Detours by Jane Vollbrecht Page A

heard his fatherly pride. “So it seems. It’s hard to believe she’s only nine.”
    “Nine, going on twenty-seven, most days.” The look on Nathan’s face left no doubt of his adoration for Natalie.
    Again, Ellis was left with nothing to add.
    At last, Mary joined them. “Sorry you had to wait, Nathan. I wanted to send Natalie’s library book with her, and I couldn’t find it. For reasons known only to her, she’d put it between the mattress and box spring.” Mary handed a bulging backpack to her ex.
    “Couldn’t quite get her desk and bicycle in, huh?” Nathan stood and hefted the small rucksack.
    “Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”
    Nathan chuckled. “In case you don’t recognize it, Ellis, that’s the overprotective, worried mother’s motto.”
    Ellis grinned. “Somebody should put it on Tshirts and sell them at Toys“R”Us.”
    Nathan looped his arm through the strap of the backpack. “Only if they’re made with flame-retardant fabric and the proceeds go to Mary’s latest charitable cause.”
    “I’m cautious, not overprotective, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to help people who are less fortunate.” Mary placed both hands on Nathan’s back and gave him a little push. “Get the yard ape and hit the road, bubba.”
    “On my way. We’ll have to hustle if we’re going to make the next showing of The Santa Clause 51 at the buck and a bucket theater at North DeKalb Mall.” Nathan started toward the kitchen.
    “It’s only The Santa Clause 3,” Mary said as she left the room.
    Ellis listened in on their conversation, hoping to get a better understanding of their relationship.
    “Give ’em another year or two,” Nathan said. “The sequel will be out before this one’s on DVD. They know a moneymaker when they see it. This is at least the fifth time I’ve taken Nat to see it. Good thing the tickets only cost a dollar. The popcorn is making a pauper of me.”
    Mary followed Nathan to the door. “Enjoy it while you can. Prom dresses and college will be here soon enough.”
    He gripped the doorknob, and the door gave a creak as he opened it. “I’ll have her back by dinnertime tomorrow night, okay?”
    “Sounds good to me.”
    Nathan opened the door and summoned Natalie from the far corner of the backyard where she and Sam were playing tug-of-war with a stick.
    “Behave yourself at Dad’s,” Mary said.
    “I always do.”
    “Right. And I’m Miss America.” Mary blew a kiss to her daughter. “Love you.”
    “You’re weird.”
    Ellis heard the tires on the driveway and saw Mary wave from the doorway; a car horn honked in response.

    ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗

    “Sweet freedom,” Mary said as she and Sam rejoined Ellis in the living room. Sam stretched out full length on the floor beside the sofa and fell instantly asleep. Mary repositioned the chair before sitting down. “I don’t know how I’d survive if Nathan didn’t take her as often as he does.”
    “And I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t rescued me and my dog yesterday. Thanks for everything.” Ellis shoved the sleeves of her sweatshirt up, then tugged them back into place. “Nathan seems like a good guy.”
    Mary rocked back and held the chair in place while she spoke. “He is. Sometimes I wish we could have made our marriage work.” She rocked forward.
    “How long have you been divorced?”
    “It’ll be five years in March.”
    “So Natalie was just a little shaver, not that she’s exactly ready for Social Security now.”
    “Right, but I’m pretty sure there’s no such thing as a perfect age to tell a child that her parents aren’t going to be together anymore.”
    “What happened between you two? It looked to me like you and Nathan get along all right.”
    “Odd as it may sound, nothing happened between Nathan and me.” Mary grinned dourly. “And if you were to ask him, Nathan would tell you that was about ninety-nine percent of the