When the Wind Chimes - Mary Ting Page 0,42
at a time with exaggerated delight.
She scrunched up her nose. “I think I’ll try eating. Mona might get mad if she finds out I didn’t eat on time.” She took her seat across from me and dug in.
I forked a potato and nibbled on it. “I agree. You’re very smart.”
She sat taller and her eyes gleamed. “Mona says I’m smart too.”
“Because she’s right. And I also like your shirt.”
Bridget lowered her gaze to her shirt, and then looked at me. “You do?”
“I love unicorns. My sister thinks I’m too old to like unicorns, but I don’t care. I wish my room looked like yours.”
Her lips tugged wider, and she gnawed on her drumstick.
“According to your schedule, you can have dessert after dinner. You can have some fresh baked cookies Mona made this morning or some ice cream. Which one would you rather have?”
“Ice cream.” She paused, staring at her food, and then peered up to add, “Please.”
“Ice cream it is. Did you see Tyler at school today?” I took a sip of my water.
Tyler was something else we had in common. A safe topic.
She nodded, her mouth full of carrots. She wiped her lips with a napkin. “Yes, but I think he’s mad at me.”
“Why? What makes you think that?”
She blinked, looking unsure. “I think ... because you’re here instead of at his house.”
“Oh. We can set this straight. How about we call him after dinner?” I took another bite of the chicken.
She shook her head, her voice high pitched. “No. I don’t want you to ask him.”
I put my drumstick down and wiped my fingers on the napkin. “It’s okay. I’m not going to ask him if he’s mad at you. I’m going to call him because today is the first day I’m not with him. I was going to talk to him, anyway. I promise I won’t bring up anything you don’t want me to. I wouldn’t do that to you. I promise with all the unicorns, rainbows, and all the sparkling things.”
Bridget giggled, the cutest sound. Well, second cutest, after Tyler.
“Unicorns, rainbows, and all the sparkling things.” She cracked up like I had told her the funniest joke. She laughed so hard she began coughing.
My heart shot up to my throat. I sprinted around the table to pat her back and offered her cup. “Here, drink.”
After she gulped some water, she eased her shoulders.
“You okay?” I asked and sat back down.
“Yeah. That was close.” She sounded like a grown-up. “I like that you like unicorns.”
“I like that you like that I like unicorns.” I tossed a carrot in my mouth.
She giggled.
“That will be our mantra,” I said.
“What’s a mantra?”
“Something we’ll say that has a special meaning just between us.”
“Ohhhh. I like that.”
After dinner, I cleared the plates and Bridget went to her room. I called her down for dessert, and this time she didn’t hesitate. She sat on the counter stool instead of at the dining table.
“I know you said you wanted ice cream, but I’m double checking. Cookies or ice cream?” I had set both on the counter, along with bowls and spoons.
Her eyes bounced between them, sticking out her tongue. “I can’t decide. I wanted ice cream at first, but now I don’t know.” She propped her forehead on her hand and sighed as if this was the hardest decision she’d had to make.
I wrinkled my nose and placed my chin under my fists, elbows on the counter. “Well ... how about we have both?”
“Both?” Her eyes sparkled brighter than the kitchen lights. “Mona doesn’t let me have both.”
“Mona isn’t here, is she? That means I get to make the decision. Just this once, I think you deserve both for being brave.”
She blinked and her eyes rounded. “I was brave? How?”
“Well, two people you love are away and you are acting like a big girl by letting me watch over you. And I want to thank you for accepting me.”
She dipped her head wordlessly. I could assume she felt guilty for giving me an attitude earlier.
“Maybe I wasn’t that brave,” she said softly.
“I think you are. So let’s eat.” I scooped small portions of chocolate and strawberry ice cream into two bowls and shoved a snickerdoodle in the middle. “There. One for you and one for me.”
Bridget’s eyes widened in delight as she picked up a spoon.
“Wait. We forgot something.” I went to the fridge and took out a can of whipped cream. “Do you want some?”
“Yes.” She jumped in her seat and clapped.
I shook