Fuck my heart.
“I miss you, too,” I say. “Are you not having fun with Aunt Hattie and Uncle Hayes?”
“No, I am, but I still miss you. Don’t you want to sleep over here with me?”
“If I sleep over there with you, then I might eat all the pancakes Uncle Hayes said he’s going to make you in the morning. Then you won’t have any for yourself.”
“You can’t eat all of those pancakes.”
“Oh, I bet I could,” I say.
“That wouldn’t be very nice, Uncle Ry Ry.”
I chuckle. “See, that’s why you don’t want me to spend the night too. I’m the pancake monster.”
She laughs. “No, you’re not.”
“Okay, fine, if I have to prove it to you, then I will. I’m packing my bag now, and I’m headed over. Be prepared to eat no pancakes tomorrow morning.”
Her cute laugh rings through the phone. “No, no pancake monster invited.”
“I don’t need an invitation. I’m just going to show up.”
“You better not, or Chewy Chondra will bite your toe off.”
“Bite my toe off? I don’t think Chewy Chondra’s teeth are strong enough to bite my toe off.”
“She does,” Mac says with conviction. “She’ll bite it right off, then give it to her spiders.”
“No, not the spiders,” I say in a scared voice.
“Yes, the spiders.”
“Well, sheesh, I guess I better stay here, then. That means no pancakes for the pancake monster.”
“Yeah, no pancakes for you.”
“Sad,” I say. “Tell me this, did you get to swim in the pool?”
“Yes, Uncle Hayes got a new floatie, and it’s a horse.”
“What? A horse floatie? You have a horse floatie over there, and you’re missing me? How is that possible?”
“Because I love you,” she says, breaking down every goddamn wall I’ve ever had up.
I smile softly. “I love you, too.”
In the background, I hear Hattie say, “The s’mores are ready.”
“S’mores?” I say. “Uh-oh, the s’mores monster is coming over.”
“No,” Mac shouts into the phone. “You stay there, Uncle Ry Ry. These s’mores are for me.”
I sigh heavily. “Fine, eat two for me.”
“I will. Love you.”
“Love you,” I say, but I don’t think she hears it because the phone is shuffled around again, and Hattie comes on.
