I burst out laughing on a day when I thought laughing was impossible, as the two rolled around in the grass.
Mrs. Andolina smiled at me. “Whoisthis lovely young man?”
“He’s… He’s…”
I couldn’t finish the sentence.
Mrs. Andolina patted my hand. “I see.”
Orion held Dash up in the air so Dash could pretend to be an airplane, and the ache in my heart deepened. My little brother had never known a decent male authority figure. One who wasn’t drunk, loud, or resentful of a rowdy little kid being in his space, which wasn’teven his space at all, but ours.
“We should go,” I said, clearing my throat. “I’m sorry we kept you.”
“Don’t you worry about it. But give them a minute. They’re having fun,” Mrs. Andolina said, compassion and love pouring out of her. She seemed to be one of those people who was put on the planet to be a teacher. As if her scratchy voice came from years of shouting over loud classrooms of joyful kids, and she hadn’t stopped smiling in decades.
“Dash told me you moved here from Pittsburgh,” she said, as Orion gave Dash a piggyback ride around the front of the school. “And how has it been?”
I nearly gave her my rotefine, but told her the truth instead.
“Not great, honestly.”
She nodded. “Moves can be hard. Leaving everything you know and starting over is rough. My husband, Frank, and I moved here from Woburn and have been in Castle Hill for twenty-three years. I’ve been teaching here all that time. All the parents know me because I love what I do. I love their kids and the kids love me, which is a blessing. Some even still visit me long after they’ve grown up and gone to the Academy.”
I smiled politely, wondering why she was telling me all this.
“Frank and I have a dog. The muttiest mutt you ever did see. His name is Spike, and he has only one eye, but the kids love him.” She looked up at me. “Like I was saying, the parents know me, and if they have scheduling difficulties, or if their kids need a little bit of extra help or are feeling a little bit lonely, I’m happy to babysit. Though I don’t consider it babysitting, and I certainly don’t charge for it.”
I glanced at her and she nodded, her smile gentle.
“Dash was telling me that sometimes your mom works a lot, and you’re at the Academy, so if you ever need us to watch Dash, I want you to give me a call, okay?”
“Oh. Oh, no, I couldn’t ask—”
“You don’t have to ask. I’m offering.”
My throat felt thick, and I blinked hard as Orion jogged up with Dash on his back, my little brother’s face flush with happiness.
“Isn’t that right, Dash?” Mrs. Andolina asked. “You’ve never met Spike.”
“No, but I want to!”
“I think it’s time to get this one home before my spine gives out,” Orion said. His eyes widened slightly to see the tears in mine.
I cleared my throat. “Time to go home, buddy.”
Mrs. Andolina took my hand and gave it a squeeze. “My door is always open. Okay?”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“Anytime, darling.”
Orion drove to our house—much slower with Dash in the back and no booster seat.
“Come inside, Orion!” Dash said, bouncing out of the car in our driveway. “Come have a snack. We can watch a show and you can see my room.”
“Oh, I’m sure Orion has to get back,” I said. I was already embarrassed that our shabby little house looked even shabbier next to Orion’s sports car. I’d die of embarrassment if he saw theinside.
Orion read my face. “Maybe next time, little man.”
