Dixon just smiled, letting the kids dream up their own ever afters.
“Yeah,” Jarod added.“And the forest people knew how to make different kinds of bread ’cause they were from a different country, so I bet they taught Augustus’s mom how to make their bread, and then the head of the forest people and Augustus’s dad went into business together and became the richest bread kings in all the land.”
From the back corner of the room, thirteen-year-old Tiffany Eddison raised her voice a little, which was a welcome surprise since she normally spoke in whispers and barely at all.“I think Augustus married the forest people’s princess.”
“He’s a teenager,” Carter pointed out, rolling his eyes.
“So.”Tiffany’s face turned red.“Teenagers fall in love all the time.Haven’t you ever heard ofRomeo and Juliet?”
And now Carter was blushing, and he stiffened and turned to stare at a wall.
“Y’all think about it,” Dixon said, “and maybe I’ll stop by soon so you can tell me what you came up with.Write it down so you don’t forget.”
“Okay!”Sunday jumped up from her spot on the floor, and she rushed to Cela and me standing near the door.“Can Mr.Dixon come back next week, Cela?”
“Sure, honey, if he wants to.”Cela looked across the room at Dixon.
He shrugged before he high-fived Jarod.“I’m down.”
ChapterEighteen
Dixon
“That was genius,”AJ said, “makin’ the kids come up with their own ending.”
“I don’t know about genius, but I know how hard bein’ stuck in a hospital is, how boring and lonely.This way, they have somethin’ extra to focus on if they want to.And maybe some of the kids will start to imagine other stories.”
Like Stu.
Being around other kids made me ache to see him again.What was he thinking about right now, right this very minute?Was he home from school?Did Bax and Bea allow him a popsicle, or were they more the “apples are a good after school snack” kind of people?
“I’ll drop you back at your car,” AJ said as she drove through town.Rain still fell, but it had quieted to a mist.“Thanks for goin’ with me.I think the children really enjoyed story time.”
“Yeah,” I said, thinking I’d really enjoyed it too.Maybe AJ was right.Maybe I should start writing my stories down.I mean, I didn’t have any expectations that I’d become some kind of bestselling author, but what could it hurt to jot down the crap running amok in my head?
I thought about it while we drove.AJ was quiet, too, and she had this small, serene smile on her face the whole way.She turned on her van’s radio halfway to Lee Valley, and old eighties pop songs played in the background.
When she pulled up behind my El Camino, I asked, “If you were gonna write some stories down, what would you use?Your phone?Plain ol’ paper?”
Turning slowly to face me, she judged the look in my eyes and spoke carefully, like she didn’t want to spook me out of my plan.“I’d use my laptop.There’s a free document program you could use.I’ll show you.”
“I don’t have a laptop.”
“You can use my old one.It still works.I bought a new one because it came out in a pretty pink color and has a bigger screen, but the old one is tried and true.”
“I can’t take your?—”
“Dixon, it’s a used laptop, not a car, and if you don’t take it, it’ll just collect dust on the shelf in my closet.It’s a gift.Please accept it.”
“Okay,” I said.“If you insist.Thanks.”
The smile lighting her eyes was magnificent, and the dimples I still remembered showed around her mouth.“You’re welcome.Now, get to work.I’ll text you this weekend.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said as I opened my door.“Oh, but if I don’t get back to you right away, forgive me.I’m startin’ my second job at the animal clinic tomorrow mornin’.They didn’t tell me the hours, so I don’t know how long I’ll be.And then Sunday is supper with my family over at Bax’s house.”Which got me thinking.“Do you wanna come with?”
“To dinner?With your family?”
“Yeah,” I said.Having her support would make things less daunting.Her laugh comforted me and made me remember who I used to be.
