"Bon appétit," he said with a little flourish.
Zoe giggled. I bit my lip to keep from smiling.
We ate together, the three of us crowded around my tiny kitchen table. Zoe chattered about her dreams, her toys, and her plans for the day. Xavier listened to every word, asked follow-up questions, and laughed at her jokes.
When we'd finished, Xavier leaned back in his chair. "I have an idea. How do you feel about flying a kite?"
Zoe's eyes went wide. "A kite? A real kite?"
"Yep. We could go to the park, have a picnic." He glanced at me. "If your mom says it's okay."
Two pairs of eyes turned to me. Zoe's hopeful, Xavier's uncertain.
I should say no. He'd already spent the night. Playing house with him meant involving Zoe. When this was over, how would she cope?
But Zoe was looking at me with that expression—the one that made me want to give her the world.
"Okay," I said. "Let's fly a kite."
The park was crowded with families enjoying the unexpected warmth of a late February afternoon. Kids ran across the grass,dogs chased frisbees, and couples walked hand in hand along the winding paths.
We arrived to find someone already waiting for us near the entrance—a woman in a crisp uniform, holding a large basket.
"Mr. Dubois." She handed over the basket with a smile. "Everything you requested."
"Thanks, Maria."
Xavier took the basket and led us toward a quiet spot beneath a large oak tree. Inside, I found sandwiches wrapped in wax paper, fresh fruit, an assortment of cheeses and crackers, and little pastries that made Zoe squeal with delight. There was a soft blanket, the kind that probably cost more than my monthly grocery budget. And a kite, bright red with a long tail.
"You planned this," I said as we spread the blanket on the grass.
"I made a phone call." He shrugged like it was nothing. "I know people."
"Of course you do."
Zoe was already tearing into the kite packaging. "Can we fly it now? Please, please, please?"
"Let me figure out how it works first." Xavier took the kite from her, studying the instructions with a frown. "This can't be that hard."
Itwasthat hard.
I sat on the blanket and watched as Xavier attempted to get the kite airborne. He ran across the grass, string trailing behind him, while Zoe shouted instructions that may or may not have been accurate.
The kite rose three feet, then nosedived into the ground.
"Try again!" Zoe yelled.
He tried again. This time, the kite made it maybe six feet before crashing.
"You have to run faster!"
He ran faster. The kite did a loop, tangled itself around a bush, and required two minutes of careful extraction.
"I think the wind is wrong," Xavier said, slightly out of breath.
"The wind is fine." Zoe had her hands on her hips, looking like a tiny drill sergeant. "You're doing it wrong!"
I pressed my lips together, fighting a smile.
