“I mean, to some degree. I think he understands tone, and emotions.”
“So he’s like a house pet.”
Ellie closed her eyes and laughed. “Sort of, I guess. In that way only.”
“He’s also soft and likes to sit on laps,” I pointed out. “He likes walks, and we have to clean up after him. And he loves snuggles.”
“Everyone loves snuggles.”
Of course that made me think of snuggling Ellie, and I kind of internally combusted a little.
“He’s my favorite pet,” I said, holding my finger out so Henry could grab it.
Ellie’s eyes went soft as she watched us. “You’re ridiculous, by the way.”
“Thank you.” I winked at her.
I swear her cheeks went a little pink. I had to look away to keep from studying them.
Luckily there were lots of other things I could look at. We were in the backyard of the massive house she was working on in the fancy part of town that overlooked the valley. There was a swimming pool the size of my condo back here, with a fountain in the middle of it. I was pretty sure her friend Winona lived near here. Also this guy Jude I went to high school with who used to play pro tennis.
“Would you ever want to live in a place like this?” I asked over our sandwiches—clubs again from Betsey’s, because when you know, you know.
Even if I couldn’t think of us as a family, I still wanted to know what Ellie’s dreams were. Maybe I could help her and Tommy and Henry get there, at least.
“A house like this?” Ellie looked out at the house. There were guys working on the roof, but otherwise, we were alone. “I don’t think so. I couldn’t imagine the upkeep.”
Henry, who was gnawing on a French fry in the grass between my stuck out legs, looked at his mom with a tilted head like he was listening along.
“Like mowing the lawn?” I asked.
“Yeah. And all the housekeeping, and… I don’t know. Cleaning the gutters. Making eleven beds. Stuff like that.”
I looked over at her as she stared at the house. The sun was lighting her brown hair so it looked almost golden in parts. The light breeze shifted a strand of it onto her forehead. A perfect, soft curl framed her beautiful face. I felt a little panicky, like I couldn’t trust myself not to tell her all the things running around in my head. Like how stunning she looked and how I loved that she did this cool job. Every night on the phone I asked her about work. I didn’t really need to know how voltage worked. I just loved hearing her talk about it.
“What if you had someone else to do all the stuff around the house?” I asked her now.
“What, like a staff?”
“Like a partner.”
Ellie looked over at me.
My stomach knotted.
“You mean Gord the garbage man?” she asked.
I grinned, relieved for her softening the tension I’d accidentally created for myself. “Yeah. Gord.”
She looked back at the house. “I think a house like this would be a lot of work for one person, even if keeping that was all they did.”
Henry threw his fry down on the grass and lifted his arms up.
I picked him up and lay down on my back. I lifted him up in the air and flew him around like an airplane for a moment, noises and all.
He shrieked with happiness.
Then I plopped my son down on my stomach like I was a chair.
