But she still insists on making sure it’s installed correctly before we load up.
If I’m being honest—Iwantto see Emma turn into a lion.
Specifically, when she meets my mother.
I like brave Emma.
I like Emma in all forms, but brave Emma?
Brave Emma is on a whole new level.
The van’s seats have been turned in the back so she and Bash face me when I sit in the rear of the vehicle. Every time we take a curve, Bash throws his hands in the air and giggles. “Pass-da, Mama!”
“Mama’s not driving, silly boy. And we shouldnotgo faster.”
“Woe-wa coda!” he shrieks.
Emma smiles at him, a full-on, full-fun, amused smile. And then she fake gasps and puts a hand to her heart. “It’s an out of control roller coaster! Oh, no!”
He cackles and pumps his arms higher. “Dona! Woe-wa coda!”
I throw my hands in the air too. “Help! Help! Someone stop this roller coaster!”
Robert, the security agent in the driver’s seat gives me a look.
“I’mplaying,” I stage whisper.
He shifts his gaze back to the road, and suddenly the car lurches.
The tires screech.
We swerve on the windy road.
Bash screeches in utter glee, but I don’t.
Not when I can see what’s coming.
I register a deer.
No, not a deer. A cow. A brown cow with a llama neck charging from the hillside to the left.
Someone sayselk—maybe me?—a split second before there’s acrunchand a jolt and another swerve that takes us too close to the edge of the road.
My seat belt snaps hard, holding me in place as I try to lunge for Emma and Bash.
Bash is squealing and pumping his arms.
Emma holds an arm in front of him like she can keep him safe with the power of a single mom arm. Her eyes are wide.
She knows.
Danger.
Danger.
The van teeters to a stop with a steep, forested hillside inches away, waiting to swallow us whole.
Robert says a word that I know Theo and several other relatives probably say in front of Bash regularly.
