catches my drift straight away. "Anything in particular come to mind?"

"I can think of one thing." I lean over the small table and whisper, "Like last night."

His cheeks flame, but I stop talking when Fiona sets our food on the table. "Enjoy, boys."

I aim my gaze right at my best mate. "Oh, we will. Thank you."

The food is as good if not better than I remember it—thank god some things haven't been ruined by the pandemic—but I'm keen to continue talking about last night. Not the X-rated part, but the stuff we said beforehand.

"Are you okay with what we talked about before we…" I slurp up some delicious broth. "Did stuff?"

"Yeah. I am." He rests his spoon inside his bowl. "I like that we clarified where we stand. I felt silly, but you always know what to say to calm me the fuck down."

"That's because I know you so well. And you had nothing to feel silly about. You told me how you felt, you were honest. That's brave, not silly. " I reach over and slide my hand over his. "You mean the world to me."

"You mean so much to me, too." Our eyes meet. "Which is why it's so scary. The stakes are real. And they're sky-high."

"They are," I say slowly, seeing the fears and worries written all over his face and searching my brain for something to allay them. "We just have to keep doing what we're doing. Talking. Checking in with each other. Making sure we're both okay. Really and genuinely okay and not just saying that we are. Because we will come across speed bumps. Every couple does."

"Couple?"

"Oh." Shit. The word had slipped out, a lot like the endearment did last night. But this time, I think I should walk it back. "Or…couple-ish."

He grins. "Couple-ishdoes have a nice ring to it."

"And what aboutbubba? Is it okay if I call you that, from time to time?"

"Sure." His grin deepens. "That also has a nice ring to it."

He continues slurping on his pho as an idea pops into my head. Hmm. We have another day left of the course, and then we leave first thing Monday morning. I wonder if I can manage to sneak away for a few minutes at some stage.

I pick up my spoon and ask him how Sid is feeling.

"He says he's good, but I don't believe him."

"Why not?"

"His doctor has ordered him to start taking it easy."