Mabel’s head bobbed as well.“But to answer your question, I don’t actuallyhavea favorite bird.There are too many remarkable and notable birds to narrow it down to one.At the moment, I have this bird—” she held up her phone to show Austin.“The turquoise-browed motmot, as my wallpaper.I like this bird because the colorful feathers aren’t just restricted to the males.They also have these unique tail feathers.And inherent knowledge to avoid poisonous snakes and only eat the non-poisonous ones.I call that clever.I like clever animals.”
Austin nodded some more.“Me too.”His nose wrinkled again.“What’s a dumb animal?”
Lennox and I both snorted, and our lips wiggled as we tried to hide our smiles.I was sure we could both come up with a half dozen or more dumb members of our own species.
“Koalas,” Mabel said without hesitation.“They’re idiots.”
“Mabel,” Lennox scolded.
She looked at him like he was crazy.“Well, they are.They’re smooth-brained.You take the leaves off a eucalyptus tree and a koala won’t know that it can eat the leaves.Theyhaveto be on the tree for the idiot to eat it.”Her head shook, and she made a disgusted face.“I don’t have patience or energy for dumb animals.”
“Me either,” Austin agreed.“I didn’t know that about koalas.”
Mabel stood up straight, her eyes alert as they darted around the property, but almost refused to meet Austin’s gaze, even though I could tell he was trying to make eye contact with her.“Let’s go, Dad.”
Austin blinked at me, confused by the quick change in subject and her demeanor.
I gently shook my head and smiled, telling him silently to let it go.
Lennox gave both of us an apologetic grimace.“All right, Mabes, let’s go.Thanks for the tour of the winery and the glass of wine.”A wariness glimmered in his brown gaze for a moment as he pinned it on me, before flicking it toward the barn.Was he still thinking about the wolfsbane?
Shit.
Maybe we needed to move it.Or get rid of it altogether.
All I could do at this point was smile as he steered his daughter toward the passenger door while he stepped around the grill to the driver’s side.
“You can come back and bring your app again if you want,” Austin offered.“I’ve seen lots of hummingbirds and robins around the property too.”
Mabel was sitting in the passenger seat now and buckling her belt.“Hummingbirds and robins aren’t rare or exciting.”
I could see my son’s excitement deflate like a popped balloon.“Oh.”
Lennox gave him a sympathetic smile as he swung in behind the steering wheel.“That was very kind of you to offer, Austin.Wasn’t it kind of him, Mabel?”
She glanced at her dad.“I don’t know.He was just telling me about the birds he sees in his yard.Common birds that we see everywhere.How was that kind?”
Austin looked at me, still confused.
I rested my hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“See you at school on Monday, Austin.Hacky Sack on the four square at recess?”
My kid perked up.“Yes, please.”
Lennox grinned at both of us, turned over the ignition of his truck, and Austin and I watched them pull away.
Once they were out of sight, we wandered back to the property.“Why was she so rude?”he asked.“Did I do something wrong?”
I let out a sigh and draped my arm around his shoulder.“You did nothing wrong, sweetheart.She wasn’trudeper se; she just doesn’t always understand social structure, and when or how to say things that are kind versus just straight factual.”
His brows furrowed for a second.“Is she autistic?”
I glanced at him in surprise.“She is, yes.How did you know?”
He shrugged.“You saying that stuff about her not understanding social stuff, and her being a little rude.It clicked for me.Luca in my class is autistic too, and they act the same in a few ways.Luca’s not as smart as Mabel, but he likes rules and routine, and is obsessed with trains and the color red.He can also be rude sometimes.Like … his words are sharp, not soft, if that makes sense.He doesn’t necessarily want to cut with them, but they’re sharp anyway.”
That’s right.I had totally forgotten about Luca in Austin’s class.
