Page 57 of Break the Rule
“You found it!” Ella claps. “I was worried I’d have to make you a new one. That was hard work, you know. I was barely four when I made it.”
“You worked very hard,” Eden agrees.
“Good thing you got it back,” Ella says very seriously, sliding him the pink crayon.
“Where did you find it anyway?” Addy asks, joining them at the table.
“A friend gave it back,” Eden answers, unconsciously touching his mouth.
“Afriend,” Addy echoes. She arches one polished eyebrow at him in a way that suggests she knows exactly what kind of friend he means, even if they haven’t had time to discuss things. “Is thisfriendthe reason you got home so late?”
“Maybe,” Eden replies, aware that while Ella is coloring, she’s also listening to every word they say. He’s never met a nosier child. He drags the pink crayon across the hippo on his half of the coloring book, filling it in with vibrant pink.
Sure enough, it’s Ella who comes up with a response next. “Maybe he’s not a good friend if he kept you out late. Momma says good friends make you feel good.”
“You have a very smart momma.”
“Course I do,” Ella nods. “Momma is the smartest. Then me.”
“Where do I rank?” Eden asks, carefully coloring around his hippo’s eyes.
Ella hums thoughtfully. “You try really hard.”
Both Addy and Eden burst out laughing, and Ella frowns. “Don’t laugh at me.”
“We’re not laughing at you. We’re laughing at me,” Eden tells her. “I’m not that smart, but it’s okay because being smart doesn’t make you a better person.”
“Sofia S., not Sofia J. or Sophia T., isn’t that smart. She can never finish her worksheets, but she shares her fruit snacks with me at recess. She’s the best Sofia in my class.”
“Sharing fruit snacks is very nice,” Addy agrees.
“Except when she gives me the purple ones. Those are yucky.”
“Purple is the worst flavor,” Eden agrees.
“That’s why you’re my favorite,” Ella tells him, managing to heal the broken pieces of Eden’s heart with one casual sentence. “Hey, Momma. Can Eden take me to the park today?”
“I have to work,” Eden says with an apologetic smile.
“Why?” Ella asks, half-draping herself dramatically over her coloring page. “You worked all week. Momma said you’d play with me today. Momma lied.”
“Your momma didn’t lie, she didn’t know. I picked up an extra shift last night.”
“Why?” Addy asks.
“There was no work at the gallery this week, and with your car in the shop we needed the money.”
“You know my car isn’t your responsibility,” Addy points out.
“I want to help,” Eden asserts, unable to explain how terrified he sometimes feels of becoming a burden. Before he got this job at Juanita’s, money was painfully tight for weeks, and he knows Addy dipped into her savings to keep them from getting evicted.
“I know but?—”
“No buts,” Eden interrupts.
“Okay,” Addy nods, reaching for his hand, squeezing it. “Thank you. Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t Eden be okay?” Ella interjects, watching them like a hawk. “Are you getting sick? Momma says I have to take my vitamins so I don’t get germs from school. Are you taking vitamins?”
