Page 113 of Indescribable

When Naomi turns to grab a table, Dorothy gives me an exaggerated wink and I bite back a laugh.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it this empty,” Naomi remarks.

“Me either.”

“Sweet tea?” Dorothy guesses.

“You got it.”

“Actually just a water for me, please,” Naomi requests.

“I’ll be right back with that. My niece is here tonight, too. I’ll introduce you in a bit. She and her daughter just got officially moved into their house.”

“Oh, yeah? Good deal. She was gone for what, six months?”

Dorothy nods. “Just about, off and on. She had to sell her old place and deal with some family affairs. She has a daughter who she homeschooled all last year but will be starting here at Red Oak High in a few weeks.”

“How old is she?”

“She’ll be turning sixteen soon. Rough time for her to move, but she’s a social girl so I have no doubt she’ll be making friends lickity split.”

She leaves us a couple menus, even though she knows we don’t need them but it’s part of the plan, and tells us she’ll be right back with our drinks.

“What are you getting?” Naomi asks. “I’m undecided.” She opens the menu and scrunches her eyebrows. “What in the world?”

“What is it?” I ask, knowing full well what she just found.

“A chatterbox. I think. Do you think a kid left this here?”

“Weird thing to leave, right?”

She grins up at me. “Wanna play?”

“Definitely.”

“Give me an animal. One I can actuallyspellthis time.”

“Otter.”

“That’s the animal you thought of?” She giggles and spells it out. “O-T-T-E-R.”

“Seven.”

She counts out seven and we play the game until she opens up the flap.

“Wait a minute. What’s this?”

“What does it say? Is it another game?” I ask, barely being able to hold back my smile.

She shakes her head. “I think I just found something private.”

“Is it dirty?”

“No. It’s… it’s… it’s a word. Scrabble. That’s it.”

“No kidding? What do you think it means?”

She nods. “Brock, it’s…” her lower lip quivers and tears flood her eyes, “what is this?”