Page 17 of Wait for Me

“Good.”

“What’s that smirk? You’re laughing at me.”

“I’m not.” Marie kept a straight face.

“Are you questioning my parenting skills?”

“No comment.”

Logan’s jaw dropped. “Did you realize something?”

“What?”

“We’re talking to each other.”

Marie had to agree with him. “Because of Jonas.”

“Our son.”

Marie blinked. In the distance, Mrs. Ping was gathering Jonas’s brightly colored towel and flip-flops.

“Take a walk with me?” Logan asked quietly. He looked like he expected Marie to say no.

She decided to surprise him. “I can’t do it now, but how about after dinner tonight?”

“All right. It’s a date then.”

“Not a date,” Marie countered. “We’re trying to get along so we don’t ruin our son’s life.”

“Okay, a business meeting then.”

“If you put it that way.” Marie put down her iPad. “Maybe we can discuss what excursions we want to do the rest of the week.”

Five days seemed like an eternity now that she thought about it.

“That’s easy. Whatever Jonas wants to do, we do,” Logan said.

“Ah, child-directed parenting.”

“Is that the name for it?”

Jonas and Mrs. Ping walked toward them. Jonas looked awfully tired.

“I guess the ice cream has worn off,” Marie said.

“Either that, or it’s the after-sugar effect.” Logan laughed.

“What’s that?”

Logan shrugged. “Don’t know. I’m just making up hyphenated words, like you did.”

“That’s supposed to help our non-relationship?” Marie snapped.

Oh, why did I do that?

“Ah, irritable. Maybe you need a nap too,” Logan said.

“Mommy.” Jonas tugged at Marie’s arm. “Will you stay with me in my room?”

---