She probably shouldn’t have suggested the last one, as the kids hadn’t eaten a single real food since Hannah had arrived a few hours ago.
“What about dinner?” she suggested next. “I know a great place with these amazing chicken fingers.” She looked at Thomas and then Remmy. “And burgers. You like burgers?”
“I do,” Thomas said.
“Let’s go,” Hannah said. They might not be broccoli-filled, but a hamburger would be better than a dinner of ice cream, hot fudge, and popcorn.
“Can we go fishing?” Remmy asked.
Horror struck Hannah right in the back of the throat. “Fishing?”
“There’s a new pond on the south side of town,” Thomas said. “Dad keeps saying he’s going to take us, but he hasn’t yet.”
“Is it stocked?” Hannah asked. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone fishing.
“Yep.”
Remmy looked at her with wide eyes. “Please, Hannah?”
Hannah took a moment to think. “Will your daddy be mad he can’t take you?”
Remmy’s face scrunched up for a second. “I don’t think so.”
“He’ll be really busy with the new baby anyway,” Thomas said. “At least that’s what he keeps saying.”
Hannah detected a hint of teen attitude in his words, but she didn’t say anything. “All right.” She stood and picked up their bowls. “Get your shoes on. We’re going fishing.”
* * *
A few hours later,Hannah wore her pride right on her sleeve. She’d fed the two kids a real meal and then taken them for an hour of fishing at the new pond. There had been several children there with their parents, and it was clearly the hot spot to be. Hannah hadn’t heard of it, but she had no reason to be going to a stocked fishing pond by herself.
“I’ll get the freezer bags,” Thomas said, who’d really perked up with a cheeseburger and then a fishing pole in his hand.
He’d listened intently to the man who’d told them how to store their fish, and Hannah had decided the moment he’d started speaking to let Thomas handle it all.
She could supervise and not have to touch any scaly skin, and since she didn’t live here, she wouldn’t have to deal with any fishy aftermath.
Once Thomas had the fish wrapped in heavy-duty aluminum foil, and then tucked into a freezer bag, he put them in the freezer.
“Time for baths and bed,” Hannah said, and Remmy skipped happily down the hall to do what Hannah asked, and Thomas washed up in the kitchen sink.
“Can I go read in my room while Remmy’s in the bathroom?”
“Yes,” Hannah said easily. She hugged the dark-haired boy before he could escape from her, and he seemed surprised by the embrace. “You’re a good boy, Thomas. You did so great with the fishing too, and with helping Remmy.” She stepped back and pushed his hair back off his forehead. “Thank you for helping me with her today.”
Thomas smiled in a quiet way and nodded. “Do you think they’ve had the baby yet?”
“I don’t think so,” Hannah said. “If they had, I think your dad would’ve called you.” She nodded to his pockets. “Have you checked your phone?”
“No.” He dug it out and pressed the power button. “I still forget I have it sometimes.”
“Is that right?” Hannah giggled. “Most kids your age can’t wait to get a phone.”
“I don’t see why,” he said. “It’s just a pain. This girl put me in a group chat, and now I get like, a thousand texts every day.” He rolled his eyes, and Hannah really wanted to see his phone to find out what kind of messages he was getting. “It’s all annoying.”
“What kind of messages?” she asked.
“Stupid stuff like what the geography teacher will be like, or that someone wants to go to the skate park on Friday. They never go. It’s just all this talk.”