“Well, whatever, okay? I guess I wasn’t really into him, anyway.”
“Liar. I saw the way you looked at him.”
I snag the last piece of sushi and shove it in my mouth.
“Hey!”
“That’s what you get for being mean,” I say around the food.
“It’s called tough love, my friend. Take it or leave it.”
I lick my fingers. “I need to take you there sometime. You’d love it.”
Korie gets up to throw the container away, then washes the fork and returns it to the drawer.
“Well, do you want to hang out? I was just going to put a movie on and paint my toenails.”
I rub my neck. I really shouldn’t. I need to go in early tomorrow to prepare for another class. Our summer schedule is jam-packed now that the kids are out of school. But the thoughtof going home to my empty apartment is even more depressing than another failed date. I really don’t want to.
“Do you care if I just stay over?”
Korie grins immediately. “No. When have I ever cared?”
5
KORIE
The little girl’s grip on the purple elephant is so tight her knuckles are pale, like she’s afraid someone might snatch it away if she loosens even a little.
I crouch down in front of her, keeping my voice soft and steady. “Hey. What’s her name?”
Amber sniffles, big watery eyes darting between me and the machine behind me. “Ellie,” she whispers.
“Ellie. That’s a good name.” I smile and tilt my head toward the X-ray table. “Do you think Ellie’s ever seen one of these before?”
Her lower lip wobbles, and she shakes her head hard.
“Yeah, I didn’t think so.” I lean in, like I’m letting her in on a secret. “But most elephants haven’t. Did you know that?”
Amber shakes her head again.
“So it’s kind of a big deal. Ellie should feel special to even be this close to one.”
That almost gets a reaction. Almost.
Her mom stands off to the side, trying to look calm, and failing. I give her a quick reassuring glance before turning back to the little girl.
“Okay,” I say gently. “So here’s what we’re gonna do. I need you to climb on this table so I can take a picture of your arm.”
“Will it hurt?”
“You won’t even feel it, I promise. But you’ll need to hold really, really still for a few seconds. Can you do that?”
She hugs Ellie closer.
“I’m afraid Ellie might get in the way if you keep holding her. So what if we put her right up here?” I gesture to the counter beside the machine. “That way she can watch you and make sure I’m doing everything right?”
Amber’s eyes widen like I just suggested throwing the toy out of a window, and she presses the stuffed elephant even closer to her chest. “Ellie’s scared!”
