Seriously? What were they teaching these kids nowadays? “Eeyore is all doomsday and Pooh is sunshine. Which one would youratherbe?”
“Eeyore,” she answered, suppressing asmile.
“The correct answer is Pooh.” I tickled her, and we bothgiggled.
“So what do you say? Shall we both give positivityatry?”
She shrugged. “I don’t really have anything elsetodo.”
“True,” I said, laughing at her apathy. “I know it feels weird to have fun when your mom and dad can’t be part of it, but I know they would want you to smile again and be goofy. So let’s make it our mission to be crazy fun at least once every day whileyou’rehere.”
“Like this?” She rolled her eyes up in her head and sucked hercheeksin.
“Ah, yes, the fish face. Nicestart,girl.”
I high-fived my smiling niece and silently cheered my firstvictory.
* * *
Jake camein a couple hours later, and I placed my finger over my lips to let him know he needed to be quiet. He nodded as he slid into place beside me on the couch and draped his arm over myshoulder.
“What happened?” He whispered. “Kyle told me Sydney started crying. Issheokay?”
I tucked both knees under me and sat up straighter, excited to tell him about the breakthrough I’d had with Syd. As I rattled on and on, Jake listened intently, nodding and smiling at the right moments. Finally when I stopped to breathe, he leaned in and planted his lipsonmine.
“That’s awesome, Case. I haven’t seen you this happy in alongtime.”
“I am. I just feel like I really connected with her… like maybe I can help her get to a place where she doesn’t want to cry twenty-four hoursaday.”
“And maybe she’ll do the sameforyou.”
I nodded, although I was wondering whether she already had. I now had a mission more important than myself, and itfeltgood.
“Oh, and just a heads-up. I think Syd might have a crush on you, so keep the strolls through the bus in your underwear to aminimum.”
“I’ll do my best to refrain from publicnudity.”
“Thank you. And, I have to say, you don’t seem all that surprised that she’s crushingonyou.”
“Because I alreadyknewthat.”
“Youdid?”
“Yeah. She’s always mean to me. That’s how crushes work at that age. You’d know that if you hadn’t been a card-carrying tomboygrowingup.”
“Hey, this tomboy had crushes. Lucky for you I threw the athletic shorts and jerseys away long ago. I’m all woman now,” I said pushing my bosom into him to prove my point. His hands went straight for my breasts like a moth to theflame.
“If I promise to be really quiet,” he said, his voice so low I had to strain to hear, “do you think we can getiton?”
I stood up and held out my hand. “I think that can bearranged.”
We tiptoed past the bunk bed and confirmed two sets of eyes were soundly closed before sneaking into thebedroom.
“Lock the door,” I said as I crawled quietly onto the bed. “And Jake, I’m not just talking once – check that damn lock no less than three times, then tip-toe your ass over here… but don’t forget to keep your mouth shut alongtheway.”
“Jesus, that’s a lot of instructions toremember.”
“If you can’t recall three simple steps, then you don’t deserve tohavesex.”
