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“No,” she managed, hating that her eyes watered. “But they were in an accident. A car wreck.” She fought the sadness that threatened her when she recalled the horror of losing her parents. “It was a long time ago. I was around your age.”
“It feels like forever since my mommy and daddy died.” Carrie turned sad eyes on Matthew. “How long has it been?”
“Just over four months.”
Four months. That wasn’t long ago. Poor Carrie. How had Matthew ended up with the
girl?
“Carrie’s parents were my best friends,” he said, seeming to have read her mind. “I was her godfather and now she’s stuck with me.”
In the way that children do, Carrie jumped to another topic. “Did you know that a baby giraffe is about to be born at the zoo?”
Natalie shook her head.
“It’s so exciting!” Carrie continued, her eyes glowing. “You can watch the momma giraffe online and they have a special app for your phone. Do you have it?”
Again, Natalie shook her head.
“You should get it so you know when Zoie is about to be born.”
“Zoie?”
“That’s what they’re going to call the baby giraffe. It’s a girl. The zoo held a contest on naming her and Zoie won. You want the app?”
“Um, maybe.”
“I can help you,” Carrie offered, reaching for Natalie’s phone.
Not sure whether she should trust a four-year-old with her phone or whether she wanted a zoo app to notify her about a giraffe, Natalie handed the device to Carrie.
She tapped several buttons, explaining to Natalie each step of the way, as if Natalie were the child and Carrie the adult.
“There,” she said, handing the phone back. “Now you have the zoo app and you’ll get Zoie updates.”
“Thank you,” Natalie said, sliding the phone into her scrubs pocket.
“Uncle Matthew says I can have a puppy soon as we get settled.”
“A puppy?” Natalie had never owned a pet. Her foster parents had often said it was enough work raising her without adding an animal to the mix. A few of them had acted as if Natalie were an animal... To redirect her thoughts, she met Matthew’s gaze. “Are you sure? I hear puppies are a lot of work.”
“It’s not as cool as a baby giraffe, and I’d rather have a big dog,” Carrie interjected, “but Uncle Matthew says I have to pick a small one that can stay in the house because we’re gone so much.” Carrie wrinkled her nose. “But if we get a puppy we shouldn’t be gone so much, especially if it’s a little puppy.”
Natalie lifted her gaze to Matthew.
“She makes sense, and,” he bent to Carrie’s level, “I’m working on being home more. That’s why we’re in Memphis, remember?”
“To be near Grandma and Aunt Elaine and Mandy and Liz. They are excited about the giraffe, too.”
So much began to click.
“I guess it is easier living closer to your family,” Natalie mused, then went hot-cheeked, straightened, and brushed her hands over her scrubs. “Not that it’s any of my business.”
“Oh, it is definitely better being close to my family. My mom’s awesome. Since I couldn’t convince her to move away from the rest of the family to come live with me in Boston, we came here.”
Natalie traced her finger over the rim of her water glass. “Do you have a big family?”
“Big enough. A sister and several aunts, uncles and cousins. It’s a few years since I’ve been to a family get-together, but they’re unforgettable.” He shook his head as if recalling past holidays. “They can get a little crazy.”
