Chapter 26 - The hose
Nine months after the backyard incident, Elowen came home from kindergarten carrying a plant.
Bean sprout.
Paper cup.
She wanted to transplant it.
Our yard.
Not Drusilla’s.
I found a small watering can.
Elowen looked at hose.
“Can I use it?”
I froze.
She noticed.
“Daddy.”
“You can.”
I turned water low.
Handed nozzle.
She sprayed soil.
Then accidentally sprayed my shoe.
She gasped.
I looked at her.
She looked at me.
Then we both laughed.
She sprayed my other shoe intentionally.
“Hey.”
More laughter.
Water.
Just water.
No punishment.
No fear.
Then my phone rang.
Drusilla.
Approved call window.
I answered speaker only after asking Elowen.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hi.”
Then:
“Can I take Elowen to the botanical garden Saturday? Two hours. You can come if you want.”
Old Drusilla would have said:
I’m taking her.
New Drusilla asked.
I looked at Elowen.
Not forcing her to decide, but her preference mattered.
She whispered:
“Can Uncle Colin come too?”
I told Drusilla.
She paused.
“Of course.”
No offense.
No:
May you like
Don’t you trust me?
That was enough.
