When the Wind Chimes - Mary Ting Page 0,14

we can play your favorite game. What do you think?”

“Okay.” He furrowed his brow. “Auntie Kate, have you heard of a game called Unicorns versus Skeletons?”

“Yes. It’s one of my favorite games. I have it on my phone.”

“You do?”

“It might be hard to believe, but grown-ups play games too.” I swallowed a spoonful of hot soup.

“But Mom doesn’t play any games.”

“Some grown-ups don’t and that’s okay.”

Tyler ran the crust of his bread around the plate like a train. “My friend Jace, his dad plays video games with him. Do you think my dad would have played with me?”

Oh, my heart. I had to pause because my breath caught. “Yes, Ty. He would have done many things with you. You two would’ve had the best time.” I kissed his forehead, blinking away the tears pooling in my eyes.

I had spoken the truth. Abby had told me Steve had been a hands-on dad. He’d helped with changing diapers and even burping his son. And when Tyler had gotten older, he’d taught him how to catch a ball and had read to him often.

Steve had been an ideal husband and dad, the kind I hoped to find one day when I was ready to settle down. I’d thought Jayden might be the one, but turned out he was more into getting noticed by other women.

“Can you show me how to play better?” Tyler nibbled on his sandwich.

“Sure.” My heart hurting for his loss, I would bring down the stars for him if it would help him feel better.

“Am I going to school tomorrow?”

“Yes. I’m going to take you.”

“You are?” Tyler opened his mouth wide. “Yippee. I can’t wait for you to meet my friends.”

After we cleaned up, Tyler followed me to my room and stood in front of me while I sat on my bed.

He beamed like sunshine and handed me Abby’s tablet. “I practiced a little when you were at your—what’s that word ... inner ... no—interview. My friends are good at it, especially Jace. And Bridget started playing it and she’s really good too.”

“That’s okay. Everyone is different. Maybe Jace is better because he played longer than you. Let me show you some tips.” I patted my comforter.

Tyler plopped beside me and leaned closer, his brown eyes wide and his long eyelashes blinking. When he looked at me like that, I saw Abby. She wore the same expression when she was uncertain.

I tapped the home button. Then I pressed the Unicorns versus Skeletons app. The game popped up with a catchy tune.

Tyler and I laughed and bobbed our shoulders to the music, sometimes bumping lightly into each other. There were unicorns on the left and skeletons waiting to attack on the right. In between were flowers lined in rows.

“Attack.” Tyler clutched his hands together in anticipation.

I rapidly tapped the screen. The unicorns’ horns touched the flowers. After the flowers turned golden, they opened up their petals then swallowed the nearby skeletons.

“The trick of the game is not to panic and to concentrate only on the flowers that are in front of the unicorns,” I said.

“Ohhhh.” Tyler’s eyes grew wider and moved his fingers near mine, mimicking my movement.

“Would you like to play?”

“Nah. I’m not good at it.” He shook his head and curled his lips downward.

“Just because you’re not good at something, does that mean you stop trying?”

“No.” He dipped his chin lower, as if embarrassed.

“I can help you.”

Furrowing his brow, he chewed on his bottom lip. “Okay.”

I guided Tyler at first, but he began to maneuver the unicorns on his own. Tyler whooped in the air when he cleared stage one. A glowing rainbow arched across the screen.

“I did it!” He bounced on the bed, so I seesawed next to him.

“See, you can do anything. You just have to try.” I gave him a high five.

“You’re right,” he said with the same excited tone, passing the tablet to me. “It’s your turn, Auntie Kate.” When the flowers ate the skeletons, he chanted, “Eat it, eat it, eat it.”

Tyler and I cackled with exhilaration and we moved onto a higher level.

“Eat it. Eat it. You piece of ...” I bit my tongue just in time when the screen went blank. “What happened? Sh—” I slapped my hand over my mouth. “I meant ... sham.”

Tyler crossed his arms. “Sham? That’s not a word. I know what you were going to say. I’ve heard it before, plenty of times from you and Mom.”

I snickered and frowned.

“That’s okay. Mom says it all the time