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"He burped!" Angie said Little Evan hed through ood hu it was up to me to find their mother

"But the ily, and he knew that Little Red Riding Hood would never coh Granown and bed jacket that he liked He added a lace sleeping cap to hide most of his ears and, to hide his wolfish scent, dabbed Granmama’s lavender perfume behind his pointy ears and under his paws"

"’Cause wolf-ees stinks!" Little Evan shouted

"Yes, they do," his father said "Wolves ss and rottenfor the s and reached the last line "Little Red Riding Hood and her granmama opened the basket packed by Philomena’s mother, and shared a lovely lunch with the hunts chat"

Little Evan looked at me said, "He voreed "Gross, huh?"

"Gross Night, Aunt Jane"

"Night, Little Evan"

"Mommy and Daddy call me EJ"

"Short for Evan Junior," his father explained

"I like EJ," I said "It’s a big boy’s name"

EJ rolled into the curve of his ar bo" And closed his eyes He was asleep That fast

I uncurled and kissed Angie Baby’s cheek and left the rooht, I watched as Evan pulled out his flute and played a softwards on his children for protection and health, a form of prayer and power for an air witch The notes were plaintive andfor his wife, the mother of the children he loved to distraction When he was done, he stood for athe roo And stepped into the hallway

He turned and sawAnd stopped as if frozen Before he could react, could tellso Toainst his chest My body rested against his huge torso, his heartbeat hard and steady on my ear, his breath arrested in surprise My head was tilted down It was a pose of submission, the nape of my neck exposed I held my position until he exhaled, his breath warm on my neck And his ared by a heated brick wall

After a long h his chest, "You are going to find her Right?"

I nodded, his shirt rough on ie wants to sleep with youshe can I’ll knohen she gets up and where she goes, but I left the ward on the room open"

I sobbed once Totally unexpected And wrapped hed, the sound like logs tuo to bed, if you want to open the doors, co alarm?"

"Like the Fourth of July and the Blitz all at once"