Page 38 of The Secret We Keep
“Yeah. I can show you sometime, if you like?”
I laugh to myself as we both keep walking. “Sounds dangerous.”
“It is,” she says pulling a leaf off a nearby tree and fiddling with it. “Most people end up crying on their first try.”
“I’m not a crier, so maybe I’d be good at it.”
Her little feet stop, treading on the dirty laces. “I bet I could make you.”
I fold my arms, caught off guard. The way this kid says something so simple, so honest, slips right past my defences, hitting my heart. “It’s been years since I cried, kid.” I lift my shoulders. “Can’t remember the last time I did.”
“You can’t remember when you lastcried?”
“No.” I shake my head.
Her mouth twists and her eyes narrow on me. “What about laughing? Do you laugh much?”
“With my friend, yes.”
She inspects me again, her gaze raking over me. “One friend?” Her shoulders steadily relax. “I have one friend, too.”
“Then we’re the same.”
Her rosy cheeks stretch, and she beams. “That’s cool.”
“Cool?”
“Yeah,” she begins before we start walking again. “Not many people like only having one friend. They think having more makes them cooler or something. Dad always used to say it was better to have fewer friends that loved you than lots of friends who didn’t.”
“He sounds like a very clever man.”
Her head drops, and she scuffs the pavement with her foot. “Yeah. He was.”
Past tense.
My insides shrink.
We walk in silence, a barrage of emotions hitting me all at once. “Where is he now?” I don’t know why I ask, but the little girl who clearly likes to talk is all of a sudden not saying a word.
“In heaven,” she eventually says, her softly spoken words cutting through me.
The conversation shift makes me feel oddly protective of her. “And your mother? Is she around?”
“I never knew her. But my dad… I miss him. We did everything together.”
“He sounds like he was good fun.”
She sniffs. “He was the best.” She looks my waythen. “Do you have a dad?”
Clearing my throat, I look down at her. “Yeah, but he’s a bit bossy. We don’t really do anything together.”
“That sounds boring.”
I look around at the trees for a moment, listening to the way they whisper in the light breeze. She hit the nail on the head. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Evie. And I might be a kid, but I’m very grown up for my age.” Her eyes scrunch slightly.
“Evie’s a nice name. I can tell you’re grown up for your age and I haven’t known you for very long.”
