The Thousand-Piece Puzzle

Nia came to Mateo's flat at six o'clock. It was their first date at his home. She brought a small bag of lemon cookies. He opened the door and smiled. "I have a plan," Mateo said. "Dinner is easy. It is soup and bread. But after dinner, we do a puzzle."

"A puzzle?" Nia said.

"Is that a joke?"

"No joke," he said.

"It has a thousand pieces."

The flat was small and tidy. There was a green couch and a low table. The puzzle box sat on the table. On the box there was a picture of a harbor. It had blue boats, red roofs, and a gray sky.

The soup was good. The bread was a little hard. Nia ate two pieces and said nothing about it. Mateo saw her face and laughed. "The bread is bad," he said.

"The bread is fine," said Nia.

"It is just strong."

They washed the plates together. His dog, Pico, walked in circles around their feet. Pico was old and brown. He had one ear up and one ear down. "He likes you," said Mateo. "He likes the cookies," said Nia.

They sat on the floor by the low table. Mateo poured all the pieces out. Nia looked at the mess. "This is impossible," she said.

"We start with the edges," said Mateo.

"It is the only rule."

So they did. They found the corners first. Then they found the straight sides. Nia was fast. She had sharp eyes and a quick hand. Mateo was slow, but he was careful. He held each piece up to the light. After an hour, they had a blue frame. They both sat back and looked at it.

"We are good," said Nia. "We are a team," said Mateo. Then his face went red. He looked down at the table. Nia pretended not to see. She picked up a piece. It had a red roof on it. She put it in the right place. It fit with a small click.

They talked while they worked. Nia told him about her little brother. He wanted to be a pilot. But he feared high places. Mateo told her about his first job. He washed dishes in a hotel. He broke six plates in one week. "Six?" said Nia.

"Seven," said Mateo.

"I do not count the last one."

She laughed so hard that Pico barked. By ten o'clock, the harbor was almost done. The boats were blue. The roofs were red. Only the gray sky had holes in it. Nia looked at the table. "One piece is gone," she said.

"No," said Mateo.

"We have them all."

"Count the holes," she said.

"Then count the pieces."

They counted. There was one hole and no piece. Mateo looked under the table. Nia looked under the couch. They looked in the box, and they shook the box. Nothing came out.

Then Mateo looked at Pico. The old dog lay on his bed in the corner. He was very still. He looked at Mateo. One ear was up. One ear was down. "Pico," said Mateo. "Open your mouth." Pico did not move. Mateo gently touched his chin. A small gray piece fell out on the floor. It was wet.

Nia put her hand over her mouth. Her whole body shook with laughter. Mateo held up the piece with two fingers. "It is a little wet," he said. "It is perfect," said Nia.

He dried it on his shirt. Then he gave it to her. She pressed it into the last hole. The picture was finished. They looked at it for a long time. At the door, Nia put on her coat. The street was dark and quiet. She held the empty cookie bag in her hand. "Mateo," she said. "Yes?"

"Next time, I choose the puzzle," she said.

"And you keep Pico away from it."

"There is a next time?" he asked.

"Two thousand pieces," said Nia. Then she went down the stairs.