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“I know, Daddy said the same thing. But I think I wanna try.”
“Okay, we can support you in that.”
“When I grow up I wanna be a stunt rider, a baker, and a florist.”
“Wow, you’re gonna be busy. How will you manage it all?”
“Just like you do. You can do anything.”
“I’m not a stunt rider.”
“But you could be if you wanted. Daddy said when you set your mind, things get done.”
“Maybe.” I was butter being spread over a slice of bread. There wasn’t enough of me to go around.
“Do you think you could make me an outfit for my first competition?”
“Whoa, there’s a whole lot of information in one sentence. First, we haven’t even signed you up for a competition.”
“Daddy said if you say yes, he’d make it happen.”
“Second, competition outfits are standard. They don’t want all that razzle dazzle flying everywhere. And lastly, I don’t know how to sew.”
“You could watch an online video.”
Pulling into a prime parking spot, I shut the car off and we both climbed out. Maple looked up at me with a smile and slipped her hand in mine. She was a perfect blend of me and Ozzie, and I think whom she favored depended on whom she was standing next to at the time. Her skin was sepia-hued like mine, and she had big eyes and dimples. I didn’t know where she got those from, because neither Ozzie nor I had them. Her hair was styled in an intricate braid pattern with pink, purple, and clear beads on the ends.
“Have you given any thought to your birthday?” I asked.
“Yes, I have lots of thoughts.”
“Lots?”
She rattled off a list. “On the ranch, with horses, we get to ride, we get to groom and feed ’em. Then there’s face painting, and we can make mini flower arrangements. And there’s food and we can have soda.”
“You’re not having soda.”
“One soda.”
“No. But I think your dad and I can manage the rest.”
“And Aunt Fancy can sing.”
“Aunt Fancy charges a hundred grand for a private performance. So you’d have to ask her really nicely.”
“I can do that. And then after…”
“After what?”
“After the party—you, me, and Daddy have a sleepover.”
“Wouldn’t you rather have a sleepover with your friends?”
“Uh-uh, I wanna be with my two favorite people and Shabba.”
“We’ll see.”
Maple pouted. “No, when you say ‘we’ll see,’ it usually means no.”
