An idea began to form in my head, and I jumped up from my seat without a word to anyone. Running upstairs to my room, I did a little research on my laptop that I typically only used for homework assignments. I had an iPhone, but I rarely used it. Mostly it was just so Mom could call or text me when we weren’t together. I lost it more often than not because I didn’t really like it, but right then, I was thankful for it.
Another search and I found what I wanted, but I was going to need Mom’s help. Rushing back downstairs, I opened the front door where two guards always stood. “Get Mom’s car ready,” I told them. “She and I are going shopping.”
The one to my left gave a firm nod and extracted his phone from his suit jacket pocket. Shutting the door, I returned to the dining room, where Mom was sipping another cup of coffee. As soon as I entered the room, her blue eyes were on me.
“Well, you must be feeling a little better,” she mused. “Your color has returned.”
“I know what I want for my birthday,” I told her in a rush. “But I need it today. Can we go shopping?”
Her brows lifted toward the ceiling in surprise. I didn’t normally ask for something specific for presents. Family members always asked me, but I never knew what to say. I had everything I wanted or needed—until now. I wanted and needed Nova with me always, but Mom couldn’t give me that.
“Good morning!” Nova greeted happily as she bounced into the room. Earlier in the week, she’d had her tubes put in. I hadn’t been worried because Ciana and Bennie had both had them done, and nothing had happened to either of them. She’d been sleepy the day it happened, but once the medication they had given her to knock her out so they could put the tubes in had worn off, she’d been nothing but her beautiful, happy self ever since.
Her little arms hugged me before she climbed into her seat at the table. On instinct, I moved behind her, making sure she didn’t fall because the chair was too high for her, and I was always scared she might get hurt. “Zia, can I have a pancake, please?”
“Of course, sweetheart,” Zia Scarlett told her as she placed a single pancake on her plate and then a few slices of bacon. “Juice?”
“Mm,” she mumbled around a mouthful of food. “Thank you.”
“Mom, can Nova come with us?” I asked, not wanting to spend even a minute away from her.
“If her parents say she can,” Mom said with a nod.
An hour later, after I’d promised Nova’s dad that I would protect her with my life, we were in the electronics store at the mall. The sales associate held up two different iPads, and I examined them both. “Which will have a better quality of picture when we video chat?” I asked, and the man blinked at me.
“How old are you, kid?”
“I’ll be nine in two days,” I told him, annoyed he was asking me questions instead of answering mine. “Which one has the better picture quality?”
“They are equally good. These are the newest models with high-definition cameras. The only difference is the hard drive, the capacity for how much is downloaded and stored, like pictures and apps.”
I released Nova’s hand and picked up one of the boxes, seeing how heavy it was. It was surprisingly light, and I figured Nova’s arms wouldn’t get tired holding it. “I want the one with the biggest hard drive.”
The associate glanced from me to Mom, who stood off to the side, watching but not participating. “Okay, kid. What else do you need?”
I turned my attention to Nova. She shifted from one foot to the other, her beautiful face showing how bored she was. But she’d been waiting patiently while I picked out my birthday present. The present I planned on giving to her so we could talk every day over video.
“Do you have anything to protect the iPad in case someone drops it?” I asked. Nova wasn’t clumsy, but even I dropped things at least once a day. I didn’t want her to drop and break the iPad. Then I wouldn’t be able to see her the way I planned on doing every day.
“Sure, little dude. Let me show you a few different ones.” He motioned us toward the back wall, where they had a huge selection to choose from.
Taking Nova’s hand, I followed him over to the display. “What color do you like the most, Nova?”
Her eyes went straight to a neon-pink case. “That one!”
I picked it up, reading all the details listed on the box. “Is it the best?” I finally asked the sales associate. “If she drops it, will it keep it from breaking?”
“She can drop it, run over it with a car, or throw it in a full bathtub, and it will be safe. This thing will protect it from everything but fire.”
“Perfect.” I frowned, trying to remember everything I needed. “What about cell service? Can I get that on there too? Or is it only through Wi-Fi?”
“You can get a hotspot for it,” he told me. “You sure you’re only nine, kid?”
“I’ll be nine in two days,” I repeated. “Tell me how the hotspot works so I can teach her how to use it. She’s only three.”
I had a dozen more questions, but the guy answered them all before finally scanning all the items. He gave us the total, and Mom swiped her black credit card. I was handed the bag, which I gave to one of our guards as soon as we were out of the store. I kept my other hand wrapped around Nova’s. We stopped for ice cream, and then I took her to the Build-A-Bear shop.
“Whatever one you want, you can have,” I told her.
“I don’t want one if you don’t get one,” she told me with a pout.
“Okay, I’ll get one too. Pick one out for me.” She decided on a yellowish teddy bear for me that reminded me of her hair and then a tie-dye bunny for herself. As we waited for them to be stuffed—after Nova gave them a bath and brushed their fur—I recorded a message to put in hers. “Now I can always tell you goodnight before you fall asleep.”
“I wanna do it too,” she said, picking up a heart-shaped box. The sales associate helped her record her message. “Goodnight, Ryan! I love you bunches and bunches and bunches and bunches!”
Mom and the saleswoman laughed, but all I could do was stand there and try to catch my breath. She loved me. That was good, because I loved her too. How could anyone ever meet Nova and not love her? It was impossible.
Nova took the box once the recording was complete, hugged it to her chest, then kissed it before placing it into the bear. It was sewn shut, and then she rushed to find an outfit for our new stuffed toys.
“I thought this was your birthday present we were shopping for,” Mom murmured as we both watched Nova bouncing excitedly from one set of clothes to the next, trying to decide which outfit my bear needed.
“This is for my birthday. Making Nova happy like this is the best present I could ever have.”
Mom stroked the backs of her fingers down my cheek. “We really can’t keep her, but I wish we could. I love how happy she makes you. I haven’t ever seen you smile so much, l’venok. And seeing this smile is what I live for.”
“I know we can’t keep her. Yet.”
“Yet?” she repeated, her brow scrunching up.
“When she’s old enough, I’ll marry her,” I explained. “And then we can keep her forever.”