Page 18 of The Manny

“Yes.” Mia pushed spaghetti around her plate with her fork. “When I don’t know people.”

Clearing his throat, Jack said, “Well, there’s nothing wrong with being shy.”

“I don’t like it because my face gets hot.” Mia glanced up. “And I can’t say the words I want to say.”

“You’ll outgrow that.” Jack shrugged.

“Mrs. Gable says that being shy is rude to other people,” Mia whispered.

Irritation settled in my gut. “She’s crazy.”

Jack frowned. “Who’s Mrs. Gable?”

“Mia’s babysitter back in Florida.” I wiped my mouth with my napkin. I was beginning to really dislike this Mrs. Gable woman. “Apparently she smells like onions and her voice is too loud.”

Mia giggled. “Yes.”

“Oh.” Jack studied Mia. “Well, I don’t agree with Mrs. Gable. People can’t help being shy.”

“Maybe when I go to school I’ll get better,” Mia said.

“Sure. Also, the more you play with your friends at the park, you’ll learn to talk to different kinds of people.” I smiled at her.

Jack’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he tugged it out with a scowl. “Shit. I have to go back to the damn shop.”

I winced and said softly, “Language, Uncle Jack.”

He looked up. “Huh?”

I tilted my head toward Mia, who luckily was busy chasing a cherry tomato around her plate with her fork, and didn’t seem to notice what we were talking about.

“Oh, yeah.” He grimaced. “Uh, darn it. I have to go back to work after dinner.”

Mia looked up. “Oh, no.”

“It’s okay.” He sighed. “I’m used to it.”

She bit her lip, a line between her brows. “Mommy went back to work the night she went to heaven.”

Jack stilled. “Is that right?”

She nodded. “Toby drove her,” she whispered. “Then they didn’t never come home.”

I clenched my jaw at the raw fear in her voice. “Uncle Jack will be extra careful, right?”

He met my gaze. “Uh… yeah.”

Mia slid out of her chair and came over to me. “Can I go to bed?”

I was surprised at the request because it was still fairly early in the evening. “Are you tired already?”

She shook her head. “I want to go to look at my photo of mommy.”

“Of course.” I sighed, brushing her blonde bangs from her eyes. “How about a nice warm bath and then straight to bed?”

“Okay.”

“Why don’t you say goodnight to Uncle Jack?” I suggested.

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