Page 27 of Leo
Officer Douglas didn’t roll his eyes, but he definitely looked like he wanted to.“You’ve reminded me several times.”
She jerked her chin at me.“I refused to answer any questions without you here.”
Leo turned his face up to me, naked with relief and joy and a thousand things I couldn’t name.“I told her she’s not in trouble.I’m not mad—I’m so fu… uh.Freaking thankful.But Bethany.”He shifted to face her.“I promise you’re not in trouble.”
“How did you find him?”I asked, going to crouch beside her.
“I didn’t know he was missing,” she muttered, giving me a shrug.“I was coming out of journalism club, and he was sitting on the steps, holding a beetle in his hand and waiting for me.”
“I found a glowworm!”Edward wiggled to face Bethany.“It really is a beetle—the worm part is a misnomer based on their larval stage!”He turned his tired but proud eyes up to me.“Bethany said it was hella cool.”
“Don’t say hella,” Leo, Bethany, and I all muttered.
Officer Douglas directed our attention back to him and started going over the story one more time.
“So just make sure I’ve got this correct, okay Edward?You found this cool bug—”
“A pink glowworm,” he corrected.“It’s an insect.Bugs are insects but not all insects are bugs.”
Officer Douglas nodded slowly.“Okay then.Thank you for correcting me.Gotta make sure I have everything correct.So, you found this cool glowworm and decided to show your friend, Bethany.”
Bethany raised one hand in a weak wave.
“Yeah,” Edward agreed.“Ms.Webb was yelling at Gina and Melanie because they were throwing the Lego around likecrash, crash, crashand it was too loud.”
“Is that when you got your headphones?”Leo asked quietly.
Edward nodded.“And I wanted to draw the glowworm to show Bethany because she does really cool drawings of beetles and stuff but then I decided it’d be better to show her the actual glowworm because I’m not so good at drawing, not like she is, and the high school is just right there so I walked over.”He shrugged.“I got thirsty and got some water from the big kid fountain at the middle school and my shirt got wet and some got up my nose.I got kind of bored waiting for Bethany to come out after this lady at the high school said no little kids allowed without a grown-up.”
Officer Douglas made a disgruntled sound.“We’ll let the high school know so they can talk to their afternoon door monitors about procedure.Someone should have started trying to track down his adult as soon as he showed up unattended.”
“Shoulda, coulda, woulda,” Leo muttered.
“Then what happened, Edward?”Officer Douglas urged gently.
Edward shrugged again.“Then I waited for Bethany.I figured she’d come out front because she doesn’t drive so she wouldn’t go to the parking lot on the other side of the school.I tried to teach my glowworm how to sit still but he didn’t want to, so I just let him crawl around and tickle me a little.”
Bethany smiled at him.“It was a really cool glowworm, Eddie.Thank you for showing me.”She darted a glance my way and I saw how scared she was, how wide her eyes were.She was waiting to be torn a new one—I knew that face well since it was the same one I made when I was afraid and sure I was about to be fired or broken up with or cut loose from something I cared about.“My phone was off,” she said in a rush.“I turned it off during the club meeting, and I forgot to turn it back on.When I came out and he was sitting there I thought I’d walk him home so no one worried and,” she trailed off, sniffing loudly.“I’m sorry!”she blurted.“I didn’t even think that he might be considered missing!”
Leo’s jaw worked mutely, but then he sighed, closing his eyes as he shifted around to sit sideways, facing Bethany better and holding Edward in his lap still.“It’s okay.Well.I mean.Not super fine hunky dory, but it’s okay Bethany.It was a lapse in judgment.But he’s okay.You’re okay.You brought him home…” It was his turn to sniffle.“And I’m so freaking thankful.Anyone could’ve found him, or he could’ve wandered off if he got too bored or—”
“I would’ve gone to the shop,” Edward muttered.
“Not along a busy road!”Leo sounded scandalized and afraid.“Edward, you know better, and you know not to walk off from school.We’re going to have a very long talk about safety and how to handle boredom and frustration tomorrow, but tonight, I’m just so happy you’re home and safe.”
Bethany’s sniffle was the only warning I had she was about to tackle me.With a solidoof, we were both flat on the floor, her crying against my shoulder while I struggled to sit us both up.
Officer Douglas sighed and closed his tablet.“I think we’ve got enough here, but I may have more questions for you later, Mr.Morris.And you too, young Mr.Morris.”
Edward nodded solemnly.“When do I get my glowworm back?”
Officer Douglas and Leo both froze.“Where did you last see it?”Leo asked, resigned.
“The living room.I set it down so I could go pee when we came in.Bethany, do you have him?”
Bethany rocked back, wiping her wet face with the back of her hand.“No.Can’t have gone far, though.It glows in the dark so we can find him in a little bit, I bet.”
* * *
