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His face turned red from the neck up.
“Who was it? Do I know them?”
“Where’s Joel?” Josiah peered at the stairs, gripping and releasing the wood at the back of her chair.
“Should I try to guess?”
“Ma, I can’t talk to you about this.”
“You’ve already had your first kiss, Siah?”
“No!” His eyes open wide. “Iswear,I haven’t! Really, I haven’t!”
“Then are you thinking about kissing a certain someone, perhaps?” She paused, pretending she needed a moment to think, and gasped. “Is it Malia? Is that why you two had all those ‘debates’ when you were younger? You know, I still talk to her dad and grandma. Maybe her family could come for a visit.”
Josiah groaned. “Ma, this is my villain origin story.”
She laughed, nearly choking on another piece of fruit. He draped himself over the back of her chair, wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and touched his cheek to hers.
“You still love me even though I annoy you?” she teased. “Even if I’m the reason you’ll one day turn into Red Skull?”
“Unfortunately.”
He quieted.
She waited, knowing what would follow.
“Ma, were you serious about talking to Malia’s dad and grandma?”
“I could…if you want me to,” she said.
“It’s not what you think. We’re friends, and we like a lot of the same books, video games, and TV shows. Plus, I think she’d like Sweden. I don’t even think about…kissing and stuff like that.”
“So, to you, her eyes are just green.”
“They’rebrown,Ma.” He released her and jumped back, his eyes even wider than before. “Which is just a guess!”
“I’m sorry, my love. Mama will stop torturing you now.”
His face was still the color of beets, but she didn’t point it out; he’d suffered enough for one morning. She loved their relationship, and she hoped they remained close the older he became, even if that meant him pulling away a little during his teenage years.
“Ma, why’s Aunt Sydney here?” he asked.
She gnawed on a cube of cheese. “I don’t know yet.”
“Ma, don’t worry, okay? You and Joel look at each other like you’re in love or something. You look at him the way you used to look at Dad.”
“Really? You remember that?”
“Ma, even though I’m only six-and-a-half years away from being an adult, I’m still enough of a kid to think my mom’s the most beautiful person in the world.”
Speechless, she reached for his hand.
“The last time you were this happy, Dad was alive,” he said. “And you loved Dad a whole lot. That means you love Joel, and I already know Joel loves you.”
“How’s that?”
“Ma,” he hit her with an incredulous look, “Joel doesn’t eventryto hide it.”
