Page 49 of Hungry Hearts

Ryder dips his chin before giving her a quick nod. He squats so he’s closer to eye level with her. “I am. My name’s Ryder. You must be Ruby.” He extends his hand to her and she stares at it.

“Ryder is a silly name.” She giggles, then shakes his hand.

“You’ll have to talk to my mom about that one. Ruby is a pretty name. It sounds like a princess.”

“It does? I don’t know any Ruby princesses. This is Ariel. She’s a mermaid. And this is Barbie. She isn’t a princess, just a Barbie.” She holds up her dolls to him.

“Do you know why you haven’t read about any Ruby princesses?”

Ruby’s blue eyes widen like Ryder is the holder of a sacred secret. “Why?”

“Because there can only be one and you’re it.”

“I am?”

“You can be whatever you want to be.”

Ruby turns her head to me. “Mommy, can I be a princess?”

“That’s quite the goal.”

“How much does it cost to be a princess?”

“I don’t think it works that way, sweetie.” I hold back my chuckle.

“Being a princess is a state of mind.” Ryder stands and tweaks her nose.

“What’s a state of mind?”

I fold my arms across my chest, quite amused at this conversation and curious how Ryder is going to explain this one to a five-year-old.

“If you want to be treated like a princess you have to act like one.”

“Do we get to live in a castle and wear princess dresses all day?”

“Those are added perks. Acting like one must come first.”

“How do you act like one?”

“You tell me. Who’s your favorite princess?”

Ruby stares up at the sky and thinks for a moment. “Ummmm...probably Cinderella and Jasmine and Snow White and Elsa and Belle and Mulan and Moana.”

Ryder smirks and quickly turns serious again. “To name a few. You sound like your mother.” He gives me a quick wink before turning his attention back to Ruby, leaving me a mere bystander to this conversation.

Not that I mind. Not one bit. Watching them interact this way only solidifies my feelings for Ryder.

“Now think about their characteristics.”

“What’s a carrot-distic?”

I cover my mouth with my hand to hide my giggles.

“What makes them special?”

“They have magic and pretty dresses.”

Ryder squats again and shakes his head. “Those are superficial.” He waves his hand through the air as if to erase the big word before Ruby asks about it. “Tell me about how they act.”

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