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“Our trucks have to stay on the play rug if we want to keep them in the living room,” she says, answering my unasked question.
“Understood. It’ll be a struggle, but I think I can manage to follow that rule.”
My heart lifts as I see her fighting a smile.
There might be a chance to patch things up, after all.
I just hope I can manage to keep out of my own way.
I follow Leo to the rug. Up close, I can see it’s patterned like a little city. There are even roads wide enough for the trucks to drive down.
I don’t remember having anything like this when I was a kid, and my inner child is doing cartwheels.
I would have loved to do this with my own kids.
Then something odd happens and I’m seeing double. Half of me is here on the floor with Leo racing our trucks along the road, with Avery and my friends trying to navigate in the too tiny kitchen.
The other half of me is playing with a blonde-haired little boy who is the spitting image of Julia. She’s in the kitchen humming some old Irish song her grandma taught her, making whatever caught her fancy.
A poke to my leg brings me fully back into reality.
“Gift for you,” Leo whispers, stretching out his closed fist.
“Why are we whispering?”
“It’s secret.”
I hold out my hand and try not to visibly recoil as a very dead, dried up worm is dropped into my palm.
He looks at me with stars in his eyes, just waiting for my reaction.
“Wow, thank you. This is such a nice gift,” I praise.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Avery’s head snap toward us.
“Leo.” Her voice is laden with warning. “Did you just give Mr. Jamie a worm?”
He freezes in place. His eyes are nearly bugging out of his head.
“I suggest you think very carefully about your answer, sir.”
“I think you should tell her the truth,” I stage whisper.
His shoulders droop and he fidgets with his hands. Then he takes a big gulp of air.
“I gived him a worm.”
“And what has Ma told you about that?”
“To not to,” he says dejectedly.
“Are there any more worms in your pocket?”
“Yes.”
She starts toward us, but I hold up a hand to stop her. I know exactly how she feels about worms.
“I’ve got this.”
