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To my surprise, Ryle tugs his glove off and hands it to Julie, and then grabs a carrot to crunch.
“I can take Ethan home,” I offer.
“Are you sure?”
I realize it’s not a big deal for her to drive Ethan home, but I don’t have any idea how Julie feels about being around Harper. Or the rest of my family, for that matter.
“Yeah.” I hold my fist up to Ethan and grin when he knuckles me. “And Keith will be back in town for their next game.”
Julie looks at me curiously and finally nods. “Okay.”
Instead of watching her climb down the two bleachers to stand, I purposely look away. No need to be moony eyed over her. It’s not going to change anything.
“Ready, Ryle?”
I look back at her to see her drop her hand on Ryle’s head. He nods, but he climbs up the bleachers to hug me.
“Bye, Dad.”
I watch them walk away, wondering when he stopped calling me Daddy. The saddest thing about that is I’ve been gone so much in his childhood, I didn’t hear daddy nearly enough.
10
Truman
Ethan chatters nonstop on the drive home. First, he’s all caught up in the excitement of the ball game. He does almost a play-by-play commentary for a few minutes. I’m impressed that he paid that much attention to the game, and I wonder what, if anything, Ryle is saying to Julie. Ethan switches topics so smoothly, I almost don’t even realize it when he starts talking about Harper and Keith. Apparently, my sister is not being a good patient, and her husband is not happy with her.
Again, I think about Ryle and wonder about the things he says when he’s with my parents or Julie’s parents. What things he might have said to his teacher. Then again, Julie’s his custodial parent, and I’m not sure I’ve ever done anything crazy for him to share at school.
I walk Ethan inside when we get to Harper’s house. He’s still talking, but he’s totally lost me now. I’m nodding along with him like I’m following what he’s saying, but he’s talking about Minecraft in one breath and Mario in the next, and I’m pretty sure he mixed in something about The Lego Movie. I’m not sure Ryle has ever said this many words in his life.
He’s still talking when he pushes the front door open and bounds inside. I close the door behind me and holler at Ethan when he skips right by the living room where Harper is spending her time these days. Ethan skids to a stop in the hall and looks back at me curiously.
“Aren’t you going to say hi to your mom?” I nod my head toward the living room. “Tell her about your game?”
“Oh.” He looks pained to have to slow down and talk to her, but by the time he’s in the living room with her, he’s taken a breath and started yakking all over again. Harper looks from Ethan, perched on the edge of the couch by her feet, to me when I drop quietly into the chair just inside the doorway.
I offer her a silent smile and watch her turn her attention back to Ethan. He rattles on for another five minutes, and then he stops and turns sideways to study her toes peeking out from her cast.
“Can I watch TV?” he asks her, his eyes still on her toes.
“For a half hour,” she answers. “I’ll have Hattie come and get you. You need a bath.”
“Why?”
I snort at his whine but school my features into a blank mask when he glances at me.
“Maybe because it looks like you brought half the dirt on the field home with you?” Harper shrugs. “Actually, you should take a bath now and then watch TV for a little bit.”
“Mo-om.” Ethan rolls his eyes.
“Want me to help him?” I ask her. My mind wants to drag me down memory lane, when I helped my son get ready for bed just a few nights ago.
“No, thanks,” Harper says with a small smile. “Craig’ll help.”
I wonder if that’s wise. Craig would probably be more likely to try and drown his little brother in the shower than help him with something. But Ethan climbs to his feet, bumping Harper’s cast as he does. She grits her teeth but turns the grimace into a smile when Ethan flashes her a guilty look.
“I’m sorry.”
