Summer by the River by Debbie Burns

Author:Debbie Burns
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2020-12-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

One of the things about being six meant that Zoe still looked angelic in her sleep. Thick eyelashes, full lips, and a face not yet lined by experience or time. Rather than waking her, Josie slipped into bed beside her and draped an arm around her petite frame. They still had a few minutes before Zoe needed to get ready to head for the Dubuque Regional Airport, where she, Myra, and Carter would be catching a short flight to Chicago in two hours.

Zoe twisted in her sleep and curled into Josie automatically like she had when she was younger and had trouble sleeping. Josie brushed Zoe’s silky hair back from her forehead and allowed a few more minutes to tick by until she heard Carter rolling his and Myra’s suitcases to the top of the stairs. A big part of her was terrified to let go like this, but something else—coming from somewhere deeper—told her this was the right decision.

“Hey, sleepyhead, it’s time to get ready to go,” she whispered finally.

Proving for the umpteenth time her ability to move from zero to sixty in seconds, Zoe popped up as soon as her eyes were open. “I’m going on a plane. A real, live plane right into the sky.” She threw off the covers and clambered over Josie, accidentally kneeing her in the privates before hopping down to the floor and heading straight for the toilet in Josie’s room.

“And you’re going to love every minute.” Josie trailed along after her.

“For sure there are windows, right? Make sure to look up when we’re in the sky.”

“I will, baby, and yes, there are windows.”

“I wish you were coming. Are you for sure you aren’t going to be sad without me?”

“I’ll miss you, Zo, but I’m only going to be happy for you. My only concern is that you listen to Myra at all times like we talked about. No wandering away even a little bit. And always hold her hand if you’re near a street or on a busy sidewalk, okay?”

“What if I want to hold Carter’s hand?”

“That’s fine, but Myra’s known you since you were a baby. You stick by her.”

“Okay, Mommy.” Zoe flushed the toilet and splashed a trickle of water over her hands before Josie reminded her to wash them fully and brush her teeth.

When she was finished, Josie sat on Zoe’s bed soaking in the dark-gray light of early morning as Zoe tugged on the clothes that had been laid out last night. Afterward, they gathered her suitcase and backpack and headed downstairs.

Josie’s heart began to tap out a faster rhythm as she spotted Carter’s and Myra’s luggage by the back door. They were at the kitchen table having cups of tea and coffee and day-old scones. Linda would be arriving any moment, but she wasn’t here yet.

Buttercup rose to his feet as Josie and Zoe walked in. Tall enough to be nearly face-to-face with Zoe, he went from a sniff of her hair to a lick of her nose, making Zoe giggle.

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