“The first time’s always scary,” he said. She nodded, not looking at him. They did it.

She didn’t expect the faces he made at the end, and some stifled laughter escaped.

Afterward, she tried to massage his neck. The boy said he could rub his own neck, thank you, and got out of the car.

Joanne Merriam (@joannemerriam) lives in Nashville, where she writes poetry and very short stories.