Hugo & Rose by Bridget Foley Page A

ten.”
    Isaac had closed his mouth at this. Looked away. But he was quiet.
    Rose knew better than to think it was over.
    Instead of accepting his mother’s proscription, Zackie began collecting evidence in his favor, hence the polling of his friends for the age at which they had gotten their bikes.
    And he had, naturally, recruited Adam in this endeavor, which was even worse, as Adam discovered that most of his friends, too, already had bikes and knew how to ride them.
    â€œDad said the reason you got hurt is because when you were kids people didn’t wear helmets … and I would always always always wear my helmet.”
    Rose wanted to murder her husband. When had he said this? He knew how she felt about it. So much for a united front.
    â€œDid Daddy also tell you that I didn’t wake up for five days and that Baba and Papa thought I might never wake up?”
    Adam’s little mouth opened. “Like Sleeping Beauty?”
    Rose shook her head. “Not fun like Sleeping Beauty.”
    Isaac furrowed his brow. Rose could tell he was already thinking of his next plan of attack.
    Josh was repentant.
    *   *   *
    â€œSorry, honey. I didn’t think it would be a thing. He just asked after you showed him your scar.”
    Rose had had Josh paged. He had called immediately, thinking that something had happened to one of the children, and was relieved to find that it was just this quirk of Rose’s. He relaxed. Even though he could hear the edge of frustration in her voice, it was nice to hear it during the day. She sounded clearer than she had in recent weeks, closer.
    Rose sighed. “I’m sorry. This is my fault.”
    This had happened because she hadn’t been paying attention. She had been too busy thinking about that man to attend to her kids.
    â€œOh, before I forget, the preschool called me. They must have our numbers mixed up.”
    Rose felt her heart stop. Penny hadn’t been to school in weeks.
    â€œThey left a message asking if Pen was okay. They said she hasn’t been in in a while?”
    â€œThat’s weird.” Rose felt the lie come easily. “Must be another Penny in one of the other classes. I’ll call and let them know they have the wrong one.”
    â€œYou’re such a good mom, Rose.”
    Rose was quiet. She was a horrible mother. She was the worst mother. She was a negligent liar of a mother.
    â€œI love you so much.”
    â€œYou too.”
    Rose hung up. She had to fix this. She had to get rid of these thoughts that had pulled her away from her family.
    Her stomach seized again.

 
    eight
    She called the neighborhood woman. Mrs. Delvecchio, the widow with the lovely garden and the house that smelled of stale potpourri. Could she take Penny for a few hours?
    Of course, dear.
    Rose had dropped her off with a stuffed diaper bag and a promise to be back soon. The ancient television in the Widow Delvecchio’s den was already running network cartoons when she left. Rose shrugged it off.
    â€œNo worse than she’s gotten in the car with me these past few weeks.”
    She was getting started later than she’d like. Talking with Josh and waiting for Mrs. D to call back had eaten away her morning. She’d be rushing to get back on time.
    But what she had planned wouldn’t take too long.
    Just a quick encounter, a brief eye contact, and she’d be healed. She’d be home in time to have ants on a log waiting for the boys when they got back from school. Their mother returned to them, as good as she ever was.
    Whatever that was worth.
    Rose had decided she couldn’t do what Naomi had suggested. She couldn’t introduce herself.
    But there was a simple way to get close to him. To look him in the eye and see .
    Today was his shift. All she had to be able to do was order lunch.
    *   *   *
    Traffic was heavier this late in the day. Clogged with trucks from Denver’s