Page 51 of The Vacation Mix-Up
“Are you sure?” I ask, tempted to scribble it out.
He stares me down, much like I had him, and mimics my previous response. “A hundred percent.”
I snatch the pencil back and point it at him. “You better be.”
He chuckles. “I am.”
“Because if you’re not, you need to tell me.”
“Trust me. It’s correct. My sister was a middle school science teacher.”
“Really?”
He nods.
Curious about his personal life, I ask, “How many siblings do you have?”
“Just the one. Veronica… Roni. She’s two years older.”
“Are the two of you close?”
“The closest.”
My heart warms at the sincerity in his eyes. “That’s lovely.”
“How about you? Any brothers or sisters?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m an only child.”
At least I think I am. Who knows if the sperm donor that is my biological father donated more sperm?
“Are we ready for question number four?” Carlos asks.
Everyone in the lounge, except Riley, shouts, “Yes!” and I wonder why he’s taking part if he’s not overly into it.
Carlos’s eyes widen with exaggeration. “Eager bunch, aren’t you? I like it. Okay. What bones are babies born without?”
Glancing to my left out the window, blue ocean as far as the eye can see, I try to recall if I’ve ever heard of boneless babies, which I haven’t.
Again, Riley’s knuckles gently graze mine as he takes the pencil out of my hand and scrawlsKneecaps.
“How on earth do you know that?” I blurt.
His sparkling crinkly eyes return, but this time, they’re not as animated, instead serene. Somewhat desolate. “I just do. And I have a niece, remember?”
“Oh, yeah. The one you drug to go to sleep.”
“That’s the one.”
“What’s her name?”
“Poppy.”
“That’s sweet. I love floral names.”
“So does my sister. She has a cat named Marigold and a car she calls Lavender.”
I laugh. “Is it purple?”
