Page 38 of Mending Fate

“I’m glad to be back,” Evanne said as she squirmed in her chair. “Mommy and I had fun, but I don’t like missing school.”

“Well, we missed you too.” I wasn’t sure if that sounded sincere or lame, but it was all I had to go with at the moment. “How about we start with the spelling test you missed?”

“I studied yesterday before I went trick-or-treating.” She pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil. “I’m ready.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Very good. Number one…”

We went through the list rather quickly since she didn’t need me to repeat any of the words, and then I said I’d give her a minute before we moved on to language arts.

“I got lots of candy last night.” Evanne patted her tummy for emphasis. “And everyone liked my cheetah princess costume.”

I grinned at her. She had been adorable. “It was a good costume.”

“Daddy came up with the idea.”

That was a surprise. “Did he now?”

“Mm-hm. And Mommy took pictures.” She took out her language arts book and opened it to the last lesson we’d done. “I promised Uncle Brody and Uncle Eoin pictures.”

As much as I’d promised myself I’d keep things professional, however, I couldn’t resist the opportunity that had just presented itself. “Did your mom send the picture to them, or did she send it to your dad?”

Okay, not over the line, but still toeing it. Then again, I’d dated – or was dating? – her dad, so it wasn’t too weird a question to ask.

“Mom sent it to my phone so I could send it to my uncles. They don’t really like each other.”

That wasn’t a surprise.

“Do you send a lot of messages to your uncles?” I hoped I sounded casual rather than creepy because creepy was the last way a third-grade teacher should sound.

Evanne nodded. “Uncle Eoin was a soldier since before I was born. Daddy gave me a phone so Uncle Eoin and I could send pictures and messages to each other while he was gone.”

“He was a soldier?” That explained a lot. The way he carried himself. The authority in his voice.

His scar.

“Yeah. Then he got hurt and came home. He lives with Grand-da and Grandma now.”

I wanted to ask more, but I couldn’t justify continuing a conversation about her uncle when she had work to get through. I turned our attention to language arts and promised myself I’d only come back to the conversation if the opportunity presented itself.

On our way back from lunch a couple hours later, that’s exactly what happened. We stopped at the restroom, and Evanne was at the head of the line, which meant she was the first one finished and stood next to me while we waited for the others.

“Do you think I could ask Uncle Eoin to come in for show and tell some time? He could talk about being in the army.”

I wasn’t entirely sure bringing someone as scary looking as Eoin into an elementary classroom was a good idea, but he seemed to do well with Evanne, so maybe it could work. To find out, I’d need to talk to him, though. And to dothat, I needed a way to contact him.

“That might be possible.” I chewed my bottom lip. “You wouldn’t happen to have your phone with you today, would you? I don’t have your uncle’s phone number.”

“I don’t bring my phone to school,” she said seriously. “Daddy says I have to leave it at home.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask her to bring it tomorrow, just so I didn’t have to ask whichever of her parents came to pick her up, but she lifted her finger, her face brightening.

“But I can give you Uncle Eoin’s phone number. Daddy made me memorize all of my aunts’ and uncles’ phone numbers in case I had an emergency. Grand-da’s and Grandma’s numbers too.”

My eyebrows went up. “That’s pretty impressive. Most people, myself included, don’t bother since our phones store them.”

“Daddy says it’s better to have them memorized because we never know when our phones may break or our batteries die.”

“Your dad is a very smart man.” I wished I’d been able to say that with less of a twinge, but at least I’d managed to get it out without my feelings leaking into my words.