Chapter 71: Wait

Chapter 71: Wait

Amy pushed open the door after school, her backpack sliding off her shoulder. She didn't catch it. Walking to her desk, she flipped open the front page of her textbook. Two little figures stood side by side—the shorter one had a face with a smile, the taller one had eyes, one big and one small, but no nose or mouth. She stared at it for a while, then pulled a red pen from her pencil case and drew a nose on the tall figure's face. Small. Crooked. She switched to a black pen and drew a mouth below the nose. Straight. Not curved. After looking at it for a moment, she closed the textbook and ran downstairs.

"Kyle. I drew a nose and mouth."

"What do they look like?"

"The nose is small and crooked. The mouth is straight."

"Not smiling?"

"Not smiling."

She looked at Kyle. Kyle looked at her. She reached out and placed her hand on his face, her fingers touching the corners of his mouth and pushing them up slightly. "You smile." Kyle's lips twitched briefly. "Okay." She pulled her fingers back and ran to the stairs. "I'm going upstairs to draw."

Kyle stood at the desk and flipped open the front page of the textbook. Two little figures stood side by side. The shorter one was smiling, mouth curved like a crescent moon. The taller one had eyes—one big, one small—a small crooked nose, and a straight mouth. He looked at it for a while, closed the textbook, went downstairs, picked up his phone, and sent Seer a message. [She drew it. Nose small and crooked. Mouth straight. Not smiling.]

Seer was silent for a moment. [He says—understood.]

Kyle put down his phone. Irene came out of the kitchen, dried her hands, and sat across from him. "Kyle. He knows?"

"He knows."

She nodded.

Dawn broke. Kyle walked to the window and pulled back the curtain. The street corner was empty.

He went upstairs. Amy was still asleep. She lay on her side, one hand stretched out from under the covers, resting on the pillow. The new textbook lay open on the desk, the front page showing two little figures—one smiling, one not.

He looked at it for a while, then quietly closed the door.

Downstairs, Irene handed him a cup of coffee. "Taking her today?"

"Yes."

He took it and drank. Footsteps sounded upstairs. Amy ran down, her hair tied with a blue ribbon, the sleeves of her red sweater rolled up twice. "Kyle. Are we having bread today?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"Ask your mom."

Irene set a bowl of cereal in front of her. She nodded, finished the cereal, jumped down from the chair. "Let's go."

Kyle stood up and pushed open the door, following her into the sunlight. She walked fast, didn't hold his hand. At the school entrance she stopped. "Kyle. See you this afternoon."

"See you this afternoon."

She ran inside, stopped at the entrance to the building, looked back at him for two seconds, then pushed through the door and disappeared into the hallway. Kyle stood there watching for a moment, then turned to walk back. At the street corner he stopped—there was a white envelope on the ground, no postmark. He bent down, picked it up, and opened it. Inside was a single sheet of paper with one line of text. [She finished drawing. Will you smile?]

He folded the paper and shoved it in his pocket, walking quickly back home. Pushed open the door. Irene stood by the window, the curtain pulled back a crack. Dorothy sat at the dining table, knitting needles in hand. Kyle walked to Amy's room, stood at the desk, and flipped open the front page of the textbook. He pulled a blue pen from his pocket and drew a curve on the tall figure's mouth. Upward. When he finished, he stepped back. The tall figure was smiling. Just like the short one, mouth curved. He looked at it for a while, then closed the textbook. Went downstairs. Picked up his phone. [Smiling now.]

Seer replied instantly. [He says—understood.]

Kyle put down his phone. Irene looked at him. "Kyle. You drew it?"

"Yes."

"What did you make it look like?"

"Curved. Curved upward."

She nodded.

That afternoon Kyle went to pick up Amy.

The school bus brakes screeched. She was the last one to jump off, blonde hair and blue backpack. "Kyle!"

She squeezed her hand into his palm. At the front door she stopped. "Kyle. Is anyone coming today?"

"No."

She pushed through the door and ran inside. "Mom! Kyle says no one's coming today!"

Irene called out from the stove.

At dinner Amy picked up a piece of beef and put it in Kyle's bowl. "Kyle. What else did that person ask?"

"Asked if I smile."

"What did you say?"

"I smile now."

She nodded. After eating she ran upstairs and flipped open the front page of the textbook. Both little figures were smiling, both mouths curved. She closed the textbook and ran downstairs. "Kyle. You're smiling."

"Yes."

She ran to the stairs. "I'm going upstairs to draw."

Kyle picked up his phone. [She saw it.]

Seer replied instantly. [He says—understood.]

Kyle put down his phone. Irene came out of the kitchen and sat across from him. "Kyle. He knows?"

"He knows."

She nodded. Kyle looked at the doorway. The door was open. The street corner was empty. On the front page of the textbook, two little figures were both smiling. She had drawn the short one. He had drawn the tall one. Two people standing together. Klaus wouldn't ask again.