Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103621 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103621 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Mimi nods fast. “Yes, Mama. Hurry. The rats might smell the leftover pizza and decide to come in here.”
“I doubt it, but stay on the island, just in case,” Elly says, pressing a kiss to Mimi’s forehead. As she pulls away, she turns to me, adding in a whisper, “You okay here for a few minutes without me? If she gets upset again, just holler and I’ll be here in two seconds.”
“Don’t worry,” I assure her. “We’ll be fine. Take your time.”
“No, Mama, don’t take your time, not right now. Sometimes it’s okay to be fast,” Mimi says, making Elly glance back over her shoulder with a soft laugh.
“Got it. I’ll be faster than the wind.” She jogs out of the room, making Mimi sag with relief.
“Thank goodness,” Mimi says, glancing my way as she confides, “Mama always says slow and steady wins the race, but sometimes it’s better to be fast. Especially if you don’t care about winning the race and you just want to get away from something scary.”
“Wise words, kiddo,” I say, holding out a fist for her to bump.
She does, and Cedric laughs. “You two remind me of me and my stepdaughter. Thick as thieves from day one.” His blue eyes soften. “Now, she’s twenty-five and about to give me my first grandbaby.” He gives me a friendly pat on the shoulder as he adds, “Enjoy your time with your girls, son. It goes by so fast and then, all of a sudden, you’re sixty and about to be a grandpa.”
My girls…
They aren’t my girls, not really, but right now…
Well, I’m glad they’re coming home with me, and not just because no one should have to sleep in an apartment with an active rat infestation. Even before Katy ran out screaming, I was dreading saying goodbye.
Now, I don’t have to.
“Oh no,” Mimi says, sitting ramrod straight again. “My stuffed animals! I can’t leave Miss Sparklehorn here with the rats! Or Fuzzy Wuzzy. They’re delicate and magical, and rats hate unicorns.”
“On it,” I tell her, holding up a hand, fingers spread wide. “Wait here. I’ll grab them from your room and see if your mom needs any help.”
Mimi relaxes almost immediately, a smile twitching at her lips. “Thanks, Gee. The rats will be too scared to bother Mama or the animals if you’re there. You’re big and strong.”
I’ve heard similar things from people before, but as I give Mimi a thumbs-up and jog in to join Elly, I realize I’ve never been so glad to be big and strong as I am right now. Big and strong on the streets or the ice is good and all, but big and strong because it makes a kid you care about feel safe is even better.
“Everything okay?” Elly asks from the closet as I head into Mimi’s nearly full-packed room.
“Yeah, just have to rescue two stuffies Mimi thinks might be rat targets,” I say, seeing the unicorn on her bed and tucking it under one arm. “I just need to know which one is Fuzzy Wuzzy.”
Elly smiles and points to the open box not far from the bed. “The big gray bunny. Should be in that one. He’s one of the ‘good’ animals.”
“Got it.” I locate the bunny easily, then help Elly carry her nearly-packed duffle into the bathroom.
Within ten minutes, we’ve got a duffle bag, Mimi’s backpack and lunchbox for school, a small bonus bag of toiletries, and the stuffies ready to go, and are waving goodbye to Cedric, who promises to lock up behind him.
“Okay,” Mimi announces as she leads the way down the hall toward the elevator, unicorn under one arm and Fuzzy Wuzzy under the other. “We’re all ready to go, and Fuzzy Wuzzy isn’t even nervous.”
“No?” I ask, with a smile. “That’s good.’
“That’s very good,” Elly adds softly beside me. “Fuzzy Wuzzy is notoriously high-strung. Speaking of high-strung…you handled all of that very well. You’ve got excellent dealing-with-scared-kids instincts.”
“Thanks,” I say. “I’m glad I was there.”
“Me, too,” Elly says as we reach Mimi, who’s already pressed the button to call the elevator.
She turns back to me as we wait, asking, “Hey, Gee, is it too cold to swim in your pool at night?”
I shake my head. “Nope. It’s heated. You can swim in December if you want.”
The look of wonder that transforms her face makes Elly and me both laugh. “Did you hear that, Mama? We can swim at Christmas!”
Elly ruffles her hair. “I did. What lucky ladies we are. But only a short swim tonight, okay? It’s only a couple of hours until bedtime.”
“Okay,” Mimi says, slipping her free hand into mine as we wait like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
My chest tightens, then fills, and in that moment, I know nothing will ever be the same.
Because this little girl? I want to be her hero. For keeps.