Page 43 of The Widower
“Ar...chi...tock?” she tried, stumbling over the word—and honestly, it was adorable.
I couldn’t help but smile. “No. Ar-chi-tect,” I repeated slowly.
“Ar...chi...tock. Got it, right?”
“Yes. You nailed it,” I said, feeling a bit sheepish.
She giggled, clearly proud of herself. She’s funny—curious like her mother—and, strangely enough, I don’t mind her constant questions. She’s one of the very few people who manage to do that to me.
Then I noticed Joshua walking toward the park, eyeing us with that same wary expression he’d worn lately. Things between us hadn’t been good. Every time I tried to talk to him, he either ignored me or walked away without a word.
“Hi,” Hanna greeted him cheerfully, as I knew she would.
“Who are you?” he asked, guarded.
“My name’s Hanna. We can play together if you want.”
Joshua looked at her, then at me, his whole body tense.
“I don’t want to play with you!” he blurted out.
“Joshua, what did I tell you about—”
“And I don’t want to talk to you either!”
He stormed off, leaving me standing there, the sting settling deep in my chest. Once again, that wall between us felt higher than ever.
“I’m sorry, Hanna,” I said softly. “My son’s upset. I’m sure he didn’t mean that.”
“Oh, it’s okay,” she said with a little shrug. “He probably misses his sister. That’s why he doesn’t want to play. But we’ll play anyway!”
“What?” I asked, startled.
“My mom says I can be annoying sometimes because I don’t give up. So yeah, I’m gonna play with him, Uncle Colin.”
That... I didn’t see coming. But it made me smile. At least someone was trying to reach Joshua—because clearly, even his own father hadn’t managed to.
ISABELLE CAMPBELL
I felt a wave of relief wash over me when I found out Hanna had been at the park this whole time. At least my daughter wasn’t running around the house, and that was one less problem for me to deal with.
“Everything all right around here?” I asked Helen, who looked unusually cheerful.
“Yes,” she said simply.
“Hmm. Did something happen?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
“Your face. You look... happy.”
“Maybe you’re right about that.”
“Helen…” I smiled, curiosity already getting the better of me. “What’s going on?”
“Let’s just say I ran a little test,” she replied, her grin widening, “and it worked out perfectly.”
“And am I allowed to know what kind of test we’re talking about?”
