Page 40 of The Do-Over

“What’s it called?”

“The Complete Guide to Earthworms. My daddy got me the whole entire series and I’m going to read every one of them.” She flipped the book around, so I was staring at a close-up of a slimy brown worm. “Did you know worms have five hearts?”

“Five? Wow.” Also, gross.

Eyes sparking, she nodded. “And they can reproduce all on their own.” She turned the book around and flipped through the pages. When she found the one she wanted, she climbed to her knees and held it five inches from my face.

I scratched behind my ear. “How old are you?”

She giggled. “I’m eight but Daddy says I’m very mature for my age and sometimes he lets me stay up to 8:30 because he says mature people can handle it. And when I get to stay up, Daddy lets me watch an extra episode of The Bird Show with Duke Crosby. It’s my favorite because birds are my favorite. There are one hundred and seventy-three episodes and all of them are about birds.”

“I’ve never seen it.”

“Do you like birds?”

I mean, I didn’t have strong feelings either way. “Sure.”

“I love them. They’re awesome. For instant, did you know a group of owls is called a parliament?”

I shook my head.

“And most hummingbirds weigh less than a nickel.”

“That is tiny.”

“And did you know peacocks are the boys, peahens are the girls, and peachicks are the babies?”

“I did not.”

“Peafowl are very interesting,” she said with a serious nod of her head. “Do you have a favorite bird?”

I said the first bird that came to mind. “Flamingos are pretty cool.”

“Oh, they are. Do you know why they’re pink?”

“There’s a reason?”

“’Cause they eat shrimp all the time and it makes them pink.”

“You’re like a walking bird encyclopedia, aren’t you?”

“My favorite bird is a cardinal. Guess why?” She crooked a finger at me and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Cardinals are the most specialest birds. ’Cause when you see one, it means someone in Heaven is visiting you.”

I thought of the little red bird I’d spotted on my patio weeks ago. Strange that those few seconds had made an impression. Oddly enough, I’d seen one again today. “Guess what I saw today at my lunch break? A cardinal, sitting right out in the yard.” It had stayed long enough for me to notice it before it flitted off.

Her head jerked up, eyes round. “Really? I saw one today, too!”

Smiling, I took a small step forward. “I’m Perci, by the way. What’s your name?”

“Lilah,” she said, and held out a little hand. “Daddy says I should always shake hands when I meet a new friend. I like you. You’re my friend now.”

Grinning, I shook her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you. I’ll let you get back to your reading.”

With a distracted nod, she went back to her worm book. I stared down at her head an extra beat. The entire exchange was a little dizzying, like driving too fast over a speed bump or watching a familiar movie dubbed in a foreign language. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d just made a lifelong friend with an eight-year-old.

The twins’ mother arrived first, signed them out, and rushed them off in a flurry. Julian’s grandmother was right behind her, a cheerful woman with a smile she’d passed on to her grandson. A few minutes before 6:30, the front door opened, bringing in a sharp rush of cool air. I poked my head around the doorway and froze. Nate was standing in front of the counter.

Nate Russo. As in my neighbor. The one I seemed to embarrass myself in front of every time I met him. Why would he be here?