Page 34 of Leading Conviction
“Upstairs.” She giggled until something like recognition lit her face and she gasped, “You know Mary-duh? Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! This boy knows Princess Mary-duh!”
The woman laughed and picked the girl up even though she was almost as big as her. “The Mérida Tommy and Miss Hannah came from is a place, not a redheaded princess.”
Tommy turned to Hannah with a furrowed brow, but Hannah shrugged, just as unsure as he was of who they were talking about.
“We’re headed back upstairs. Sorry to interrupt y’all. She beat me in our tag-floor-is-lava-hide-and-seek mashup game.” She bopped Thea on the nose with her finger as they both giggled. “We’ve stayed at the mountain cabin more than we’ve ever stayed here, but somehow this four-year-old knows her way ’round way better than I do.”
“We’re watchin’Braveif you wanna come,” Thea offered, pointing at Tommy, whose scowl was back on his face.
“The Braves don’t play today.”
“Yes, it does,” Thea insisted with her own face twisted in confusion. “I watchBravewhenever Mommy lets me.”
“No, you don’t. They don’t play every day.”
“Yes, it does.”
“No, they don’t.”
“Yes, itdoes!”
“No, they don’t!”
“Yes, it—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa—” Naomi interrupted with a laugh. “I think there’s been a slight miscommunication. Thea, the AtlantaBravesare a baseball team Tommy likes. Tommy,Braveis a movie about Princess Merida. If you would like to come watch that with us, we’ll be watchin’ the first fifteen minutes on repeat because that’s this one’s favorite part. But we can watch somethin’ else, too, if you’d like. Did you happen to eat lunch? I can fix you a grilled cheese.”
Nora looked at her watch and cursed, “Oh my goddess, it’s already past noon!”
“We usually have a late lunch, so I’m sure Tommy wouldn’t mind eating now. What do you say,mijo?”
Hannah studied Tommy as he thought over his options before finally shaking his head.
“I’m not hungry yet. Besides, we’re having a meeting. I can’t go watch a kid’s movie right now.”
His tone had a hint of regret, and Hannah’s heart ached for him. Tommy was just an eight-year-old boy. He shouldn’t have had to be so serious. After everything they’d been through together, she’d only thought it was right to include him in the decisions and meetings that impacted his own life. She’d been moved around like a rag doll most of her childhood, she wanted him to feel like he had some agency in his own life. But was she putting too much on him?
Thea rolled her eyes dramatically, making her red curls flounce around her shoulders.
“Grown-upsalwayshave meetin’s. I wannaplay,” she all but yelled the last word and everyone but Tommy and Hannah snickered in their seats.
“You can go, you know,avecito,” Hannah reassured him. “You don’t have to be here if you don’t want to be, and I can tell you anything you want to know afterward.”
Tommy shrugged his slumped shoulders. “Maybe I’ll watch it later.”
Thea’s bottom lip poked out with disappointment, but when Wes piped in, her smile returned easily.
“Hey, Thea, just give us grown-ups a little more time and I’ll be up there to watchBravewith you, alright?”
The way the little girl beamed at him made Hannah’s chest tighten.
“Okay, but if you’re late, I get to start it over.” She dared a glance at her mother, testing her limits with her meager bargaining.
“I don’t negotiate with four-year-olds, T.” Thea went back to pouting, but her mother laughed and waved at Hannah. “I’m Naomi, by the way. I don’t think we’ve properly met. Maybe we can chat sometime soon after all this slows down?”
After all this slows down…what would that feel like?
Hannah nodded, unable to ignore the hope firing in her chest. “I’d like that.”
