Chapter 12
Lily fell asleep sitting upright, her head against the arm of a chair.
Owen refused to sleep.
Every time his eyelids lowered, he jerked awake and looked around.
Finally, I sat across from him with two paper cups of water between us.
“You don’t have to stay awake to keep watch,” I said.
His eyes narrowed slightly. “I’m not.”
“No?”
“I’m just not tired.”
“You’ve yawned seven times in ten minutes.”
“That’s not tired.”
“What is it?”
He considered. “My mouth stretching.”
Despite everything, I almost smiled.
“That sounds serious.”
“It is.”
Lily stirred. Owen immediately looked at her.
“She has bad dreams,” he said quietly.
“You help her?”
He nodded.
“Who helps you?”
He frowned, as if the question were strange.
“I’m the brother.”
“You’re also five.”
“I’m almost six.”
“When?”
He hesitated. “November.”
“That’s not almost.”
“It’s closer than last November.”
I could not argue with that.
He adjusted Captain in his lap. The bear was old, its fur rubbed thin in places, one plastic eye slightly scratched. A blue ribbon hung loosely around its neck. Not original. Someone had tied and retied it many times.
“Your dad gave you Captain?” I asked.
Owen nodded.
“He said captains don’t leave their ships.”
His voice cracked on the last word.
I looked away for one second because there are moments when a man’s face becomes too honest.
When I looked back, Owen was staring at the bear.
“Daddy left,” he whispered.
“No,” I said gently. “Dying isn’t the same as leaving.”
“But he’s gone.”
“Yes.”
“And Mommy’s gone.”
I went still.
May you like
“Your mom?”
“Our real mom,” he said.
