admired it head to tail. Jennifer chuckled. Not a problem. She had three more like it in her car.
“Who wants to play checkers!” Michael called out.
Several boys tumbled over one another to get to him, shouting, “Me! Me!”
“I do! I do!”
“You played first last time!”
“Settle down boys. I’m here all afternoon.” Michael playfully rubbed Samuel’s shiny bald head. “And this time it’s for the championship .”
“Dr. Hamilton, can we have a tea party?”
She smiled at the young girl with white blonde hair, long curls pinned high to one side with a pink satin ribbon, eyes round and blue, lined by lashes so dark, Jennifer would have sworn they were false. “So long as you bake crumpets, we can.”
The child peered with a curious stare. “What’s a crumpet?”
Jennifer set hands to her thighs and leaned close. “I don’t really know. I only heard about it and thought it sounded tasty.”
“It does, doesn’t it...” She placed a petite forefinger to her lips, tinged ever so slightly blue, and pondered for a moment. “I think we should have crumpets with our tea. And I’ll make them!” She giggled and raised her soft pink rabbit high in the air. “What do you say, Poppy? Wanna make crumpets for Dr. Hamilton? She’s real nice and I think she’ll like them.”
Jennifer clapped her hands together. “Please, Poppy, please .”
The child shook her toy and pretended to speak for the rabbit, “With pleasure and a little sugar on top!”
Laughing at her ventriloquist talents, Jennifer eased up and helped to arrange the tea set; fancy porcelain, elaborately painted with vine twisted around lavender flowers, there were enough tiny cups to go around for everyone.
Shana dutifully returned satisfied the gecko was hers, and served everyone tea. While the boys declined, Michael cheerfully accepted his cup with a gallant nod. “Why thank you, Shana. And may I ask what flavor we have today?”
“Ginger mint.”
“Oh, that does sound good.” Pinching the handle with his forefinger and thumb, he held his pinky straight out and sipped. “Mmmmm...”
Shana giggled. “It’s rude to slurp.”
“Oops, sorry,” he said in feigned chagrin, as though it hadn’t been a purposeful ploy for a laugh.
It was moments like this when she adored Michael the most. “Try a crumpet, Michael. They’re truly divine.”
“Don’t mind if I do!” He reached up and plucked a make-believe biscuit from the tray extended before him. With great show he bit down, chewed with exaggerated motion, his mouth politely closed. He swallowed. “That’s the best crumpet I’ve ever tasted.”
“I made it!”
Michael followed the direction of the voice and spotted the girl with curls. “Her name is Beverly.” Jennifer quieted her voice. “She’s new.”
He nodded. “Thank you, Beverly. It was delicious.”
“You’re welcome,” she replied, and went back to her busy work at the stove, a remarkable replica in a kitchen complete with refrigerator, counter and sink, dining table and chairs. She wiped down the area around her mixing bowls, busy preparing for another batch.
Michael looked to Jennifer for explanation.
Maintaining her pleasant expression, she tapped a finger to her chest and mouthed, “Transplant.”
His eyes registered the hit. He knew the odds. They were tough.
Three hours later, Michael walked Jennifer out. Strolling passed an enormous Banyan tree, the two came to a stop beneath its canopy. Long finger-like roots fell from the leaves to crawl along the ground, forming an intricate foundation around the base of the trunk. “Same time next month?”
“You bet.” She smiled, picking through the contents of her purse in search of her keys.
“So how’s Jax working out? Did you two overcome your differences?”
“We did.” Conscious of the sensitive subject matter, she added, “He’s
“Who wants to play checkers!” Michael called out.
Several boys tumbled over one another to get to him, shouting, “Me! Me!”
“I do! I do!”
“You played first last time!”
“Settle down boys. I’m here all afternoon.” Michael playfully rubbed Samuel’s shiny bald head. “And this time it’s for the championship .”
“Dr. Hamilton, can we have a tea party?”
She smiled at the young girl with white blonde hair, long curls pinned high to one side with a pink satin ribbon, eyes round and blue, lined by lashes so dark, Jennifer would have sworn they were false. “So long as you bake crumpets, we can.”
The child peered with a curious stare. “What’s a crumpet?”
Jennifer set hands to her thighs and leaned close. “I don’t really know. I only heard about it and thought it sounded tasty.”
“It does, doesn’t it...” She placed a petite forefinger to her lips, tinged ever so slightly blue, and pondered for a moment. “I think we should have crumpets with our tea. And I’ll make them!” She giggled and raised her soft pink rabbit high in the air. “What do you say, Poppy? Wanna make crumpets for Dr. Hamilton? She’s real nice and I think she’ll like them.”
Jennifer clapped her hands together. “Please, Poppy, please .”
The child shook her toy and pretended to speak for the rabbit, “With pleasure and a little sugar on top!”
Laughing at her ventriloquist talents, Jennifer eased up and helped to arrange the tea set; fancy porcelain, elaborately painted with vine twisted around lavender flowers, there were enough tiny cups to go around for everyone.
Shana dutifully returned satisfied the gecko was hers, and served everyone tea. While the boys declined, Michael cheerfully accepted his cup with a gallant nod. “Why thank you, Shana. And may I ask what flavor we have today?”
“Ginger mint.”
“Oh, that does sound good.” Pinching the handle with his forefinger and thumb, he held his pinky straight out and sipped. “Mmmmm...”
Shana giggled. “It’s rude to slurp.”
“Oops, sorry,” he said in feigned chagrin, as though it hadn’t been a purposeful ploy for a laugh.
It was moments like this when she adored Michael the most. “Try a crumpet, Michael. They’re truly divine.”
“Don’t mind if I do!” He reached up and plucked a make-believe biscuit from the tray extended before him. With great show he bit down, chewed with exaggerated motion, his mouth politely closed. He swallowed. “That’s the best crumpet I’ve ever tasted.”
“I made it!”
Michael followed the direction of the voice and spotted the girl with curls. “Her name is Beverly.” Jennifer quieted her voice. “She’s new.”
He nodded. “Thank you, Beverly. It was delicious.”
“You’re welcome,” she replied, and went back to her busy work at the stove, a remarkable replica in a kitchen complete with refrigerator, counter and sink, dining table and chairs. She wiped down the area around her mixing bowls, busy preparing for another batch.
Michael looked to Jennifer for explanation.
Maintaining her pleasant expression, she tapped a finger to her chest and mouthed, “Transplant.”
His eyes registered the hit. He knew the odds. They were tough.
Three hours later, Michael walked Jennifer out. Strolling passed an enormous Banyan tree, the two came to a stop beneath its canopy. Long finger-like roots fell from the leaves to crawl along the ground, forming an intricate foundation around the base of the trunk. “Same time next month?”
“You bet.” She smiled, picking through the contents of her purse in search of her keys.
“So how’s Jax working out? Did you two overcome your differences?”
“We did.” Conscious of the sensitive subject matter, she added, “He’s
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