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“Well, it’s a special day then.”
She bounces on her toes with excitement. “Can I get chocolate in a cup with rainbow sprinkles and a cone on top?”
“Absolutely. Let’s go.”
We walk out into the bright sunshine and noisy streets of the city. It’s hot and humid as it always is this time of year in Boston. Katy fills me in on her morning at camp. Everything from the arts and craft project they did to swinging on the tire swing with her friend Holly to swimming. At least she has this camp that I know she loves.
Finally, we reach the ice cream store and when we sit down and she’s digging in, getting ice cream all over her mouth as she does, I say, “I’m working on becoming your guardian. Do you know what that means?”
Her eyes flash up to mine and she shakes her head.
“It means you’ll continue to live with me, and I’ll be the one to take care of you. Does that sound okay?”
She gives me a nod this time as she starts swirling her spoon through the melting chocolate in her cup. I feel like a heel for sucking all the fun out of this. Maybe now wasn’t the time to broach the subject.
I take a bite of my ice cream, trying to soften my approach, even as uncertainty churns within me. “I know I’m not your mommy and daddy, but I love you very much and I want us to stay together.”
“You do?”
I reach over and run my fingers along her forehead and then down the slope of her nose. “With all my heart, kiddo. With all my heart. It’s you and me now and I can’t do this without you.”
She considers that. “Can I keep my toys at your house?”
“Of course. It’s not my home anymore, it’s our home.” I hope. “In fact, I was thinking we could make one of the extra rooms on the first floor into a playroom. Anything you want.”
This seems to please her as she cracks a small smile and then shovels in another bite of her ice cream.
She doesn’t say much after that, just continues to eat her ice cream, and I force myself to do the same. It’ll all be okay, I tell myself. It has to be.
12
My eyes close and I blow out a heavy breath as I tilt my face up to the sun that’s shining high over the hospital. I pop my AirPods in my ears and start blasting Saint Blonde, bopping my head to and fro to the upbeat track.
Today is dragging, and I’m starting to feel the exhaustion of it all. Between classes, simulator lab, coursework, hospital work, and commuting from Oliver and Amelia’s house, I’m feeling it.
I need to work on finding a new place to live closer to the city. I hate driving in the city and fighting traffic only to then have to try to figure out where to park. It’s expensive and not always so convenient, but Oliver and Amelia don’t live on the train line, so I must drive to the T-stop, park, and then take the train into the city.
For anyone who knows the Boston T system, it’s a mess. The trains are hardly ever on time and they’re epically slow—especially the ones that run on the street, which are the ones I have no choice but to take on days I’m at school.
All this means I’m forced to get up super early, and then I don’t get home until super late. It’s starting to wear on me.
With a heavy breath, I raise my turkey sandwich to my mouth and bite into it, chewing, and trying not to think about all that much as I enjoy a peaceful minute while on break. That is, until someone grabs my shoulder. A scream wrenches out of me and I jump, banging my elbow into the brick wall.Ouch.
My eyes snap open and I blink to find Callan, who isn’t even scheduled here today, peering down at me. “You scared the absolute crap out of me!”
He says something I can’t hear.
“What?”
“You’re shouting!” He points to his ear, indicating I’m still blasting music through my AirPods.
Oh. I slide my phone out of my pocket and hit stop on the music and then pull the buds from my ears, tucking them back into the case.
“Sorry,” he says a bit sheepishly. “I said your name a few times and you didn’t respond. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Well, you did, ya booger butt. My elbow and my heart might never be the same.” I rub at my smarting elbow. Who grabs someone’s shoulder when they have earbuds in and their eyes are closed? I mean, for real.
A giggle down by his side has me dropping my chin to find Katy standing there beside him with her hand tucked in his.
