Page 20 of Something New

"There is?" John-Michael asked, glancing at her as he took it from her.

"It's the song," she said with a smile. "The frog, on the log, in the hole, and so on and so forth. I said it was at the bottom of the pool instead of the bottom of the sea." She turned to regard Ethan with a serious concerned expression. "I hope that didn't freak you out or anything. It's just a silly song. The real song says the hole is in the bottom of the sea. There's no frog in your pool."

"I’m not scared," he said. "Sing it for my dad, please, okay?"

She smiled and shook her head and seemed reluctant. "Your dad has about one minute to scarf down his pizza before he has to get back to work."

"Yes, and I have to be busy in my office for long enough tonight that Sadie will have to help you with bath and bedtime. I'm sorry, y'all. I really thought we'd be wrapping up by now."

"It's fine if Sadie stays here," Ethan said. "Now, she'll sing the hole in bottom song."

John-Michael made a relieved expression since breaking it to Ethan about his bedtime routine was an easier conversation than he expected. He smiled at the two of them and then he took a big bite of the pizza, folding it in half lengthwise and eating a third of it in one bite.

"Let's hear it," he said chewing and smiling.

"Yeaaaa!" Ethan cheered.

Sadie widened her eyes and stalked toward Ethan. He was at the kitchen table and John-Michael was a few feet away, at the island. She sang slowly, being funny, and approaching Ethan, not caring if John-Michael was watching them. The sight of her made his heart race.

"There's a… frog on the bump, on the branch, on the long, in the hole, in the bottom of the… pool." She made a silly expression and jumped at him when she said pool, and he squealed with delight. "And it goes on and on," she said, laughing and turning to John-Michael who could not take his eyes off of them.

"Tell hiiim the rest!" Ethan said laughing and kicking his little feet like he was paddling in the pool.

"She will sometime, buddy. She's probably still got a tummy ache." John-Michael said it to tease her—to get a rise out of her. It worked. The instant the words came out of his mouth her eyes grew huge with urgency and embarrassment. He laughed, and she knew he was teasing her. She shook her head and smiled at him, and he gave her a mischievous smile as he finished his pizza.

"Do you know there's fleas on the frog?" Ethan asked his dad, still focused on the song.

"I did not know there were fleas on the frog."

The boy looked at her. "Tell him."

"Are there really fleas on the frog? Does this song say that?" John-Michael asked.

She shrugged and nodded. "There is a flea on the frog in the song." She looked at Ethan. "You know it's just silliness, though, right?"

He giggled and nodded, leaning back in his chair.

"Thank you for the pizza," John-Michael said quickly taking a sip of water from a glass that was on the counter.

"It's yours, but you're welcome."

"And thanks for hanging out with E. Usually, we start winding down by eight. He can watch a few cartoons, then bath, and story, and sleeping by eight-thirty—no later than nine. I'm hoping I'll be done before then and I can do all that."

She could tell he was worried about it, and she gave him a reassuring smile. "It's fine if you're not done in time. We're chillin'."

He wiped his mouth and then flashed his teeth at her. "Do I have anything in my teeth?"

"No," she said, inspecting his mouth.

"What about my nose or face?"

She stood in front of him and looked him over. "N-no."

"Why'd you hesitate?"

"I-nothing. If you were one of my brothers, I'd reach up and mess with your hair in one spot."

"My hair? Do it. Just adjust it." He leaned in, and she did one thing, smoothing part of his hair right above his right ear. He felt her cold fingers touch his ear as she tucked a stray section of hair behind his ear. He smiled at her. She was the most adorable thing he had ever seen.

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