“Different, but not bad.”
Soon, Pixie hoped, he’d start to like it. As she’d learned, having more people in your life was a very good thing.
Benny was healing nicely, but wow, he was excited to see Brogan again. While Ellen entertained Pixie, Andy, and Shayna in the living room, Benny peppered Brogan with dozens of questions. At one point, he asked if he could let his friends know that Brogan was there.
Brogan had agreed with a shrug and soon there were five boys hanging out. Brogan managed to entertain them all.
“Do you think I could, you know, get a pic with you?” Benny asked. “For show-and-tell at school?”
The other boys cheered the idea, all talking at once about how cool that would be.
“Sure.” Brogan glanced toward the kitchen, catching Pixie’s eye. “I think we could manage that.”
Pixie grinned. “I’m happy to take it for you.”
Ellen handed over her phone, saying quietly, “Benny doesn’t have a phone of his own, but some of his friends do. I try to limit the time he spends on devices.”
“Good for you,” Pixie said just as quietly. “Parenting is hard, and I don’t look forward to Andy wanting all the newest devices. It feels like he changes so much from day to day.”
“Just wait until he goes off to school,” Ellen said. “Oh, my God, I cried all day, worrying that Benny would feel alone or scared.”
Pinched with her own worries, Pixie asked, “Did he?”
“No.” Even now, relief showed in her smile. “When I picked him up, he was thrilled to see me, but also excited and telling me a dozen things at once. He couldn’t wait to go back.”
Pixie hoped the same would be true for Andy. “They’re waiting for me. I guess I should take that photo.” She looked at where Andy sat on the floor nearby, playing with different-colored spoons Ellen had given to him.
With Shayna in her arms, Ellen said, “He’s fine where he is. I’ll keep an eye on them both.”
“Okay, thanks.” It was unusual for Pixie to feel such an affinity with another woman, but she liked Ellen a lot.
She darted into the living room. “Are we ready?”
Brogan went to stand behind the couch, where Benny sat with friends, but he leaned forward.
Benny shot a look at his buddies, who were also crowding in. Seeing the possessiveness in the boy’s eyes, she suggested, “How about a group photo, and then one of just Benny and Brogan?”
“Great idea,” Brogan said. “Come on, boys, squeeze in for this one, but be careful of our wounded hero here. Remember his stitches.”
Benny grinned hugely. “They don’t hurt much. They’re just itchy.”
For the photo, Brogan opened his arms along the back of the couch to encompass all of the kids; as they cheered, fists in the air, he even grinned.
“Got it,” Pixie said. “Next shot now.”
Tactfully, Brogan got the other boys out of the way, then posed Benny to show off the stitches on his forearm and forehead, while Brogan pointed at him and looked impressed. Benny thought it was hilarious and mugged for the camera.
Touched by how easily Brogan interacted with the boys, Pixie headed back to the kitchen. Then she heard one of the boys ask, “Will you tell us about being a SEAL?”
Another boy said, “My dad says SEALs are the toughest men in the world. Even tougher than superheroes.”
Not to be outdone, another chimed in, “You’re the real heroes, huh?”
She glanced back to see Brogan’s disconcerted face.
He finally said, “I worked with some real heroes, that’s true. You know why they joined up?”
“Why?” the boys asked in unison.
