Page 8 of The Manny

“And I’m happy to be here.” Thomas smiled and then knelt down in front of Mia. He made no attempt to touch the child though. “Hello, Mia. It’s so nice to meet you.”

She held onto Mrs. Jones’ skirt, watching him warily.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun together.”

She didn’t look convinced as she took a step back.

He just smiled and rose. “Do I need the keys to get into your car, Mrs. Jones, or is it unlocked?”

“It’s unlocked.”

“Be right back.” Thomas left the house, closing the door behind him.

And awkward silence fell the moment he was gone. I’d never have thought I’d be sorry to see him go, but he’d served as a sort of buffer. I cleared my throat. “Um… would you like something to drink?” I addressed Mrs. Jones.

Mrs. Jones hesitated and glanced down at Mia. “I’m fine, but how about you, Mia? Would you like something to drink?”

The child shook her head.

“Are you sure?” Mrs. Jones coaxed. “You said you were thirsty in the car.”

“I have apple juice,” I volunteered. “Do you like apple juice, Mia?”

Mia stared at me silently.

“Come on. I’ll get us some juice.” I didn’t wait for her response and headed into the kitchen. All kids liked juice, right? I figured staring at Mia wouldn’t help anything. The poor kid looked petrified and ready to burst into tears. Best to keep busy while I waited for Thomas to come back into the house.

How long does it take to get a damn suitcase out of a car?

I grabbed the juice from the fridge and took two glasses out of the cupboard. I was relieved when I heard the front door open, signaling Thomas’ return. I heard soft voices, and then Thomas and Mrs. Jones entered the kitchen. A few seconds later, Mia peeked around the corner into the kitchen.

As he approached, Thomas winked at me. I had no idea what the wink meant, so I just focused on pouring the juice into the glasses. I was annoyed when my hand shook, and I set the bottle down abruptly.

“Do you mind if I grab a glass from the cupboard?” Thomas asked. “I love apple juice.”

“Help yourself. It’s the one to the right of the sink.” I sat at the kitchen table, anxiety rolling through me. I’d really hoped maybe Mia would be more talkative. Some kids chattered happily all the time, but Mia looked like she wanted to hide under the table.

Thomas joined me at the table, surprising me when he sat beside me. When his leg brushed mine, without thinking, I quickly moved away. That instinctive action earned me a scowl, but then he turned his attention on Mia.

“Come on, Mia, let’s have some juice.” He smiled.

She hesitated, eyeing the bottle.

His tone was teasing as he said, “I really worked up a sweat bringing in your bag.”

She didn’t smile, but she did come closer. “Why?”

“Because it weighs about a thousand pounds.” Thomas sighed.

“No. It’s just a little suitcase,” she said softly.

Relieved she’d finally spoken, I watched her as she inched toward Thomas.

“What? It was so heavy, I thought maybe you had an elephant inside of it.” Thomas said jovially.

“No.” Mia shook her head. “Elephants don’t fit in suitcases.”

“Are you sure?” Thomas raised his brows.

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