“Don’t you want to make something?” I asked him. “I know you have a wonderful imagination.”
He grinned up at me. “Okay.”
He didn’t move, so I knelt down to look him in the eyes.
“Noey, you seem very happy today. Is something good happening in your world?”
He nodded, eyes wide and grin even wider.
“Want to tell me about it? Is there something fun in your backpack?”
He shuffled his feet and looked around. “Did you know that my Daddy can drive this boat all by himself?”
Well, okay then. A non sequitur typical of a six-year-old. I rolled with it despite the fact that I wasn’t sure I believed him.
“Wow, I didn’t know that! Very cool.”
He nodded. “And last night he made up a bedtime story for me that wassofunny. It was about a bunny who is best friends with a wolf. They had adventures together in the woods.”
Adorable, and very un-Logan. I wouldn’t have thought the man had the capacity for make-believe. But then again, he kept surprising me.
Noah kept up his chatter. “Did you know my Daddy is very, very tall?”
I chuckled. “Yes, I have noticed that. I bet you’re going to grow as tall as he is. Maybe taller!”
Noah beamed at me. “That’s what he says!”
I noticed that some of the other kids were now watching us.
“Bud, do you want to get started on your project?” I asked. “Because we have lots of other stuff we’re going to do today. We have a full schedule of fun!”
He nodded but kept talking. “Did I tell you that Ariel likes to sleep next to my Daddy on the couch now?”
Okay,thatwas big news. I assumed Logan would have zero tolerance for small furry things with claws.
This was one update that needed a follow-up question. “Does he like it?”
Noah nodded. “Yup! He said that Ariel is the best kitten on the boat.”
I refrained from saying that she was theonlykitten on the boat.
“You like kitties too, right?” he asked.
“Oh yes. Very much,” I replied.
Noah nodded. “Just like my Daddy.”
Noah shifted the backpack.
“Hey, why don’t we put that heavy thing in your cubby? Then it won’t get in the way while you work on your sea creature.”
I reached for it and he sidestepped, eyeing me.
“It’s my work case, like my Daddy’s,” he insisted.
Okay, something was definitely weird. Henevertalked this much. And why was every word of it about Logan?
I lowered my voice because the kids sitting closest to where we were chatting were locked into our conversation. “Noah, you’re telling me a lot of interesting stuff about your dad this morning, and I love hearing all of these updates. But can you tell mewhyyou think I need to know all of this information?”
