” She Took the Bullet — The Motorcycle Clan Took Over the Fight………” The satisfying ding of a convenience store. A little girl reaching for a popsicle. And then everything gone to hell.
“You always say maybe later. Maybe later means no. It means maybe later.” Lily’s face scrunched. “Tommy’s mom says maybe later and then she forgets. She forgot to pick him up last week and he had to wait in the office for a million hours and he cried.”
“I would never forget you.”
“I know,” Lily said with absolute certainty. “Because we’re Team Sullivan.”
Emma cleared her throat. “That’s right. And Team Sullivan doesn’t forget each other or leave each other or let the sock monster win.”
Emma laughed. Actually laughed. This kid. “Tell you what, let me finish up here and we’ll walk to the store. We can look at the ice cream.”
“Looking is free,” Lily recited. “Buying costs money and we got to be careful with money because money doesn’t grow on trees.”
“It definitely doesn’t. But if it did, we’d have a money tree in our yard.”
“If we had a yard! When I grow up, I’m going to buy you a yard, Mommy. And a house. And a dog named Sergeant Fluffy Bottom.”
“That’s a big name for a dog.”
“He’s going to be a big dog. He’ll protect us from bad guys.”
Emma reached over and tugged one of Lily’s curls. “Go put your shoes on, Monster Hunter. Both of them.”
Lily was already running.
They left the apartment at 4:47 p.m. The September heat hit like a wall. Houston in late summer, the kind of hot that makes you feel like you’re breathing through a wet towel. Lily didn’t seem to notice. She skipped ahead, sneakers slapping pavement, chattering about everything and nothing.
“And Miss Patterson says butterflies can taste with their feet…” Lily babbled, spinning in a circle. “Isn’t that gross, Mommy? Imagine tasting the sidewalk!”
“Very gross, baby,” Emma smiled, her hand instinctively drifting to her pocket where the crumpled dollars lay.
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