She followed him to his room. “Are they back, Sam?”
“No.” Sam’s grin flickered. “Alejo told me if I they still didn’t come, he’d be a serpent, and take me for a ride.”
Wendy tried not to show what that meant to her. She said, “That’s a fine idea. But remember...” She zipped her lip.
Sam grinned. “I know. I’m not a baby!”
She left him to take out his drawing things. She’d just pulled out some ground turkey for taco fixings when Alejo’s truck rumbled up the driveway. Doors thunked, then Oriane sped in, phone in hands. She flashed an absent grin Wendy’s way. Wendy was about to say, “I’m starting dinner,” but Oriane sped off toward her room, texting away.
Alejo followed, shooting Wendy a quick smile that called up Oriane’s grin. They walked into each other’s arms, and after a fast kiss, and then a thorough one, because one was never enough, he said, “Mission successful, I think, judging by the number of girls standing around waiting to see her off. A couple of boys clowning around nearby, I’m pretty sure trying to get her attention. Let’s call Roxane after dinner—I think the time will be right.”
She said, “I love you so much!” And kissed him a third time.
“Whoa,” he said, his voice pleased. “And I love you. Have since the moment I laid eyes on you in that chicken suit. I will always remember that sight.”
“No,” Wendy exclaimed. “Edit out Flossie! Do not remember the preggers chicken!”
“Sorry,” he said, and it was his turn to kiss her. “That is going to remain one of my fondest memories. That and how gallant you were, doing that chicken dance while that poor teacher got her ducklings back in line.”
She uttered a mock groan.
They kissed again, then he said, “Did something bring this on? Or you couldn’t get enough of this?” He wiggled his eyebrows one hand swiping down his body.
“Both.” She kissed him again, then said, “Sam. Your offer. He seems to miss those friends of his—that I assumed were imaginary until a few days ago. Do you have any idea where they are?”
“Not really. They are new to me, too. I’m glad offering him a serpent-back ride boosted his morale.”
“It’s not just the ride, but I think it’s the reminder that you are trusting him with this secret. Showing him that he matters.”
“That was my idea,” Alejo said, his voice husky. “I probably should have run it by you first, but he looked so unhappy this morning, and you were racing around the kitchen getting breakfast, and it just came out.”
Another kiss, and then she dared something that would have been impossible once, “You’ll get your reward later.” And when his eyes widened, she leaned in and whispered, “It might take all night.”
TWENTY-ONE
ALEJO
He was batting a thousand again.
There was no feeling in the world as good as this. Before, the deep satisfaction of a successful rescue or a fine piece restored to beauty was his high point. Those were still important. He’d already made two contacts for animal rescue operations, and of course there was the pleasure of renovating Wendy’s house. After meeting Wendy, the saw could break, a tire could go flat, a measurement turn out to be an eighth of an inch off, but when Wendy was happy, none of it mattered. It was like being buoyed on a vast sea under the sunny sky.
And to an extent, the happy kids extended that feeling. Though he was learning that their emotions were as volatile as tropical storm weather. He had to learn to think ahead for them all—that, and to share his thinking with Wendy. And also with Roxane, for she was now a part of his life, if in a distant orbit.
He and Wendy called Roxane together on Saturday. He reported a successful first day at school. After which Roxane said, “Yes, so she is saying to me. Ah! You were very wise to find her a friend first. I did not think of that, me. I am so used to just the two of us.”
“Oriane does seem to be settling in nicely,” Alejo said. “She’s welcome to stay as long as you and she wish.”
Roxane smiled. “Everything, it is ‘Lisi dit,’ ‘Lisi dit.’ It seems Lisi is very popular, and a good student. Ah, this is the kind of friend she needs, and how could I give her that, when we must move so much?” She then peered into her phone, and said, “Wendy, she says ver-r-r-ry nice things of you. You are comfortable with her among you?”
Wendy said again, “She’s welcome to stay as long as she likes.”
Roxane’s smile vanished. “It is good. I thank you both, so very much. I will try to come there between jobs. With Internet, and AI, many jobs are scarcer. I must reinvent! You have given me the time to do that, without me worrying. And of course that other thing.” She made flapping motions like wings. “I still think I dreamed it, but she says in text, perhaps my grandmother was also something like. Me, I think, that would explain a lot about my grandmother.” She rolled her eyes, and after a few more mutual thanks and good wishes, they rang off.
After that, Oriane announced that she had homework. She was expected to do pages of a workbook, to see where she was, after which her teacher advised her to watch television. “I cannot watch anime with French subtitles,” she said. “Only English, but it is better to watch shows in English.”
Sam ran outside as he always did, then returned with lagging steps, saying, “Not there. And it’s foggy. I won’t see anything.”
“We’ve always got tomorrow, Sam,” Alejo said, and Sam brightened, then pattered off to his drawing.
