“The movie with Johnny Depp was terrible,” Courtney whispered.
“You can’t judge the play or the book by the movie,” Ethan returned.
Courtney sniffed. “Well, if Johnny Depp and Tim Burton couldn’t pull it off, I doubt the Canterbury school can do much better.”
“The scenery is fabulous,” Zoe said. “Did you do it?”
“I had help,” Ethan said.
Courtney laughed. “Are you calling teenage girls helpful?”
“Some of them are really talented,” Ethan said, but his lips curled into a smile as he thought of the girls drawing, sawing, hammering, fighting, and sometimes throwing paint on each other.
“Shh.” Zoe put her finger to her lips. “They’re starting.”
During the play, Ethan watched Zoe more than the actors on the stage. How had he never noticed how pretty she was? Or how her eyes sparkled?
Of course, as soon as Hannah came on the stage, his daughter had his attention, but as soon as the roses as well as all the other flowers left, he turned his gaze back to Zoe.
“Wake up, Ethan dear!”
Ethan bolted upright when he heard his name.
“‘Why, what a long sleep you’ve had!”’ the girl on the stage said.
The play.
No one had been speaking directly to him. He relaxed and pushed his fingers through his hair. Had he fallen asleep?
“Oh, I’ve had such a curious dream!” said Alice. “There was a white rabbit and he was in a terrible hurry.”
Ethan returned his thoughts to Zoe. Could he date her? Because they lived right on top of each other, it would be awkward if they broke up. But what if they didn’t break up? What if they married? What would Hannah think?
Again, the play interrupted his thoughts.
“Someday, my dear little sister will, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; but I hope she will keep, through all her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her childhood, and gather about her other little children, and make their eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even with the dream of Wonderland of long ago. I pray she will feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days.”
The audience burst into applause. Ethan clapped along with the others, ruminating on Lewis Carrol’s words. Hannah would grow up. Of course, she would. And then Ethan would be alone—even more alone than he’d been after Allison died, because he’d no longer have Hannah to care for.
But what if he had Zoe to keep him company? She didn’t need him to care for her, just like he didn’t need her to care for him, but what if they cared for each other?
Ethan gathered up his jacket and tried to pretend he was interested in the encore chorus. The girls on the stage were adorable, but none of them held his interest like Zoe did.
