Page 120 of Engulfing Emma

I look at Brett for direction. I’m not sure how long he plans to stay here. He checks the time. “We have reservations at eight, so we have twenty minutes.”

“Water would be wonderful, Bonnie. Thank you.”

When she goes to the kitchen, the rest of us make our way to the couch. Or more precisely, I walk to the couch and Brett drags his son behind him.

“Leo, can you say hello to Emma?” he asks.

He shakes his head and climbs up on the couch to hide behind Brett.

“Hello, Leo,” I say. “Your daddy told me all about you.” I put the gift bag on the coffee table. “I brought you something.”

He doesn’t look interested.

“Don’t you want to see what Emma brought you?” Brett asks.

He shakes his head, still refusing to speak or look at me.

“I’ll open it then,” Brett says. “But if it’s candy, I get to eat it.”

Not even that veiled threat gets him to budge; he holds his ground at the far end of the couch.

Brett opens the bag and pulls out the plastic donkey, turning it over and examining it in his hands.

I could kick myself over my poor choice. I let Evelyn talk me into buying it as she thought it was hilarious.

“It’s a … donkey?” Brett asks with a raise of an eyebrow.

I’m suddenly very embarrassed to have brought him this cheap piece of plastic. But there’s not much I can do about it now, so I take it from him. “This isn’t just any donkey. He eats. And he … well, I’ll just have to show you.” Then I realize I forgot the most important part. “Oh, gosh. Please tell me you have Cheerios. Do you like Cheerios, Leo?”

He hides again.

“Leo loves Cheerios. Don’t you, bud?” Brett calls to the kitchen. “Bonnie, could you please bring a box of Cheerios with you?”

She returns with a bottle of water and the cereal.

“Thank you,” I say. I open the box and reach in for a handful. I turn to Leo. “Do you want to feed him?”

He shakes his head and sinks into the couch.

“Okay, I’ll do it.” I put Cheerios in the donkey’s mouth. It makes a burping noise.

Brett laughs. “Isn’t that funny, Leo?”

He isn’t amused.

“What happens when he gets full?” Brett asks.

“Well, you uh …” I’m sure my face is bright red. “You turn his tail around.”

Brett looks at me in surprise.

“I told you it was stupid.”

He grabs the donkey’s tail, turns it, and the donkey lets out a “hee-haw” when a Cheerio comes out his ass.

Brett laughs uncontrollably and turns the tail a few more times.

Leo crawls out from behind him and tries it, but all the Cheerios must be gone because nothing comes out. I hold out my hand with some cereal in it. “You have to feed him first.”

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