Page 85 of Mr. Broody

I shake my head and rush inside.

Rowan is on the couch watching TV. “What’s… Bodhi, take a breath.” He sits up, and his feet go to the floor from the coffee table.

I stop and try to catch my breath. “Miss Jade… is going… to… Navy Pier… Sunday.”

“Oh.” Kyleigh sits on the edge of the couch.

I place my pretend drawing on the table. “Can you get Daddy to go?”

Rowan looks at Kyleigh. “We have an away game on Saturday. We’ll fly home that night, but we’ll be back late.”

Kyleigh nods.

“So, no?” I frown.

Kyleigh squeezes my shoulder. “No, not no. Let me figure this out, but we have to get your dad to agree to go. But he has to think he’s going for you, not to see Miss Jade.” I can tell she’s thinking really hard. “Did she say who she was going with?”

“Eloise?” I think that was her name. It’s kind of a weird name.

Kyleigh nods. “Okay, Bodhi, you have another job to do. You’re going to have to beg your dad to take you. But Rowan will encourage him to go.”

“I will?” Rowan looks surprised.

“Yep. Bodhi, you plant the seed tonight and mention it to your dad. Then Rowan will ask him tomorrow what he’s doing on Sunday, and the guys will handle the rest.”

I nod up and down a lot. “Okay.”

Rowan picks up his phone when it dings. “Showtime, buddy, that’s your dad saying you need to go back down for dinner.”

Kyleigh pats me on the back. “You got this. And if he says no, a little pouting isn’t a bad thing. This one time.” She makes this weird sort of face. “I’m earning such bad karma for our kids someday. I keep telling myself it’s for the greater good.”

I don’t know what that means, but Rowan laughs.

“Good luck, Bodhi,” Rowan says.

Kyleigh watches me walk down the stairs to our place.

When I walk in, my dad looks up from the plates of food. “Where’s the picture? I wanted to see it.”

“I drew it for Kyleigh.” I sit in my chair at the kitchen table. “Can we go to Navy Pier on Sunday?”

Daddy’s eyebrows rise. “Uh… let’s talk about it later.”

“Everyone at school has all these fun plans this weekend. I know you have a game tomorrow, so you’ll be tired, right?” I make a sad sort of face like Kyleigh said I should.

He sets his fork back down on the table and leans back into his chair. “I’m never too tired for you. Sure, but in the afternoon, so I can get some sleep in the morning, okay?”

“Okay.”

I try not to show how excited I am, but I did it! And I didn’t even need Rowan and the guys’ help. I did it all by myself.

Thirty-Seven

Jade

On Sunday morning, I roll over to grab my phone when I hear a text alert come through. It’s from Henry.

Good morning. I really wish I could see you today.

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