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Opening my mouth to answer for Will, I’m startled when he places his hand on my thigh. While my mind races to understand why he’s touching my leg, I soon realize it’s because he would like to answer Izzy’s question and not have me speak for him.
“I took your mom to see a good friend of mine who colors hair. I knew your mom wouldn’t go on her own, so I drove her.”
Izzy gives a small nod. There’s a thread on the strap of her bag that’s unraveled. “That’s smart,” she says as she pulls lightly on the thread. “Mom’s been going to the worst hairdressers. Your friend did a nice job.”
Will looks at her through the rearview mirror. “Thank you. I’ll tell Genevieve you said that.”
He removes his hand from my leg and places it on the steering wheel as he weaves through the side streets before pulling up in front of my parents’ house. Will parks his truck, but keeps it running, gets out and opens Izzy’s door. I am out and unbuckling Hunter, who starts chattering immediately.
“Are you staying for dinner?”
“Will has other things to do than hang out with us,” I explain.
“Not really,” Will says as he and Izzy walk around the truck to the sidewalk. “I spent most of the day running errands while I waited for the text to say you were ready. All I did was drop you off.”
“Work?” I ask.
“Night shift starts at eight.”
“See, Mom, he’s free! Can we do magic then?” Hunter jumps up and down.
I move my head from side to side. The last thing he wants to do is come into my chaotic house and watch the homework doing, dinner making, and general unraveling from a long day. He must sense my apprehension of the situation because he takes a step toward Hunter.
“Your mom probably has a ton of work to do since I made her clear her day. Plus, dinner is already planned. There’s definitely not enough for me. Full disclaimer: I eat like a horse.”
“That’s right. We don’t have enough food,” I agree and help Will with hisget out of jail freedinner card.
“That’s not true,” Izzy says. “You bought the family pack of chicken cutlets and said it was enough to feed the four of us for two dinners. Plus, Will, you already said you did all your errands, so you’re just gonna be bored at home.”
Izzy brushes past us and starts walking up the stairs.
“That settles it. You’re staying!” Hunter grabs Will’s hand. “I’ll show you around. I have a dinosaur collection and a robot that follows you around the house and listens to your every command. Plus, there’s a basketball hoop in the driveway. Mom had to lower it so I can reach it, but we can raise it for you. Oh, there’s also Netflix, so you can watch anything you want, just don’t use Grandpa’s profile because he gets really upset when you mess with his shows. I did that once, and he wasn’t happy.”
Hunter is pulling Will up the stairs as Will turns to me and grins with that backpack still slung over his shoulder. “Looks like I’m staying for dinner. Turn my truck off and get my wallet from the center console.”
The two of them disappear up the stairs with Hunter chattering on about the wonders of the house. I turn off Will’s truck, and grab the keys and his wallet from the center console. His key ring has several rectangular tabs, each with a different school picture of a young child on each, all with last year’s date on them.
I’m smiling when I enter the house. To my surprise, Will and Izzy are at the kitchen table with her books open. He is taking his jacket off and placing it on the chair.
I place his keys and wallet on the table beside him and am rewarded with a wink as he takes a seat.
“Homework?” I ask, to which Izzy glowers at me.
Noting I am not needed, I move over to Hunter, who is sitting at the kitchen island, opening his own schoolbag and taking out his books. I take a seat beside him, a little confused. My children usually like to unwind a little before tackling homework. This obedient, calm homework atmosphere is a little unusual for the Jones household.
“Will said he won’t work on my magic show until after I do my homework,” Hunter states.
“That explains a lot.” I look over at Izzy and Will, then lean in to whisper, “How did he get Izzy to do her work?”
He leans in like he has a big secret. “She asked to see his bullet hole.”
I laugh lightly and peer over at Will and Izzy, who are looking over her science homework. They are talking about the elements.
We spend the next hour completing homework with the kids.
Izzy’s homework takes that long because she doesn’t understand the concept, but Will goes slow with her, the two of them even Googling things when Will seems to have no idea how to explain it. He’s sweet and patient with her. Judging by the pink in Izzy’s cheeks, I’d say she’s a little smitten with the handsome tutor. Can’t say I blame her.
Hunter only takes so long because he has the attention of, well, a five-year-old. He drops his pencil seven times, needs three snacks, and complains in the middle of having to write his sight words three times each. I coax him back to the task until we’re finally done.
