drive something different.”
She didn’t know why she was surprised. Cruz always had a plan A, B and C. He’d said that he’d make sure they weren’t followed. This was probably just one of many precautions he’d take to keep that promise.
Once he got Jana buckled in, he slid into the driver’s seat. He wore green cargo shorts, a white T-shirt and sandals. He looked very much like the man she’d married six years ago.
“Need directions?” she asked.
“I think I’ve got it,” Cruz said.
It was the last thing either of them said to one another. It was not silent, however, in the car. Jana kept up a running monologue. Meg learned about the little girl’s favorite colors, her favorite animals, things she would not eat no matter what and why girls were better than boys. When she said, “Girls get to sit to go potty,” Cruz smiled. Other than that, he was hard to read.
Or she might have just been perceptively dull. Because her head was whirling. Why had she agreed to this? It was a huge responsibility to bring a four-year-old to an amusement park. There would be big crowds, lots of geography and lots of temptation.
What if she ate something and got sick?
What if she got too much sun?
Oh, God. What if she got lost?
“Maybe we shouldn’t go,” she said. “You hate crowds.”
Cruz turned to look at her. “I’m turning into the parking lot,” he said. “We’re here.”
“But...”
Jana was scrambling out of her car seat. “Let’s go,” she said.
There was no stopping this train. Maybe she should tie herself to the tracks. It might be less painful. “Okay,” she said, opening her door. “Here goes nothing.”
There was a line to get in. Jana danced around them. Meg never took her eyes off her. Once they were through the gate, Cruz pulled Jana aside. “Hang on,” he said. “We’re going to do it all. Every last thing. And eat all kinds of things that have high sugar content. But you need to stay with us and not go running off. And if we get separated, don’t leave the park with anyone but Meg or me. No matter what. Come to this spot right here, at the entrance, by the big pink umbrellas. We will find you.”
He kept his voice calm but she could tell that Jana was listening. “I know the rules, Uncle Cruz,” she said.
It was a sad world that four-year-olds understood so much.
He smiled. “Good. I hope your aunt Meg does. What’s the number one rule, Meg?”
“Have fun?” she asked.
He shook his head. “That’s rule number two. Rule number one is, don’t sit behind me on the roller coaster if you’re going to throw up.”
“Hurl,” Jana corrected. She bent at the waist and made an exaggerated sound of vomiting. She was smiling when she straightened up. “That’s what my mom calls it. Hurling. And when you do it, you have to bend way over.” She demonstrated the move again.
Cruz narrowed his eyes. “Your mother could benefit from charm school.”
Jana shook her head. “She’s way too old for school. You try it, Uncle Cruz.”
Shaking his head, he bent at the waist and made the obligatory gagging sounds. Jana clapped her hands in approval. “Now you,” she said, pointing to Meg.
“Meg doesn’t have to—” Cruz said.
“I’ll do it.” She bent at the waist and gave it her best shot.
“That was pretty good,” Jana said. “But you got to be fast.” She whipped the trunk of her small body forward, almost bending double at the waist. Then she did it again, just in case the adults were too dumb to get it the first time.
“Enough,” Cruz said. “Let’s go.”
* * *
MEG DIDN’T HURL. Got a little motion-sick once or twice but managed to hold it together. Nothing seemed to bother Jana, except there was one tense moment when it appeared that she might not be tall enough for a ride.
“How tall are you?” Cruz asked, staring at the notice.
She edged up to Cruz, ran a hand across the top of her head and hit him at the waist. “This tall,” Jana said.
Cruz looked at Meg. “There you have it,” he said.
Fortunately, this tall was exactly a half inch more than what she needed. Their next stop was the Ferris wheel and Meg didn’t complain when Jana wanted to ride it three times in a row. She loved it just as much. Then it was time for lunch. Meg led the way and they found hot dogs, chips and icy cold slushes.