That earned her a relieved-looking smile.
“Can I ask youonemore question about this book?” Allie asked.
Maya nodded.
“Which toy would you choose, if you were going to get one toy from the train?” Allie asked.
Maya beamed at that idea and began paging through the book when Allie pushed it to her across the desk.
Allie smiled as she watched Maya carefully look through all the pictures. She was very sure Maya would be caught up to her peers in no time. But confidence was an important element for kids Maya’s age.
I’ll make sure she feels good about her progress, Allie told herself.We’ll celebrate it every day.
Maya pointed to the doll with two brown ponytails on the cover.
“That’s a very nice doll,” Allie told Maya. “Great choice. I have something for you, Maya, but it isn’t a doll, okay?”
“Okay,” Maya said, her eyes bright with curiosity.
Allie dug in her desk drawer for the little item she had picked up at the toy shop in town. Amidst the amazing dollhouses, sleds, and remote-control cars, there was a shelf of smaller items.
“It’s not real,” she told Maya as she held out a brightly colored foam cupcake. “It’s for squishing.”
Maya took it and slowly squeezed it in her small hand.
“That’s fun, isn’t it?” Allie asked her. “When I’m having a hard time concentrating, sometimes I like to have something in my hand to squeeze or play with.”
Maya squeezed the cupcake again, harderthis time.
“Next week, you can bring that to school with you, and you can play with it even during lessons,” Allie told her. “If it helps.”
“Okay,” Maya said, eyes on the cupcake as she gave it another experimental squeeze. “I’m going to your house tonight. But you won’t be there.”
Allie’s “date night” with Ash was tonight, and her parents were going to watch Maya.
“Yes,” Allie agreed. “Is that okay with you?”
“Yes,” Maya said right away. “Do your parents haverealcupcakes?”
“I’m sure they’ll have a nice dessert,” Allie said with a chuckle. “My dad has a sweet tooth. But I’m not sure it will be cupcakes.”
“That’s okay,” Maya said, smiling at Allie.
Allie smiled back at her, wishing all over again that somehow all this could be real.
13
ASH
That evening, Ash packed up a backpack for Maya while she darted around the house, trying to decide which toys to bring to Allie’s house for the evening.
He’d been feeling good all day, and Maya’s happiness added to his own made him feel light as air. Knowing that the same person was responsible for both was almost unbelievable.
All week long, Maya had been coming home talking about how Miss Lawrence read to her and asked her questions, how they ran up and down the steps counting until they got to one hundred, and how much she liked school now.
And all week long the memory of that searing kiss tormented him. Every time he closed his eyes, he could feel Allie’s impossibly soft lips under his, and see the look of wonder in her eyes as he pulled back.
He was a grown man, and he wasn’t sure how aninnocent kiss could drive him to distraction. But waiting all week to see Allie again had been torture.
