JК
Ыоуве Been Warned :: Patterson James
Страница: 120 из 138I’ve never asked her where Michael is; whywould I now? Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Sure enough, Penley gives me a quizzical look. “Where else would he be?”
Chapter 95
IT’S A VERY GOOD, very logical question and just about the only thing I’m thinking about as I walk Dakota and Sean to school.
That is, until Sean interrupts me with one of his own questions. A real doozy too.
“Miss Kristin, am I going to die?”
I’m stunned. By the question and its timing. Why ask that now, Sean?
The sweetness in his voice brings a lump to my throat. For the second time this morning, I can barely breathe.
I try to fake a reassuring smile for him. “Sean, honey, why would you ask that?”
“Because Timmy Rockwell at school said I was going to die. Dakota too. Is he right?”
I need to be careful how I answer. Five-year-olds can be so impressionable. I don’t want to scare him, but I also don’t want to lie.
In the meantime, Dakota couldn’t care less either way. Seven-year-olds have no need for tact. “Everybody dies, stupid!” she says.
Sean squeezes my hand hard. I can feel how frightened he is about this.
“Is that true, Miss Kristin? Does everybody die?”
I stop walking and kneel down, pulling the two of them close to me. “No one gets to live forever, Sean. But you don’t have to be scared, because you’re going to be alive for a very, very long and wonderful time.”
He blinks slowly. “Really? I am? And Mommy and Daddy? And you, Miss Kristin?”
“Yes, of course. And that goes for you too, princess,” I say, giving Dakota a poke in the belly.
“What about Timmy Rockwell?” asks Sean. “He’s mean, so will he die sooner?”
I smile. “It doesn’t quite work like that. Mean has nothing to do with it.”
“It should,” he says.
I throw my arms around them both again, and for a moment the island of Manhattan is just the three of us. Three. A much better number than four.
“Okay, c’mon,” I say, standing up. “We’re going to be late for school, and that is unacceptable. ”
I grab their hands – but I don’t walk a step.
“What’s wrong, Miss Kristin?” asks Sean.
“Yeah,” says Dakota. “Why aren’t we moving?”
The answer is staring at us from across the street. We’re no longer alone.
The Ponytail is back.
“Hey!” I yell. “Hey! You! Hey, I’m talking to you.
Sure enough, Penley gives me a quizzical look. “Where else would he be?”
Chapter 95
IT’S A VERY GOOD, very logical question and just about the only thing I’m thinking about as I walk Dakota and Sean to school.
That is, until Sean interrupts me with one of his own questions. A real doozy too.
“Miss Kristin, am I going to die?”
I’m stunned. By the question and its timing. Why ask that now, Sean?
The sweetness in his voice brings a lump to my throat. For the second time this morning, I can barely breathe.
I try to fake a reassuring smile for him. “Sean, honey, why would you ask that?”
“Because Timmy Rockwell at school said I was going to die. Dakota too. Is he right?”
I need to be careful how I answer. Five-year-olds can be so impressionable. I don’t want to scare him, but I also don’t want to lie.
In the meantime, Dakota couldn’t care less either way. Seven-year-olds have no need for tact. “Everybody dies, stupid!” she says.
Sean squeezes my hand hard. I can feel how frightened he is about this.
“Is that true, Miss Kristin? Does everybody die?”
I stop walking and kneel down, pulling the two of them close to me. “No one gets to live forever, Sean. But you don’t have to be scared, because you’re going to be alive for a very, very long and wonderful time.”
He blinks slowly. “Really? I am? And Mommy and Daddy? And you, Miss Kristin?”
“Yes, of course. And that goes for you too, princess,” I say, giving Dakota a poke in the belly.
“What about Timmy Rockwell?” asks Sean. “He’s mean, so will he die sooner?”
I smile. “It doesn’t quite work like that. Mean has nothing to do with it.”
“It should,” he says.
I throw my arms around them both again, and for a moment the island of Manhattan is just the three of us. Three. A much better number than four.
“Okay, c’mon,” I say, standing up. “We’re going to be late for school, and that is unacceptable. ”
I grab their hands – but I don’t walk a step.
“What’s wrong, Miss Kristin?” asks Sean.
“Yeah,” says Dakota. “Why aren’t we moving?”
The answer is staring at us from across the street. We’re no longer alone.
The Ponytail is back.
“Hey!” I yell. “Hey! You! Hey, I’m talking to you.