Page 103 of Wait for Me

“Because we need a smooth surface for the car wheels to glide over.”

Jonas shrugged. He yawned.

“Time for bed, Mr. Jonas.” Logan crumpled up the Band-Aid cover and threw it in the trash can.

“I want Mommy to tuck me in.”

Here we go.“Mommy is at work, but she’ll be home soon. How about I tuck you in and we can pray for her?”

“Okay.”

Logan made a quick work of their nightly process. Jonas brushed his teeth and climbed into bed. He read a passage from the children’s Bible about Jesus feeding the five thousand.

Jonas was fast asleep before Logan finished praying.

After turning off the bedroom light, Logan went downstairs to do some work. He recalled trying to make Marie talk to him in a business setting in his office, as if that would work.

He heard music coming from the laundry room near the kitchen, and figured Mrs. Ping was still awake. Sure enough, Mrs. Ping was listening to music on her phone while folding Jonas’s laundry. She looked pensive.

“You okay?” Logan asked.

She nodded.

“When are you going to see your grandkids?”

“In a week. I’ll arrive one day before my youngest granddaughter celebrates his first birthday.”

“If you need to take more time off…”

“No need.” Mrs. Ping shook her head.

“You can leave a week sooner. Or later.”

Mrs. Ping gave him a look.

Logan lifted up his left arm. “See a cast?”

“No.” She looked puzzled.

“Neither do I.” Logan dropped his arm. “It’s been over two months. My arm has healed. It’s not broken any more. I can handle my own son.”

“Really?” Mrs. Ping picked another article of clothing from the dryer. “Can you survive Jonas without me for three weeks, Mr. Logan?”

“It’s still Mr. Logan after all these years?” Logan asked.

“It’s best if we keep a wall between us, even though I’m old enough to be your mother.” Mrs. Ping placed the folded shorts neatly in the laundry basket at her feet.

“You’ve been a blessing to us,” Logan said. “I need to give you a raise.”

“You’ve given me a raise every year.”

“Not enough, it seems.”

“Now you’re giving me three weeks off.” Mrs. Ping knotted her eyebrows together. “You going to be okay that long without me?”

Logan nodded. “I’m on a staycation the entire time, remember? Plus, Polly does all the cooking, so we’re not going to starve. I’m going to give Wallace some time off too, so I’ll take Jonas to kindergarten.”

“Okay.” She still looked worried.

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