He didn’t acknowledge her comment at all this time.
Julia stood. “Let’s go over to the park.”
We crossed the street, and she asked Noah if he’d like to get on the swing.
“Okay,” he said, his answer to everything in the same lifeless voice.
A little girl who appeared a few years older than him was on one of the swings. She looked at him with curiosity as he sat down. He held on to the metal chains on either side of the seat and just sat there, barely moving.
“How’s he doing?” Julia asked in a low voice.
“Not great,” I admitted. “He’s not eating and doesn’t speak unless spoken to. This is a kid who used to talk my ear off every time I went over to his house. Now... nothing. And he refuses to take off the costume. He wears it all day and only changes when it’s time to go to bed and put on his pajamas.”
“For a child who has experienced his type of trauma, the costume probably has some special meaning. It’s providing comfort and makes him feel safe and powerful, offering a little bit of control in a world that for him has careened out of control and become unfamiliar without his parents.”
I watched his bent head, and my chest burned with sorrow. “What should I do?”
“Let him keep the security of the costume for now. Heneeds it. Keep it washed and clean, and let’s see how long this period continues. You said he isn’t eating. Has he shown interest inanyfood you’ve offered?”
“Nothing. Not pizza, not cereal, not chicken nuggets. What kid doesn’t like chicken nuggets? I know I’ve seen him eat them, but he isn’t interested in anything children normally like. I called his babysitter, and she gave me suggestions, but the result is the same. He barely acknowledges the plates I put in front of him.”
Julia was quiet for a moment, which gave me an opportunity to study her. Her skin wasn’t simply dark brown. It was a deep, even brown that glowed like burnished bronze. She had high cheekbones and a graceful nose that flowed into full, sculpted lips. I couldn’t tell the length of her natural hair, but the style flattered the symmetry of her features and exposed the enticingly feminine slope of her neck.
I briefly looked at her hands. No ring. Surprising. But a woman who looked like her probably had a man. She had an open, friendly face and was attractive in a girl-next-door kind of way.
She swung her head in my direction, and when our eyes met, my breath caught. I’d lost track of the many women I’d slept with over the years. I liked women, period. So I never considered myself as having a type, but if I did, it would be this woman right here. Whoever her man was—if she had one—he was a lucky bastard.
“What does Noah call you?” Julia asked.
“He calls me Uncle Marcus. He’s been doing that since he was a toddler,” I answered.
“Mind if I talk to him alone for a minute?”
“Go right ahead,” I said, though I doubted she would make any progress.
She walked away, the skinny heels of her shoes sinking intothe grass with each step, her hips swinging gently from left to right as she moved. There was something about Julia that captured my attention.
If we had met under different circumstances, I’d definitely holler at her.
Chapter 3
Julia
Iapproached the little boy, who was sitting practically motionless on the swing. When I stopped in front of him, he didn’t lift his eyes.
I lowered myself to his level again and smiled, though he wasn’t looking at me. “Hi, Noah.”
“Hi.”
The girl beside him jumped off her swing and ran toward a group of other kids.
“Your Uncle Marcus told me that you haven’t been eating very much. Is that true?” I kept my voice light because I didn’t want him to feel as if he was being chastised.
He remained silent.
“I know you’ve been going through a very rough time, and I’m here to help. One of the things I want to do is help you find something to eat. It’s very important that you eat and drink so you can grow up big and strong like Robin.”
Still nothing.
