once.”
Trinity made a face. Mrs. Magruder had been his sitter a few times back before they’d left New York. Trinity had asked the woman not to let him watch anything scary or inappropriate. Obviously, Mrs. Magruder had a different idea of what was inappropriate for a four-year-old. “Micah, what you see on TV isn’t real. I’ve told you that. Sometimes, you just don’t get the answers you want with things. This could be one of them.”
“Was it an old person?”
She closed her eyes. “I don’t know.”
“’Cuz it was just bones?”
“Yeah.”
“Why was it just bones?”
A hysterical laugh rose in her throat, but she swallowed it back. This is part of being a parent. Dealing with all the questions. Even the very hard ones, she told herself. The good news? After this, she could handle anything. Even the birds and bees talk in a few years would be a piece of cake.
“Baby, after a person dies, sooner or later, that’s just what happens. It’s perfectly normal.”
“I don’t want to be just bones.”
“Oh, baby.” She hugged him to her. “You don’t need to worry about that. You’re not going to die for a long, long time. Okay?”
His arms slid around her neck and he clutched at her. “Okay.”
She pressed her lips to his temple, blinking until the burning left her eyes. The heartache was one thing she hadn’t been prepared for when she became a mom. Her dad had tried to warn her. She had to give him that. A child will make you happier than you’ve ever been … and can hurt you more than you will ever know.
It hadn’t made sense until the very first time it happened.
A few moments passed before Micah’s death grip on her neck eased and then he leaned back. Brushing his hair back, she smiled down at him, wanting to reassure him but not certain how to do it. She was always fumbling with this mom thing. She might get it right when he was fifty. “You okay, big guy? It’s kind of scary, I know.”
He jerked a shoulder in a shrug and looked away. “I’m not scared.” His lip poked out a little. “I mean, bones don’t hurt people, right? They’re all gone, right? Whoever he was … he’s gone?”
“Right. We don’t know if it was a man or woman, but whoever the person was, the police took the body so they can try and figure out what happened, and who it was. But baby … you have to remember, who it was, it was just a person. You’ve got bones inside you. Bones aren’t scary. They’re kind of awesome. They make you walk and stand up and climb.” She gave him a brave smile. If he could be brave, she’d do the same thing. “So bones aren’t anything to be afraid of, okay?”
He blinked, and just like that he was distracted. “Wow … bones make me climb?”
“Yep. Without them, you’d just be a pile of goo.” She demonstrated, slumping all over him, listening as he giggled.
“Get off! You’re squishing me.”
Laughing, she sat up and kissed his forehead. “See? The bones are what make us able to not squish people. Cool, huh?”
“I guess.” He squirmed on her lap. “Since they took the bones, does that mean we can go home? I want Mr. Noah to finish fixing the house so we can paint my room.”
The priorities of a child. Bones gone, let’s paint.
That was a kid for you.
“Baby, I think it’s going to be a few days, at least.”
He heaved out a sigh. “It’s always a few days.” He slid off her lap and took off, his sneakered feet banging on the floor, making as much noise as a herd of elephants.
Groaning, she dropped her face down into her hands. A day ago, she fell through the floor of her house and found a body hidden under the floorboards.
Micah was all ready to go back there.
Go back. She flinched just thinking about it.
Did they go back?
Could she?
That was the bigger question.
She had to call the cops today, maybe tomorrow—Ali had told Trinity she was welcome to stay until the cops released the house back to her, longer if she needed
Trinity made a face. Mrs. Magruder had been his sitter a few times back before they’d left New York. Trinity had asked the woman not to let him watch anything scary or inappropriate. Obviously, Mrs. Magruder had a different idea of what was inappropriate for a four-year-old. “Micah, what you see on TV isn’t real. I’ve told you that. Sometimes, you just don’t get the answers you want with things. This could be one of them.”
“Was it an old person?”
She closed her eyes. “I don’t know.”
“’Cuz it was just bones?”
“Yeah.”
“Why was it just bones?”
A hysterical laugh rose in her throat, but she swallowed it back. This is part of being a parent. Dealing with all the questions. Even the very hard ones, she told herself. The good news? After this, she could handle anything. Even the birds and bees talk in a few years would be a piece of cake.
“Baby, after a person dies, sooner or later, that’s just what happens. It’s perfectly normal.”
“I don’t want to be just bones.”
“Oh, baby.” She hugged him to her. “You don’t need to worry about that. You’re not going to die for a long, long time. Okay?”
His arms slid around her neck and he clutched at her. “Okay.”
She pressed her lips to his temple, blinking until the burning left her eyes. The heartache was one thing she hadn’t been prepared for when she became a mom. Her dad had tried to warn her. She had to give him that. A child will make you happier than you’ve ever been … and can hurt you more than you will ever know.
It hadn’t made sense until the very first time it happened.
A few moments passed before Micah’s death grip on her neck eased and then he leaned back. Brushing his hair back, she smiled down at him, wanting to reassure him but not certain how to do it. She was always fumbling with this mom thing. She might get it right when he was fifty. “You okay, big guy? It’s kind of scary, I know.”
He jerked a shoulder in a shrug and looked away. “I’m not scared.” His lip poked out a little. “I mean, bones don’t hurt people, right? They’re all gone, right? Whoever he was … he’s gone?”
“Right. We don’t know if it was a man or woman, but whoever the person was, the police took the body so they can try and figure out what happened, and who it was. But baby … you have to remember, who it was, it was just a person. You’ve got bones inside you. Bones aren’t scary. They’re kind of awesome. They make you walk and stand up and climb.” She gave him a brave smile. If he could be brave, she’d do the same thing. “So bones aren’t anything to be afraid of, okay?”
He blinked, and just like that he was distracted. “Wow … bones make me climb?”
“Yep. Without them, you’d just be a pile of goo.” She demonstrated, slumping all over him, listening as he giggled.
“Get off! You’re squishing me.”
Laughing, she sat up and kissed his forehead. “See? The bones are what make us able to not squish people. Cool, huh?”
“I guess.” He squirmed on her lap. “Since they took the bones, does that mean we can go home? I want Mr. Noah to finish fixing the house so we can paint my room.”
The priorities of a child. Bones gone, let’s paint.
That was a kid for you.
“Baby, I think it’s going to be a few days, at least.”
He heaved out a sigh. “It’s always a few days.” He slid off her lap and took off, his sneakered feet banging on the floor, making as much noise as a herd of elephants.
Groaning, she dropped her face down into her hands. A day ago, she fell through the floor of her house and found a body hidden under the floorboards.
Micah was all ready to go back there.
Go back. She flinched just thinking about it.
Did they go back?
Could she?
That was the bigger question.
She had to call the cops today, maybe tomorrow—Ali had told Trinity she was welcome to stay until the cops released the house back to her, longer if she needed
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