I nod, acknowledging her. Why does she think I left it in the kitchen?
No part of me wants to talk to anyone.
“It’s Leo.”
She hands me my phone, andit ishim.
Huh.
“Hello?”
“Get your cute butt downstairs. We have things to do, places to be,” he chirps. Then I hear the familiar sweet giggle of my favorite girl, and I’m out of bed without thinking.
I need to see her.
Quickly, I wash my face, careful not to wet my stitches, and then throw on a warm sweater and jeans before telling Mom I’m leaving. If my leg weren’t still sore, I’d be running down the steps, busting through the front doors, but it takes me a little longer than usual.
“What are you doing here?” I ask Leo, then turn around to find Claud, but I don’t see her.
Leo brings me in for a tight hug that almost has my resolve breaking on contact. “I figured you’d be wallowing around like your other half.”
I don’t have a second to ask him how Harrison is because Claud comes running out of the bakery with a macaron sticking out of her mouth. I should have known that’s where she would be.
Leo has to warn her to slow down so she doesn’t hurt my leg, but to have her in my arms right now would be worth the pain and cheaper than going to my therapist.
She hugs me tightly, chewing loudly in my ear, putting a smile on my face. “Hi,” she mumbles through a full mouth. “I miss you. When are you coming home?”
My eyes glance at Leo, and he frowns, as if he’s wondering the same thing.
Claud’s smart, so I need to be honest. “I’m not sure, sugar plum. Hopefully soon.” She doesn’t answer. Instead, she tightens the hold around my neck when she’s done eating. If I know anything about Claud, it’s that she wants me to hold her and carry her to wherever we’re going. Claudina is ultra-affectionate, and being held tightly by someone she feels comfortable with is her safety blanket.
As much as I want to keep her in my arms all day, I won’t be able to. Soon, my knee and leg will start throbbing. Leo must think the same thing, so he takes her out of my arms.
“Do you want to come see the stars with us?” she asks, and I look at Leo for help. I have no idea what she’s talking about.
“Claud wants to go to the planetarium at the Museum of Natural History. She likes to lie back and look at the stars.”
“Sure, I’d love to, sugar plum.” At this age, the show at the planetarium would be hard for her to grasp, but when I was younger, I thought it was the coolest thing just to sit back and watch.
“Should we take a taxi?” Leo asks, glancing down at my leg.
“Let’s walk. I won’t be able to spend time roaming the museum after the show, though, and I’ll take a taxi back.”
This is what I needed today.
To spend time with my sugar plum, hearing her giggles and holding her in my lap while we watched the stars.
There came a point where I needed to rest but didn’t want to go home, so I read in the park while they explored more of the museum, and then all three of us had an early dinner.
Now we’re waiting for our car, and I can see Leo’s itching to talk to me; he’s been a jittery bundle of nerves all day, trying his best to hold back, but I can’t stand it anymore.
“Just spit it out already,” I say.
“Claud, sweetheart, can you go play on the grass? I need to talk to Jules for a moment.”
Claud skips off without questioning him, bouncy pigtails and all. As she gets further from us, my heart rate skyrockets and my body goes into panic mode.
“No, Claud!” I scream and freeze, realizing what I’ve done. It’s as if all of Manhattan has just gone silent. People are staring at me, and Claud is stuck in her spot, wide-eyed.
