Page 57 of The Liar in Room 5

The regret in my voice was real, but I realized I’d forgotten to tell Henry my amazing news. I’d been waiting for the right moment at dinner last night, but it hadn’t come. And when he’d gotten home after that, work was the last thing on my mind.

“I’ll be working, and I don’t want to risk missing any days or not getting back on time because of a delayed flight or whatever.”

All of that was true. There was also the little detail of not having the money to fly them out, and my parents didn’t have extra money lying around to blow on a weekend here. And there was zero chance I’d ask them to pay for my ticket there.

When I said it, I glanced over at Daddy. He’d sat up on his elbows and was looking at me with his jaw dropped.

“A job! Fantastic! What are you doing?” Mom asked.

“Funny story. Remember how I used to like volunteering in the nursery instead of going to the sermon?”

“I do. The preacher commented on it a few times, but I told him he ought to be glad. You weren’t home in bed, so he should leave you alone.”

“Ha! Good point. Anyway, I helped chaperone a preschool class—I’ll explain why later—and the director offered me a job as an assistant. It’s kind of a forest-type school, so they spend lots of time outside exploring and stuff. When I spoke to her about it, she said the kids do their nap time in hammocks, which I think sounds like the best thing ever.”

“I’m so proud of you! That sounds exactly like something you’d enjoy.”

She then added, “You’re right. You shouldn’t risk a delayed flight or something. It’s a trek to Carnarvon, Iowa.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s not every day your kid turns forty, but I don’t think we can afford to fly out.”

“It’s fine. No one celebrates forty, but forty-one is when the party happens.”

My mom’s voice turned soft, and I knew she was about to cry. It also meant she’d get off the phone so she could pretend I didn’t know what she was about to do.

“Next year then.”

“Yeah. Next year.”

“Your dad wants me to help him clean out the garage, so I’m going to get off here. Congrats on the job. You’re gonna do great.”

“Thanks. Tell Dad I said hi and I love him.”

“I will. Love you. Bye.”

“Love you too. Bye.”

Daddy was still sitting there with his jaw practically on the floor.

“Surprise, Daddy!”

15

Henry

“You’re killing me, Smalls.”

“Quoting The Sandlot? It must be bad,” Drew said with a laugh.

After he got off the phone, we moved into the kitchen to make breakfast before running the errands that I needed to get done that day. Every time I brought up his new job, he had a deflection for me. I didn’t understand why he wouldn’t want to talk about it. I would’ve thought it was something he was proud of, but maybe not. There might be something about it that I just wasn’t getting, but if he didn’t tell me about it, I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to know.

“I was hoping to hear more about your new job,” I said with a flourish as I set the plate of french toast in front of him before getting up to grab the forgotten maple syrup.

“Daddy, it’s not that I don’t want to talk about it.” He sighed.

He fiddled with the napkin he’d put in his lap, rolling it over and over between his fingers. I let him sit with it for a moment before saying anything else.