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“Not at all,” Addy said. “One of us is always available, even if we do have groups. It’s just going to be much more quieter.”
Gio didn’t say anything. He was too busy staring at the alpacas. His little mouth opened into an O, and I could see his hands itching to reach out.
“You can pet them,” Addy said.
Cindy nodded toward the open field outside the barn. “I was thinking Gio could help us take them on their walk.”
“Really? I’m a good walker. I walk Sally all the time.”
“Is that your dog?” Cindy asked.
“Sally is a bearded dragon. But she likes her leash a lot.”
“Interesting,” Cindy said, then pointed to a white fluffy alpaca. “That is snowball. The white one with the black ears is Jellybean. Then over there…” Her finger drifted to the light brown one. “That is Admiral Fluff. The black one is Guinness, and the dark brown one is Chewpaca.”
I snorted. “Very creative.”
“We think so,” Cindy said.
“No,shethinks so,” Addy added. “I think they’re silly.”
“I like silly,” Gio said.
“That’s because you’re a smart kid.” Cindy stuck her tongue out at Addy, and I laughed. A pang hit my stomach, low and deep. They reminded me of me and Mom. I missed her now even more than I already did. Then again, Mom wasn’t the type to buy an alpaca farm and turn their hair into yarn for profit. Heck, Mom couldn’t even sew. Whenever Birdie or CeeCee needed something sewn, they came to me if Scott wasn’t around.
Addy opened the gate and handed Gio the leash of Admiral Fluff, who appeared slightly smaller than the other alpacas. Gio happily accepted the leash while Cindy handed me Guinness. Cindy grabbed hold of Jellybean and Snowball while Addy took the leash of Chewpaca.
“You ready?” Cindy asked.
“Do we need to know anything?” I asked, wanting to make sure there was no protocol we should be following.
“Just walk. They love it,” Addy said.
Gio and Addy moved to the front and lead the pack while I walked behind them, listening to Gio asking a million questions. It was exactly what I had hoped for. Gio was a curious boy, and if I could feed his appetite for knowledge, then that’s exactly what I would do.
I wished my students had been just as eager to learn. My last class had been difficult, to say the least. They cared more about petty drama that happened in the cafeteria than they did about dissecting an owl pellet and reconstructing animal bones. Instead, there was a lot ofew that’s grossandwhy the heck do we have to even do this? Sometimes I wondered if they had been difficult just for the sake of being difficult.
Mom insisted I was a good teacher, but I doubted myself more and more as each school year got harder to hold the student’s attention. Maybe it was me. Then everything flipped on its head, and leaving was my only option. Some might have considered it running away, and maybe I did, but I would like to meet the person who wouldn’t have if put in my shoes.
I ignored the rush of disappointment, regret, and frustration that flooded through me as my mind drifted from the past and focused on my surroundings. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining bright, the green leaves of the trees blowing slightly in the warm breeze, and there were alpacas. Fluffy, adorable alpacas.
We walked the perimeter of the property, sometimes deviating to paths that lead through the trees. An hour later, we made our way to the newer barn. Addy ducked inside the old barn to grab something, and we continued without her.
As we approached, my eyes snagged on a familiar SUV and then on an even more familiar figure.
“Dad!” Gio yelled before settling himself down. “Sorry for yelling,” he mumbled.
“It’s okay,” Cindy said. “Your father here is grounds for yelling. I might yell at him myself.”
Franc pushed off his truck and came toward us. His lean muscular legs stuck out of a pair of khaki shorts and the green polo clung tight around his biceps. I’d noticed his size before. He could dominate any room he was in, but somehow being out in the open, the sun shining down on him, he looked larger than ever.
He moved with determination, and I took the leash from Gio and held onto Admiral Fluff while Gio sped off and flung himself into Franc’s arms. Franc didn’t hesitate, didn’t stumble. Instead, he caught Gio and lifted him high above him, spinning him around, before giving him a hug and settling him on solid ground.
“Dad, what are you doing here?” All his excitement boiled to the surface as he bounced in place.
“It’s my lunch break, and I was a little jealous I wasn’t getting to hang out with alpacas and you.”
“They’re awesome, Dad. Come meet Admiral Fluff. I walked him. He’s the best. Can we get an alpaca? I’ll walk it just like I walk Sally.”
