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John nodded. “Okay. Sounds fun.”
Ember studied him for a moment. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. But I’m a little tired. I think I’ll call it a night.”
“Okay.”
He smiled at her. “Don’t look so worried. You can come check on me in a while and make sure I’m still breathing.”
“Once again, not funny, John. And I’m going to. Check on you, that is.”
“I’ll see you two in the morning.”
He was still awake when Ember knocked on his door an hour later. “Come in.”
She opened the door a few inches. “I just wanted to check on you. Did I wake you?”
He flipped on the bedside light. “No. I guess I wasn’t as tired as I thought.”
“Can I come in for a minute?”
“Please.”
Ember came into the room and sat in a small, brightly painted chair.
John smiled. “It’s just your size.”
She squinted at him. “Funny.”
“Sorry.”
“Your head doesn’t hurt anymore?”
“No. And I’ve been trying to bring up the face again. I can kind of see her. It’s just out of my reach. But she has dark skin and hair.”
“Is she African-American?”
“No. More like Hispanic or Indian, maybe.”
“Well, it’ll probably come to you. You mightbe trying too hard.”
“That’s highly possible.”
Ember picked up a stuffed horse from the floor. “Aw. Aaron’s probably missing this. It’s his favorite stuffy.”
“Billy Buck.”
Ember looked at John. “How do you know the horse’s name?”
“It’s from a book, right?Billy Buck Makes a Friend.”
“Oh my gosh. John. That’s a memory.” She stood and took a book from the shelf and showed it to him. “Billy Buck.”
He thought for a moment. “I remember how it goes.” He rose onto an elbow.“It was a rainyday. A cloudy, wet, and miserable day. But Billy Buck didn’t mind. Billy Buck loved the rain.”
Ember opened the book to the first page as John went on.“The rain meant Billy Buck couldget into mischief without anyone noticing.”
Ember read the last line out loud as John recited it.“Rainy days were days of adventure.”She set the book in her lap. “You know this book. You must have read it so many times you know it by heart. You have kids, John.”
