Page 159 of Reeves

"Hot."

I take his backpack from his shoulder and stand, keeping one hand on his back as we move toward the exit.

"Let's get you somewhere cool. We've got to stop by the office for me to sign you out, so stand in front of one of those fans."

Once I finish with the administrative part, the walk to the car is like swimming through mud. Benjy stays close to my side instead of running ahead or stopping to examine interesting cracks in the sidewalk. The heat has drained all his normal curiosity.

At the car, I unlock his door first and help him into his booster seat despite him being perfectly capable of buckling himself. He doesn't protest. He just sits there with his head tilted back against the headrest, eyes half-closed.

I start the engine and immediately direct all the air vents toward the back seat.

"Better?"

He nods without opening his eyes.

The car stays quiet as we pull out of the lot. No chatter about his day, no questions. Just the hum of the air conditioning and the rush of cool air filling the car.

My phone buzzes from the cup holder.

Reeves's name appears on the screen, and I realize I neverresponded to his text from this morning. We were flirting, but then I walked into an appointment, and I haven't stopped since.

I glance in the rearview mirror to see Benjy picking at something on the side of his shoe.

I pull over into a shaded spot and pick up the phone.

If I took it too far earlier, I’m sorry.

I type back quickly.

Day blew up. Had to pick Benjy up early and cancel my next two days. School’s closed tomorrow and Wednesday.

The response comes within seconds.

That's a lot. Everything okay? Can I help you?

Instead of texting back, I hit his name.

He answers on the first ring. “Hey.”

“Hi. It’s easier to call. I’m in the car.”

“What happened?”

I merge back into traffic and check the rearview mirror. Benjy sits with his head tipped back against the seat, his cheeks still flushed but not as bright as before.

“The AC went out at the school. They shut everything down and called parents for early pickup.”

“Shit.” He exhales. “Do you want me to take him for a few hours? Give you time to work.”

My hands shift on the steering wheel as I slow for the car in front of me. I glance at his name on the screen, then back at the road. It hits me all at once that he never even crossed my mind when I was trying to figure out how to juggle the rest of the week.

“I already rescheduled everyone. I’ve got it handled.”

“Okay.”

There is a short pause before he speaks again.

“Well, if you don’t have a plan for how to fill your days, I hear this Illusions museum in New Orleans is pretty cool. You could both come do that one of the days.”