Chapter 8: Ordinary

Hank didn't say anything.

He just let go of the man in the orange vest.

The man slid down the wall and sat on the floor, gasping.

The cop brother clicked the handcuffs on him and hauled him up by the collar.

"Let's go, buddy. You're under arrest for being stupid near my family."

Hank came up the stairs.

He didn't hurry.

He stopped one step below Mabel, so their eyes were level.

"Socks," he said, looking at her feet. "On a concrete stairwell. In January."

"I'm sorry."

"Your feet are going to fall off."

He picked her up.

He didn't put her on his shoulder this time.

He carried her against his chest.

The gas company came and went.

The windows stayed open for an hour until the air was clean, and then Fern shut them and turned up the heat.

Hank carried Mabel to her room himself and put her into bed with her coat still on.

He sat on the edge of the mattress.

Linus pretended to be asleep in the bottom bunk.

He was very bad at it. His eyes were open.

"You weren't surprised," Hank said finally.

Mabel pulled the blanket up to her chin.

"About what?"

"Any of it. The man at the school. The gas. The fake gas man's shoes." He pushed his glasses up. "Five-year-olds are surprised by everything."

"You weren't surprised either."

Hank opened his mouth.

He closed it.

"Who taught you about gas and light switches?"

"A teacher."

"At St. Brigid's?"

Mabel looked at the ceiling.

"Somewhere," she said.

Hank was quiet for a while.

Mabel could feel him deciding whether to push.

He didn't.

"What do you think I do at night?" he asked instead.

Mabel thought about the man's feet off the ground.

She sat up and whispered it, so Linus wouldn't hear.

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