Evan giggled, his eyes watching her mouth. YOU TALK TOO FAST, he signed really slow so she could read it. AND YOU WORRY TOO MUCH, TOO. MY HEART’S ALL FIXED!
His eyes went wide like a bug’s.
Frankie laughed. “I have to worry about you because you’re my best friend and I have to take care of you.”
He smiled that smile she loved, that one that made her chest feel tight and like she was the happiest person in the whole world. “No way, your dad said it’s my job to take care of you. Said I have to make sure you don’t go and hurt yourself again. You’re the one who needs to be careful. You’re gonna end up in the hospital if you don’t and my daddy is gonna have to patch you and then your dad is gonna be mad at me.”
He shoved his glasses up his nose.
Hospital.
She frowned at the mention of that gross, icky, creepy place.
Frankie’s worst memory was when she had to go see him in the hospital. It was scary and there were so many wires and tubes and machines and everyone was cryin’ all the time.
Frankie had been the one who was crying the most.
She thought it was even worse than when her old mean mommy had left her in the smoke.
But the good news was Evan got out of there really quick after she brought him the froggy with all her hearts, and he said it was his favorite thing in the world, and she made sure to remind him to bring it everywhere with him because she wanted to make sure he had it really fast if he needed it.
“We aren’t even supposed to be up this high,” he told her. “Your dad’s gonna get mad all over again.”
“Then how in the heck are we gonna get to our favorite rock? Maybe we can bring it down the hill so we can play on it all day.”
Evan laughed like she was crazy. “Um . . . that thing weighs like a million pounds. No way are we getting it down there.”
“We can roll it,” she suggested.
He laughed. “You’re crazy. No way.”
She pouted. “Then I guess we better stay up here forever. Besides, this is where our weddin’ was. It’s our special place, remember? I think we should just live here.”
Evan giggled a shy sound, and his cheeks were turning all pink. THAT WAS FAKE.
“Nu-uh, no way. My mama said it was real. Didn’t you see my dress?”
“Yeah, I saw it, and you wore it yesterday, too.” He was teasing her.
She huffed. “My mama said as long as I believe in something hard enough, I can make it mine or make it real or make it come to be. And I want the wedding to be real.”
He laughed lighter. OKAY. FINE. WE’LL CALL IT REAL. WE’LL JUST HAVE TO MAKE IT FOR REAL, REAL, LIKE MY MOM AND DAD, WHEN WE GET BIG.
CAN WE HAVE FIFTEEN KIDS?
Evan curled his nose. FIFTEEN? THAT SOUNDS LIKE TOO MANY. I DON’T THINK YOUR DAD WOULD WANT TO BUILD A HOUSE THAT BIG. HOW ABOUT SEVEN?
She nodded. PROMISE?
PROMISE.
“Good. Because you aren’t ever allowed to leave me.”
Evan scrunched up his nose. “Where would I go without you, Frankie Leigh? If I go somewhere, then you have to come, too.”
She looked over the blue lake that got mixed up with the blue sky, the mountains lookin’ blue in the middle. This was her favorite place in the whole wide world as long as Evan was right there beside her.
She reached out and took his hand, loved the way it felt when he weaved their fingers together. “You’re not ever allowed to die, okay?”
Evan laughed, sound raking on his throat. “I’m not gonna die. I’ve got all your hearts and the smartest, best doctor for a daddy. He said I’m good as new. I think I might be able to live forever.”
She snuggled down against their rock. “You better. You got a heart of stone now. It can’t get broken.”
If it did, he still had all of her hearts.
And her mama told her love was always enough, and she prayed over those hearts every day that they were good enough to hold him together so he never had to get that line on his chest opened up again.
She squeezed his hand. “I love you the best, my froggy boy. You are my favorite.”
Evan lifted his hands. I LOVE YOU THE MOST, UNICORN GIRL. MY FAVORITE FOREVER.