Page 78 of This Broken Heart

He’s got tears rolling down his cheeks. “Where does she work?”

“Aw, bud.” I pull him in for a hug. Now does not seem like the best time to tell him that watching him is a job we have to pay Erin to do. “She’ll be back in a few days.”

“A few days?” He squeaks and then he’s wailing again. “You gotta go get her, Dad. What if something happens to her?”

Maven climbs down from the bed and wraps her arms around my neck. I put my hand over her little arms. “Nothing is going to happen to her. Why would you think that?”

“Because something happened to the last mommy.”

Oh.

That’s what this is about.

I sit cross-legged on the floor and pull him into my lap.

I clear my throat a few times, trying hard to keep the wobble out of my voice. “Erin’s not sick, bud. She texted me as soon as she got home. She’s snug as a bug in a rug at her mom’s house.”

He sniffs. “Can I talk to her?”

I think that over. I don’t want to bother Erin on Christmas, but considering the circumstances, I don’t think she’d mind.

We FaceTime her and even as the phone is ringing, it occurs to me that this is rather early to be calling anyone.

She takes the call anyway, to my immense relief, but it’s another woman’s face who fills the screen.

My first thought is that we’ve somehow called the wrong number, but then I recognize blue-green eyes. Round cheekbones.

This is Erin’s mom. She’s smiling into the camera like the cat who got the cream. “You must be Josh.”

“Yes, ma’am. Are you Erin’s mom?”

“You bet. I’m Donnita.”

“I’m Trace.”

Maven tumbles into my lap. “Maven!”

“Oh, my stars. Theyarebeautiful. She wasn’t exaggerating.”

Trace’s face fills the screen. “Where’s Erin? Is she safe?”

Donnita laughs. “I sure hope so. She stepped into the shower just a few seconds ago.”

Trace flops in my arms, melting to the ground. “I want Erin.”

“You should come visit her.”

Trace perks up. “Right now?”

“Oh.” Donnita pauses, grinning. “Well, why not? I would love that.”

I’m sitting there, waiting for her to insert a ‘but’.

She doesn’t.

I squirm internally. My mother trained me never to invite myself over to someone else’s house. Inviting yourself over onChristmas Dayseems like a particularly grievous sin. “Oh, we couldn’t impose. Trace was just missing Erin, so I thought we’d try to catch her on a video call.”

“Let’s go surprise her, dad.” Trace says from his new position on the floor.