Instinctively I reached up to brush it off my shirt, but the frog was a step ahead of me. It launched itself into the air again before attaching to the entryway wall.
"My frog!" Riley cried as she ran to grab the little green jumper. Before she could put her hands over it, it had climbed up the wall out of her reach. "Jack, he's getting away!"
"Indeed, he is," I grinned as I stepped around her and quickly put a cupped hand over the frog to prevent its escape. "Help me out here and get a sheet of paper or something flat so I can scoop him up without losing him again."
Riley ran to the front entryway and pulled a page from one of her notebooks. She rushed back and handed it to me. I quickly slipped it under the frog as I kept my hand covering it. Riley followed me to the back door and opened it. We walked out to the wall surrounding the patio where I released the stunned creature. He sat breathing and blinking for a few moments as if trying to get his bearings, and then launched himself off the wall and became one with the bright green grass on the lawn.
"Nice rescue," Riley said, sticking her hand out for me to shake. "You're a hero."
"Uh, not so much," I said, gripping her hand and shaking it firmly.
"To that frog you are," she said solemnly, looking out at the lawn before adding, "And to me and Leah, too."
"You like living here?" I asked, sidestepping my heroism—real or imagined.
"I love living here," Riley said. "It's calm, and there's always food in the fridge. No one yells at me to take them to the bodega for beer or cigarettes, and I don't have to fight with anyone to get my school work done."
"I see," I said, trying to imagine what kind of life she'd been living before they came to stay with us. "So, you wouldn't mind staying here?"
"I'd like that very, very much," Riley said hesitating a little. "But I'm not sure if Leah would like it. You might want to ask her."
"You don't think she'd want to live here?" I asked.
"I don't think she would want to leave Gram all alone," Riley shrugged and then grinned, "But what do I know? I'm a kid."
I laughed as she ran off to her room, leaving me standing on the patio, holding a sheet of paper. I stared out at the perfectly manicured lawn.
"Something funny?" Leah said as she walked out onto the patio.
"You're back," I said trying to not show my irritation that she'd been out of touch all day. I looked closely at her. Her eyes were red, and she looked somber. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, fine. Sorry I was gone all day. I had to take care of some things," she said, as she looked me over. "What's with the paper?"
"I was a hero to a frog Riley let loose in the house," I said as I folded the sheet and tucked it in my jacket pocket.
"I see," she nodded in a way that indicated her thoughts were elsewhere. "I know I missed the run down for this evening's dinner. Do you want to go through it now?"
I looked at her and realized she was in no shape to do a run-through of the plan. What she needed was a hot shower and some time to pull herself together before dinner.
"Nah, go shower and get ready for dinner," I said casually. "You know the gist of it, so I'm sure it'll all be fine. Besides, Norma is coming to dinner, too. She can act as another backup in case things get out of hand."
Leah nodded, then turned and went upstairs to get ready. I had the urge to call to her and ask what had happened, but I stopped myself.
We didn't have time for an emotional crisis with Sloan and Lincoln arriving in an hour.
*
Norma, my mother, and I were having a drink in the living room, trying hard not to talk about what was about to happen. I didn't want anything to tip off our guests. I focused on maintaining light chatter while we waited for Leah to come downstairs and join us.
"Oh my!" Norma drawled. "My God, girl, you clean up good!"
I turned and felt my breath catch in my throat as Leah entered the room. She was wearing a midnight blue velvet dress that hugged her curves and made her eyes look even bluer than usual. She'd put on mascara and lipstick and pulled her hair up away from her face in the front. It flowed down her back.
"You look lovely," I said as she crossed the room and accepted a glass of champagne from my mother.
"Indeed you do," my mother said. "I'm glad I told my seamstress to take that dress in a little more!"
"Thank you so much, Betty," Leah said as she hugged her. She turned and looked at me as she held her glass up. "And thank you, Jack. Thank you for organizing this evening and for making sure that all of us are here tonight."