Page 33 of A Heart of Little Faith
Claire gave a shy nod and followed him into the gym. They strode to the closet to get the ball. Philip and Paul followed, while Jonathon hung behind, as usual. The four kids started to play, while Gideon and Jonathon watched. The sound of the ball bouncing against the floor mingled with the shouts and laughs of the kids and created a deafening cacophony. Gideon was pleased to see the boys being gentle with Claire, and amused to see the adoration whenever she looked at Angelo.Lily’s going to kill me. He grinned at Jonathon.
“How about joining them?”
His face scrunched. “I don’t know about playing with a girl.”
“I’m sure her cooties have already rubbed off on the other three,” Gideon said wryly. “You’re probably safe by now.”
Jonathon tipped his head to the side as if he considered the possibility. Then he joined in the game.
After a while, Gideon went over and suggested they show Claire how to play basketball. Philip took charge, and soon, all four boys competed to instruct her how to shoot and dribble. She wasn’t good at first, but the boys were surprisingly patient with her and after a little while she improved. Gideon joined in and the six of them played a mock game—him, Jonathon and Claire against Philip, Angelo and Paul.
With the score tied at ten points each, Gideon ended the game and suggested everyone go into the all-purpose room to get snacks. All four boys fell over each other as they raced to give Claire enough food and drinks and checked to see if she was tired out, but it was Angelo who got to sit next to her. He smiled triumphantly as he slid into his seat and asked about her school and camp. Soon all five kids chattered about school, homework—Claire was jealous she didn’t have as much as they did—the center and things they did for fun. By then, it was time to go. Nobody wanted to leave.
“Aw, Gideon,” moaned Paul, “can’t we stay?”
“No, Paul, your moms are going to wonder where you are. They’re already waiting for you out in the lobby and Claire has to get home too.”
“Can she come back tomorrow?” asked Philip as he looked from Claire to Gideon.
“Well, not tomorrow, but would you all like her to come another time?”
All four boys nodded. “I think it would be okay if she visited once in a while,” Jonathon agreed.
Gideon hid a grin. His chest swelled with pride at the impression Claire had made. He was starting to think of her like he would a daughter. “What about you, Claire. Do you want to come back again?”
Claire swiveled her head between Gideon and Angelo and nodded. “Yeah, I do, Gideon.”
“Okay, I’ll ask your mom.”
The six of them returned to the lobby. The four boys went over to their moms and introduced them to Claire, who, suddenly shy, hung back by Gideon and waved. When the boys left, he took her home.
Chapter 12
Monday afternoon, Lily was in a panic. Her heart raced and she’d bitten her nails to the quick. She’d stared at her phone all day, but it remained stubbornly quiet. After she’d picked up the phone and replaced it without dialing six times, she called Tony. “Have you found anything out?” she demanded, before he could say hello. “I can’t stand waiting for the police to call.”
“Let me talk to my buddy again and I’ll call you tonight. Or I can stop by on my way home from work, if you’d like. I finish around eight.” His suggestion popped some of her anxiety.
“Perfect. Claire will be in bed.”
“Okay. See you then.”
That evening, Claire played a computer game before bed while Lily cleaned the apartment and burned off some of her excess energy. Rachmaninoff streamed from her playlist and Lily swayed to the music as she scrubbed. For the first time all day, she felt more at ease. The piano crescendos invigorated her; the decrescendos soothed her. She adjusted the volume of the music as loud as she dared to drown out her worries, much to Claire’s chagrin.
“Mommy, why can’t we listen to my music?” she complained from the office.
“Because we’re listening to mine right now, hon.” Lily peeked her head in the door. “Besides, you’re playing a computer game. You’re not even paying attention to the music.”
“Yeah, but I can’t help hearing it and it’s bothering me.” Lily cringed as her daughter’s whine increased.
“Well, you’ll just have to deal, kiddo.” She left before she could hear any more of Claire’s complaints. The doorbell rang, and Lily glanced at her watch. Tony was early. She raced to the door, eager for an update. Instead of Tony, Gideon sat there. “Hi, you’re a nice surprise.” Lily opened the door wide and touched her throat. “Come on in. Can I get you anything?”
“No, I’m fine, thanks. I came over to see if you want to go to a baseball game. My boss is taking a bunch of us and he gave me two tickets.” He held them out to her.
Lily reached for the ticket and their fingers brushed each other, sending a curl of heat up her arm. “Another one of our arrangements?”
Gideon’s face reddened. “Yeah, something like that.”
Should she tell him she’d go even if it wasn’t part of their arrangement? She wasn’t brave enough, despite how much she’d come to enjoy spending time with him. He was prickly and she was new to all of this. Instead, she took ticket and ran her fingers around the edge. “Steve’s not going to be there, is he?”