“Hi, Noah!” I said. “What’s going on?”
He sniffled. “Can you…can you come home right now?”
“We’re on the way, bud,” Logan replied. “It’s going to be a little bit, but we’re going as fast as we can.”
He picked the phone up and sent a quick text, probably to the captain.
“Noah, did you have a bad dream?” I asked gently.
“Yes. I dreamed that there weremonstersliving in Papa’s house!” Noah exclaimed. “Big, mean monsters in the house, and there were scary snakes in the pool that tried to bite my toes.”
So the work at his grandfather’s house was having an impact on him. We’d tried not to be too obvious about the move on the horizon, but Noah was a perceptive kid.
Logan looked at me for guidance.
“Oh, that must’ve beenreallyscary,” I said in a reassuring voice. “But the good news is that there’s no such thing as monsters.”
“But snakes are real,” he offered.
“You’re right, they are real,” I said, “but if there were any in the pool, we’d be able to see them. And the last time I checked, it was one hundred percent snake free.”
“Nina’s right,” Logan added. “And, worst-case scenario, if we found a snake in there, I’d grab it before anything could happen to hurt you.”
“You’re not afraid?” Noah asked, awe in his voice.
“Nope. I like snakes.”
The line went silent as he considered the admission.
“Nina, do you like snakes?” Noah asked.
My eyes drifted to Logan’s lap before I could stop myself, and he caught me. We both shook our heads in unison like we were embarrassed at the way our minds worked.
“Idolike them,” I said simply.
“Noey, we’ll be home soon, I promise. In the meantime, could you and Mrs. Miller maybe draw a picture of Ariel? I need a new drawing for my office.”
“Really? Okay, yeah. I can draw you a picture.” A pause. “But come home now, okay?”
“You got it, bud.”
The phone rumbled, and we could hear Noah running and calling for his kitten.
“Crisis averted,” I sighed.
“Hello? Are you there, Mr. Ashford?” Josie asked.
“Still here. We’re on our way and should be back at the house by eleven. Are you all okay? And can Mrs. Miller stay?”
“She can. I think we’re all set. Noah seems okay now, but he’s been up and down. I don’t think he’s quite used to being without you yet. Still fragile, that poor boy.”
“Agreed,” Logan replied. “We’re working on that. Back soon, thanks for calling.”
Logan disconnected the call and dropped his phone onto the table with a sigh. “Just when I thought he was making progress.”
“Fits and starts,” I reminded him. “It’s expected.”
He paused for a moment. “Thank you. For everything.”
