Page 96 of Wait for Me

“It pays a lot!”

“Does it?”

“Uh-huh. Mommy’s going to come home to check on us, so we better behave.”

Logan glanced at Mrs. Ping.

The nanny took Jonas’s hand from Marie. “I bought five flavors of ice cream, but they don’t have vanilla. Can you believe it?”

“Wow!” Jonas jumped up and down. “Fivefavors! Fivefavors! Can I have all five?”

“If Mommy and Daddy say you can,” Mrs. Ping replied.

Marie looked at Logan. “Oh, I don’t know. Five in one sitting? I mean, cavities and all.”

Logan pretended to think deeply.

“Daddy, please? I have to eat them now before they melt!”

“What do you think, Mommy?” Logan asked Marie.

“Maybe only today. Then he can spread out each flavor for the rest of the week.”

“That makes sense.” Logan nodded. “All right, go with Mrs. Ping. Let her scoop them out for you, okay?”

“Thank you! Bye!” Jonas was skipping away in the direction of the kitchen, as Mrs. Ping tried to keep up with him.

“So easily distracted,” Marie said.

“Who would think we’d lost to ice cream.” Logan shook his head.

“Don’t use it as a treatment,” Marie warned. “I don’t want him to become overweight.”

“He wears it off playing with his friends. I’m thinking he should play soccer or something soon. Get all that energy out of his system.”

“Soccer?” Marie was alarmed. “Haven’t you heard of brain injuries?”

“You mean football?”

“Both. Let him play something more benign.”

“Like what?”

“Piano or something.”

“Piano? No one has played our Steinway grand since you left.” Logan reached for Marie’s hand. “You’ll have to come home so that we can discuss it.”

“About sports?” Marie let Logan pull her gently toward him.

“And other things…” Logan nuzzled her hair.

“What other things?”

“I don’t know. We’ll think of something.” Logan held her. “I miss you already.”

I miss you too.

Marie couldn’t say it. She didn’t want to get his hopes up. She could not assure him that she would return from the battlefield against Buchanan.

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