like Lucy but had dark hair like Kendall. Her brown tresses were long again—she wouldn’t cut her hair for a few more months. Ever since their mother got sick, Emma donated her hair once a year to Locks of Love.
Kendall shrugged out of her coat and opened the closet. “Please don’t make this a big deal.”
“He talked to this guy. He’s been talking about this guy ever since he left the restaurant.”
“He’s been talking?”
Emma nodded. “To Lucy, to me, to Mom and Dad.”
“Mom and Dad are here?” Kendall fumbled with the hanger.
“He talked to them on the phone.” Emma waved a dismissive hand. “But still, this is amazing. This guy is the miracle you’ve been waiting for.”
Kendall couldn’t think in terms of miracles; she could only focus on the facts. Simon had been talking all afternoon. Talking like a normal kid. Talking to whoever would listen. Perhaps meeting Max had unlocked something inside him. She followed her sister down the hall and into the family room where Simon and Lucy were hanging out and talking.
“Do you think Max likes Halloween?” Simon asked, drawing on one of the many papers strewn all over the coffee table. Just hearing his voice made tears prick at the corner of Kendall’s eyes.
“Probably. I mean, who doesn’t like Halloween?” Lucy answered.
“Yeah, I bet he does.” His tongue poked out between his lips as he focused his attention on the drawing.
Kendall tried to compose herself. She couldn’t overreact or all would be lost. Psychologist #2 had been very clear about not showing too much excitement when Simon spoke to someone other than her. He had a hard enough time managing his own feelings—he couldn’t deal with hers, as well.
“Hey guys,” she said, stepping farther into the room.
Simon’s head lifted and his eyes brightened. “Hi, Mommy. Does Max like Halloween?”
She let herself appreciate the sound of his voice, so clear and sure, then tried to swallow the lump in her throat. “I’ll have to ask him tomorrow.”
“Good idea.” Simon returned to his picture. “But maybe I can ask. I want to go to work with you tomorrow.” He didn’t bother to check his mother’s reaction.
Internally, Kendall cursed a couple of times. Of course he wanted to go to work instead of school. One step forward, two steps back. School was ready to kick him out because he couldn’t talk or make it through the day there. Now he was talking, but only because of Max, who would be his new reason to avoid school.
Lucy shook her head ever so slightly. Her expression was one of support for being firm. Emma was the soft, overwhelmingly compassionate one. She seemed more sorry for them than anything. She’d tell Kendall to let Simon skip school if it meant getting him to open up more. Wasn’t that what Kendall needed him to do more than anything? Maybe if he spent a little more time around Max, he’d really come out of his shell and none of the problems would exist any longer.
Lucy could see her crumbling. “What if Aunt Emma brings you over there tomorrow after school,” she suggested. “But only if you make it through the whole day. That sounds like a good plan, right, K?”
Kendall nodded. “I’m sure Max would tell you anything you wanted to know if he hears you went to school for the whole day.”
Simon didn’t like this condition one bit. “My tummy hurts and everybody at school hates me. I don’t want to go.”
Emma sat down next to him on the floor and wrapped an arm around him. She would most definitely give in. “Aw, buddy, that’s not true. Who could hate someone as awesome as you?”
Kendall made eye contact with Lucy, who gave her sister all the moral support she could without saying a word.
“That’s the deal, take it or leave it,” Kendall said. “Go to school and Aunt Emma will bring you by the restaurant. Don’t go to school, you and Aunt Emma stay home all day.” It was a risky offer. He could easily choose to stay home,
Kendall shrugged out of her coat and opened the closet. “Please don’t make this a big deal.”
“He talked to this guy. He’s been talking about this guy ever since he left the restaurant.”
“He’s been talking?”
Emma nodded. “To Lucy, to me, to Mom and Dad.”
“Mom and Dad are here?” Kendall fumbled with the hanger.
“He talked to them on the phone.” Emma waved a dismissive hand. “But still, this is amazing. This guy is the miracle you’ve been waiting for.”
Kendall couldn’t think in terms of miracles; she could only focus on the facts. Simon had been talking all afternoon. Talking like a normal kid. Talking to whoever would listen. Perhaps meeting Max had unlocked something inside him. She followed her sister down the hall and into the family room where Simon and Lucy were hanging out and talking.
“Do you think Max likes Halloween?” Simon asked, drawing on one of the many papers strewn all over the coffee table. Just hearing his voice made tears prick at the corner of Kendall’s eyes.
“Probably. I mean, who doesn’t like Halloween?” Lucy answered.
“Yeah, I bet he does.” His tongue poked out between his lips as he focused his attention on the drawing.
Kendall tried to compose herself. She couldn’t overreact or all would be lost. Psychologist #2 had been very clear about not showing too much excitement when Simon spoke to someone other than her. He had a hard enough time managing his own feelings—he couldn’t deal with hers, as well.
“Hey guys,” she said, stepping farther into the room.
Simon’s head lifted and his eyes brightened. “Hi, Mommy. Does Max like Halloween?”
She let herself appreciate the sound of his voice, so clear and sure, then tried to swallow the lump in her throat. “I’ll have to ask him tomorrow.”
“Good idea.” Simon returned to his picture. “But maybe I can ask. I want to go to work with you tomorrow.” He didn’t bother to check his mother’s reaction.
Internally, Kendall cursed a couple of times. Of course he wanted to go to work instead of school. One step forward, two steps back. School was ready to kick him out because he couldn’t talk or make it through the day there. Now he was talking, but only because of Max, who would be his new reason to avoid school.
Lucy shook her head ever so slightly. Her expression was one of support for being firm. Emma was the soft, overwhelmingly compassionate one. She seemed more sorry for them than anything. She’d tell Kendall to let Simon skip school if it meant getting him to open up more. Wasn’t that what Kendall needed him to do more than anything? Maybe if he spent a little more time around Max, he’d really come out of his shell and none of the problems would exist any longer.
Lucy could see her crumbling. “What if Aunt Emma brings you over there tomorrow after school,” she suggested. “But only if you make it through the whole day. That sounds like a good plan, right, K?”
Kendall nodded. “I’m sure Max would tell you anything you wanted to know if he hears you went to school for the whole day.”
Simon didn’t like this condition one bit. “My tummy hurts and everybody at school hates me. I don’t want to go.”
Emma sat down next to him on the floor and wrapped an arm around him. She would most definitely give in. “Aw, buddy, that’s not true. Who could hate someone as awesome as you?”
Kendall made eye contact with Lucy, who gave her sister all the moral support she could without saying a word.
“That’s the deal, take it or leave it,” Kendall said. “Go to school and Aunt Emma will bring you by the restaurant. Don’t go to school, you and Aunt Emma stay home all day.” It was a risky offer. He could easily choose to stay home,
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