Page 271 of Safe With You
“I know my child.”
“And yet you gave her the material.”
He shook his head and turned back toward the stove.
Mila whispered, “What’s the next one?”
I looked down at the list.
“Enough.”
She groaned.
“That’s how I feel too.”
“I don’t know what to write.”
“Think about something you have enough of.”
Her eyes moved around the kitchen.
“Books.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
From the stove, Ellis said, “Absolutely.”
Mila frowned. “No, I don’t.”
“You have books in your room, books downstairs, books in my truck, and three books from Chapter & Charm sitting on the kitchen counter right now.”
“That’s not enough.”
I looked at Ellis.
He pointed the spoon at me. “Don’t encourage her.”
“I agree with her.”
“Exactly.”
Mila smiled and wrote her sentence.
By the time she finished the last two words, Ellis was carrying plates to the table, and whatever argument I was preparing about there being no such thing as too many books got interrupted by the smell of food.
Mila pushed her homework aside.
“I’m done.”
“Let me see it.”
She handed the paper to Ellis when he came around the table.
He read the sentences one by one, stopping when he got to because.
His eyes lifted to mine.
