“We’ll go,” Ivan says.
“Yay! More swimming!” Ruby cries.
“It’s not safe, Ruby,” I say. “You have to stay here. I promised Akello I’d watch out for you.”
“I made it this far,” she says, donning her elephant pout face.
Ivan and I sigh. It’s exhausting, all this responsibility, this worry. This love.
“Promise to stay close?” I ask.
She holds up her trunk. “Elephant’s honor.”
“’Cause Akello will make dog soup outa me if anything happens to you.”
“Yuck!” Ruby giggles. “Hey, did you know I can almost do a somersault in the water, Uncle Bob?”
Ivan taps politely on the door to the doughnut shop. But even a polite knock from a gorilla sounds like a visit from a wrecking ball.
The door opens a crack.
I think two or three people may have fainted, but we can’t stay to find out.
I hop onto Ivan’s shoulder, and the three of us head off. I glance behind me to see Boss standing on the pavement, watching us.
In the darkness and rain I can’t read her eyes. But I’d like to think there’s hope in them.