Page 168 of Things We Left Behind
“Good idea. I’ll talk to Lina and see if she can sexily wheedle anything out of Nash.”
Naomi cleared her throat pointedly.
“Fine! I’ll talk to her about sexy wheedlingwhenI tell her about the dumb, not-very-threatening note,” I agreed. “Even though I’ve had more creative and specific threats from the lady behind the deli counter at Grover’s.”
“Isn’t it nice when we’re all on the same page?” Naomi asked brightly.
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Mith Thloane! Mith Thloane!” Ezra was back, still wearing my cardigan and now waving what looked like a scroll.
“Hey, buddy,” I greeted.
“I made thith for you.” He shoved the paper at me. It was tied in the middle with a red string.
Behind me, Naomi made an “aww” noise.
“For me? Wow, thanks, Ezra. That is so sweet of you,” I said, carefully untying the string before unrolling the parchment paper.
“Thath you and thath me. We’re piraths just like that book we read. And thath the library on our pirate thip. See all the bookth? And hereth the X for the treathure!” He pointed out each element of the three-foot-long crayon and marker drawing. Stick figureEzra had one arm and four feet. My ponytail was green to match the hearts he’d sketched above and below the books.
“The. Cutest. I’m dying,” Naomi whisper squealed.
“Do you like it?” Ezra asked hopefully.
“I love it,” I said, unable to resist the urge to boop his nose. “It’s amazing and so are you.”
He flashed me a coy, tooth-deficient grin. “You could hang it up if you wanted.”
“I’m going to hang it up in my office so I can see it every day,” I promised.
“Awethome. Happy Valentineth Day!”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Ezra.”
He launched himself into my arms for the kind of hard, sticky, heart-melting hug that only kids under the age of six gave, then made a beeline for the pillow fort again.
“My heart,” Naomi said. “He’s Gael and Isaac’s new foster son, isn’t he?”
“He is. I watched him here for half an hour when Gael had to leave for a pet store emergency the other day. We read two pirate books, and he drew pictures for his new big sister.”
“It looks like you made quite the impression,” Naomi said, tapping the drawing.
“Me or the pirates.”
“You’re going to be a great mom,” she said.
Her words punched me right in the heart. “Thanks,” I said. “You already are.”
She leaned in and caught me in the kind of soft, spontaneous hug sisters exchanged. “We’re going to raise our families together,” she whispered in my ear.
“I was gone three minutes. What the hell has you two ready to bawl your eyes out?” Nash demanded, looking around the first floor of the library for obvious threats.
“Girl stuff,” I insisted.
“Sloane’s a pirate,” Naomi said with a sniffle.
“I don’t want to know,” Nash decided.
