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The boy reached his hand out and Nolan leaned in, letting the toddler’s fingers graze the top of Silly’swings.
The kid grinned and Nolan put both wingtips on Silly’s cheeks, turning on the “aw, shucks”charm.
“Let’s get a picture,” said Angie, pleased with the Code Blue turnaround. “With everyone!” She took Nolan by the wing and guided him to a spot against the wall. She grabbed a phone from one of the men and then the dads lined up their kids on either side of Silly, Blueberry-Kid still in one of his dads’ arms but grinning all the same. His hand was on Silly’s beak for thepicture.
As the dads and older kids expressed their thanks and went back to their breakfasts, Nolan heard another voice. “…have aminute?”
Nolan couldn’t hear clearly who had gotten Angie’s attention, but he saw her turn and he waited. It was dangerous to fully turn around in a crowded environment like the buffet without his Tildy Scout caretaker to guide him. Kids and servers under his feet, tables where he didn’t expect to find them—it was best to wait for Angie’s guidance. He waved across the room when he heard a kid shout, “Silly!”
“Sure,” said Angie, looping her arm through his wing. “You don’t have to be eating here for a picture with Silly.” She tugged Nolan around completely. Before he could even take note of the kid, someone was clenching his side and saying, “Doo dee doo doo,” which was one of Silly’scatchphrases.
He patted Silly’s wings against the kid’s back as his eyes focused through themesh.
There was a mom and dad standing there—next toLilac.
Lilac. She wasn’t wearing a blazer today—even through the mesh he could make out the long-sleeved, high-buttoned blouse and navy pants—and although her flawless face seemed strained, a little smile was dancing on herlips.
“I found him in the lobby,” said Lilac, straight to Silly himself. “He’s Silly’s number one fan and I told him I knew right where he might find himtoday.”
The boy grabbed Silly’s wingtip in his hand and started swinging it. Nolan finally got a look at him and he was decked from head to toe in Silly-patterned gear, including a half-Silly head hat atop his head. Nolan made Silly do a little rocking dance and waved the wingtip held by the boy in the air like they were soccer champions together. The boy laughed. “Doo dee doo doo! Come on, Silly! Sayit!”
“Oh, Silly can’t speak,” said Angie, stepping in to do her Code Purple routine. “He made a magical vow to Queen Animaliao that when he was in our realm, he wouldn’t say a word—otherwise the spell keeping him here will bebroken.”
Nolan put Silly’s free wingtip over his beak and shook his legs—frightened Silly, afraid the magic mightbreak.
“Aw,” said the boy. “I hate QueenAnimaliao.”
Nolan held Silly’s free wingtip high up into the air.Shock.
The boylaughed.
“Now, now,” said Angie. “Queen Animaliao is Silly’s friend.” The clock was running—all Tildy Scout caretakers reported how many groups the costumes took pictures with each shift, which DeShawn reported to Earl himself, and when the mood struck, Earl would come down to the break room and give some b.s. lecture about time and speed and customer service and the great impossible balance. No one wanted Earl in the break room. “Let’s get that picture,” said Angie, walking over to the boy’s parents and taking a phone from one. She talked to them and the woman clearly hesitated, but she managed to get them both to step alongside Silly and theirson.
“Doo dee doo doo!” said Angie—and the family repeated afterthem.
Because Lilac was standing right beside Angie, this time Nolan didn’t close his eyes. In fact, he actually smiled. Not that anyone could tell that through thecostume.
“Goodbye, Silly,” said the boy as Angie returned the parents’phone.
Nolan patted the boy on the head and then the super fan ran off, following his parents back to thelobby.
Lilac lingered and Nolan stared at her, gorgeous even through his mesheyes.
She stared back, then, seeing Angie slip in beside Nolan, she ran forward, tugging gently on Angie’s sleeve. “Can I have a picture with him?” sheasked.
Laughing, Angie cocked her head. “Sure.” She knew she was Earl’s new assistant manager—word got around fast and Earl had briefly brought her to the break room last week, Nolan heard tell from Eddie, who had turned his eyes away from Jo for long enough to catch sight of her “fine ass” apparently, so he said out of earshot of the girls in the guys’ locker room. For better and for worse, Nolan had been in the bathroom at thetime.
Lilac brought her hand up—she’d been clutching her phone the entire time and Nolan hadn’t been able to tell through the suit—and swiped at the screen before handing it to Angie. She and Lilac switched places, Lilac slipping her arm around Silly’swing.
Even with the layers of sweat and plush between them, Nolan could feel his body flush at thetouch.
She rested her cheek against Silly’s shoulder and Nolan’s mind raced to how she’d leaned all over him at thepark.
“Say, ‘doo dee doo do,’” said Angie, snapping Nolan back toreality.
If the camera had had x-ray functions and could have captured Nolan’s face under Silly’s head, it would have shown his head bent down slightly, gazing at the place he knew Lilac to be, his mouth turned up in a smile unlike any he’d worn inages.
Chapter Eleven
