Page 74 of This Broken Heart

“No. I’ll change.”

Trace pauses, expectantly. Josh and I both know why there’s a pillow over his lap.

Josh glances at me, eyes beseeching me for help.

I bite my lip to keep from laughing. “Yes, Josh. Aren’t you going to go get dressed?”

He smiles, speaking through gritted teeth. “In a minute.”

I grin at his condition, climbing to my feet. “Come on, Trace. Let’s go see what grandma got you to wear to the program.”

“It better not be itchy.” Trace announces, leading me to his room. “She likes to buy itchy sweaters.”

I find his sweater in a department store bag and sure enough, the darn thing is wool. We put a long-sleeve dinosaur shirt under it, protecting his skin from the dreaded itchiness.

“Are you going to dress up, too?”

“Oh. I’m not going to church with you.”

His eyebrows scrunch up. “You’re going to miss my program?”

“Your dad is going. And grandma. You won’t even miss me.”

“I will, too!” He wails, barreling out of the room.

I follow after him, running into Josh in the hall. We both wince when the door to the bathroom slams shut.

“What got into him?” Josh asks.

“He’s upset because I’m not going to church with you.”

“Oh.” He nods. “He’ll get over it. This is your holiday, too. You should be with your family.”

He’s right, but the only problem with that is that I can’t be with my whole family. Not anymore.

He rubs the back of his neck. “But if you wanted to stay… it’s a really pretty service. Candlelit and all that. I think you’d like it.”

“I mean, I could go to church with you guys and then head home after that.”

He meets my gaze. “I don’t think I want you on the road that late at night.”

I laugh. “What, you think I’m a menace behind the wheel?”

“No, it’s just not real safe.”

“Good Lord, Josh. I’ll be fine.”

He still looks reluctant. The concern in those dark eyes is hitting me pretty hard. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Taking a page from Krampus’s book, I elect to laugh.

50.

Josh

Thank God for preschool tantrums.

I felt like having a tantrum about going to church, too, but being twenty-six, I thought it might look unseemly.