“She hasn’t said so, but I think she misses you.”
“I miss her, too.”
“Talk to her.”
The bell rang. “I’ve got to get to class. You didn’t mention what Laurel lost. Maybe I can look for it.”
Courtney sighed. “Coins,” she said. “Gold coins.”
Ethan froze. “Tell me about these coins.”
#
ETHAN MET UP WITH HANNAHat the end of the day. “Hannah, where did you get those coins?”
She clicked into her seatbelt and answered with an eyeroll. “I told you.”
“I don’t want to hear that God gave them to you, because I don’t believe He came down from heaven and handed them to you. I want to know how they came to be in your pocket.”
She pressed her lips together and stared out the window. “They were on the floor under my desk,” she said after a long moment.
“At school? Just lying on the floor?”
“There was an old box there, too.”
“An old box? What sort of old box?”
“A really old and beat-up wooden box, the kind that looks like it couldn’t have anything valuable in it, but then it does.”
“I think those coins belong to Laurel. Where was she when you found the coins?”
“Remember how we got to school late that day?”
He nodded.
“So, I got there and the rest of the class was gone. Which was weird. But then I heard everyone had gone to the lunchroom to have tea, or something, with the visiting ancestors...or grandparents. And then there was the earthquake...I was feeling sad because I didn’t have any ancestors or grandparents with me, but then I found the coins. I thought it was God’s way of cheering me up.”
“We have to give them back to Zoe.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
He slid her a glance. “But I thought you didn’t want to ever see Zoe again.”
“Oh, I like her now.”
“How come? What changed?”
“Grandma told me she wants you to give me a baby sister or brother and for that to happen, you have to marry someone. I figured it might as well be Zoe, because then we can have cookies whenever we want. Besides, it would be really cool to have a brother or a sister.”
Ethan ran a finger around his collar and loosened his tie. Talking about making babies made him uncomfortable. Preteen girls, they were as fickle as pickles. Dill, sweet, bread and butter pickles—they all had to soak in a vinegary brine. Just like all girls had to go through a sour stage. He couldn't expect Hannah to be an exception. As a brother of five sisters, Ethan knew this better than most.
His darling Hannah, just like his sisters, would go through the sour pickle stage, and wouldn't it be easier to bear if he didn't have to shoulder the brunt of it on his own? Suddenly, his cold and aloof behavior toward Zoe seared him. He'd been a briny mess and Zoe, sweet Zoe, didn't even know why he'd suffered a sudden change of heart.
It wasn't too late to win her back, was it?
“Dad? Are you listening to me?” Hannah brought him back to the here and now.
“I have no idea if Zoe wants to have babies with me.”
