Page 47 of The Liar in Room 5

“What would I do with them?”

“You could go to the aquarium every day,” Addison informed me.

“And the zoo!” Ben finally interjected.

“But you gotta get married first,” Charlie, the quiet third member of our group, suggested.

“Well, I could go to the zoo and the aquarium even without a kiddo, and I’m not sure anyone wants to marry me,” I said with an exaggerated frown.

Addison and Charlie laughed, but Ben was pensive again.

“You okay, buddy?” I asked, ruffling his hair.

“Yeah. If you wanna get married, ask Uncle Henry. I bet he’d say yes.”

Ben looked so earnest that I didn’t want to make him feel bad for his suggestion.

“Uncle Henry maybe doesn’t want to marry me. We’re friends. He probably wants to marry someone he loves.”

“How come he couldn’t love you?” Ben asked in the way kids did that both knocked the wind out of your soul and forced you to think about things you didn’t want to think about unless you were alone in your bedroom at three a.m.

“Is something wrong with you?” Addison asked suspiciously.

“Maybe Mr. Drew wants to marry a girl,” Charlie suggested.

“Uhh, I’m not getting married, first of all, but if I was, I’d want to marry a boy. But marrying a girl is a good idea too,” I added the last part hesitantly because I had visions of this conversation going sideways if it was retold to someone later.

“My aunt is married to a girl. She likes it,” Charlie said matter-of-factly. “I think it’s a good idea.”

Ben didn’t seem satisfied with my answer, but thank whatever lucky star was shining on me, he let the subject drop. We spent the next little while wandering through the ocean life, oohing and aahing over starfish and itty-bitty jellyfish. My charges were little sponges with endless questions and the ability to wander like feral cats. What I hadn’t expected when I agreed to chaperone was how much I’d love it. Learning with them was a ridiculous amount of fun.

“Cory Cats, are we ready for mammals?”

With their enthusiastic approval, we headed off to learn about otters and seals. Watching their faces light up during the feeding demonstration was too cute, and I managed to get a lot of pictures so the center could share them with parents. After the training show, we headed back outside to meet with the other groups at the playground, where we’d be enjoying our packed lunches.

The other groups trickled in, and it was pure chaos. The director and an aide shepherded the kids to the restrooms for a mandatory handwashing session. More than one child insisted it was completely unnecessary, with the most common reason being they wanted their parents to smell the ocean on them. I was impressed the adults kept a straight face with that one, but they managed to pull it off.

While they were busy, I tried to make myself useful by helping punch juice pouches and open chip bags without spilling them. The kids returned with freshly cleaned hands and dug in like they hadn’t eaten in a month of Sundays.

“Thank you so much for coming today. You’ve made our lives so much easier,” Marcia said when she finally had a moment to stop moving. “I love the field trips, but they are so much work.”

“You’re very welcome. I was happy to be asked.”

“Ben said you’re a friend of his dad’s?”

I couldn’t tell if she was making genuine conversation or just being nosy. Since I’d liked her at first sight, with her tousled, messy curls and caftan, I was hoping it was genuine interest.

“More like a friend of his uncle’s, but I joined them on a picnic.”

“You’re a brave one.”

“Why’s that?”

“Taking on preschoolers, and Ben in particular. I love that kid, but he makes you work for it.”

“You think?”

“He’s one of those kids that, when he vibes with you, he’s good as gold, but if he doesn’t…”