“His friend and hisbrother.”
“We’ll tell him,” I say. “We’ll tell him tonight, but for now…” I lean over and put my head on his shoulder. He’s still for a moment and then he shrugs me off, but only so he can put his arm around me. Then he pushes his feet off the wood beneath us and weswing.
Twelve
We siton the porch until Silas’s stomach actually grumbles and I gently suggest we go inside and heat up the monster breakfast that Mason brought us. I take Silas’s hand and lead him toward the front door, but he stopsme.
“I threw my phone,” hesays.
“Uh—do you know where itwent?”
“Yeah, hold on,” he says as he takes off down the front steps. “I was aiming for the tree, but I missed.” Gala, Hank and Morty think that’s their cue to get in some quality time with their dog dad. Silas doesn’t even make it near the tree before the three of them come sprinting through the grass to come play. Honeycrisp is still on the porch. She looks out across the yard, then looks back atme.
“You’re on your own sister,” I tell her. “I don’t have any shoes on.” Neither does Silas, but he seems more comfortable with whatever is lurking in his yard. Honeycrisp looks at me like I am the wet blanket of betrayal, then trots after them. It takes her seconds to find a tennis ball. She brings it over to Silas and drops it at his feet. I see him pick it up, but he keeps his eyes focused on the ground and looking for thatphone.
“Got it!” Silas yells, holding up his phone. Then he chucks the tennis ball and stands there as all four dogs sprint afterit.
“You want to eat out here?” I callout.
He turns and gives me a thumbs up just as Hank comes barreling into his kneecaps with the tennis ball. I go inside and grab the food and a blanket off the back of the armchair. Joe comes slowly ambling out of the dining room as I walk back into the hallway. “You wanna come playbuddy?”
I don't get the verbal confirmation that would make the relationship between humans and animals so much easier, but he looks up at me and comes my way. I hold the front door open for him, then set up a little picnic of room temperature breakfast food. I split some bacon with Joe who’s parked it beside me and watch Silas as he tries to wear the other dogs out. After a while it proves to be a fruitless effort. Even Honeycrisp isn’t ready to give up when Silas heads back my way. Hank meets him halfway and drops the ball at his feet again. Silas picks it up and brings it back to the porch where he launches it a good hundred yards in the otherdirection.
He sits down beside me with a huff. “I really don't play with themenough.”
“Five dogs is a lot to keep up with. I gave this one some bacon. I hope that'sokay.”
“Yeah it's fine.” Silas shoves a fork full of pancakes in his mouth, then wipes his fingers on his basketball shorts. “I'm texting himnow.”
“Oh,Scott?”
“Yeah.”
I hesitate for a moment, but then I can realize I can’t think of any good reason not to text him. Waiting until I see him again seems like a bad move. If we want to keep doing whatever it is we’re doing, we should tell him now. And there’s the small matter of Mrs. McInroy. I really don’t want Scott to hear about this from hismom.
“Okay,” I say. “Do it.” I lean over and watch as hetypes
Hey, I need to talk to youabout
“Liz,” I say. “He has no clue who Ebieis.”
“Why'd you pick that nameanyway?”
“It's what my sister called me when we were little because she couldn't say Elizabeth. Mywhole
family used to call meEbie.”
“Do you want me to call you Liz when we’realone?”
I shake my head. “My sister slowly stopped called my Ebie after our parents died. I miss hearing that name. But it’s Liz as far as Scott is concerned.” He goes back totyping.
Hey I need to talk to you aboutLiz.
He hitsend and goes back to his pancakes. I take a bite of eggs. “Let’s see if he answers,” Isay.
“He will if it’s about you. See.” He turns his phone over again and shows me his screen. I catch a glimpse of Scott’s reply before his screen goes black again. Silas unlocks his phone and shows me themessage.
Is sheokay?