“I have a business dinner tonight. Either I go and close this deal, or I cancel because I can’t leave her alone. Can you help me or not?”
“Fine,” I muttered. “If it’s that important.”
“Great. Food’s in the kitchen. I left some money in case you need to order something, but keep it healthy. No greasy junk. And she’s not allowed outside. Got it?”
“Got it.”
With a quick goodbye, Riley was out the door, leaving me and Mira alone. I looked at her. She looked at me.
Neither of us said a word. Let the longest day of my life commence.
The day dragged on like an endless cycle of boredom.
Mira sat on the couch, clutching her encyclopedia, and occasionally shot me a look that made me feel like a disappointing science experiment.
Her small face was calm, but her raised eyebrows were practically shouting judgment.
I cleared my throat.
“So, uh, you like reading?” I asked, attempting to break the awkward silence.
“Yes, I do. Mom says books are a source of knowledge, and I want to know a lot,” she said, her voice cool and sharp, like a character straight out of a child – prodigy movie.
I nodded. “Cool, cool… What’s your favorite subject in school?”
Mira sighed, looking at me as if I’d just asked the most boring question in the world.
“That’s such a cliché question, but I’ll answer anyway. I like biology because it has lots of animals, and I love learning about them.”
“Cool,” I mumbled, not sure what else to say. Conversations with kids were tougher than I thought.