Читать книгу The Woman in the Window - A. J. Finn - Страница 31

“GUESS WHO.”

“Mom.”

I let it slide. “How was Halloween, pumpkin?”

“Good.” She’s chewing on something. I hope Ed remembers to watch her weight.

“Did you get a lot of candy?”

“A lot. More than ever.”

“What was your favorite?” Peanut M&M’s, of course.

“Snickers.”

I stand corrected.

“They’re little,” she explains. “They’re like baby Snickers.”

“So did you have Chinese for dinner or Snickers for dinner?”

“Both.”

I’ll have a word with Ed.

But when I do, he’s defensive. “It’s the one night of the year she gets to eat candy for dinner,” he says.

“I don’t want her getting into trouble.”

Silence. “With the dentist?”

“With her weight.”

He sighs. “I can take care of her.”

I sigh back. “I’m not saying you can’t.”

“That’s what it sounds like.”

I bank a hand against my forehead. “It’s just that she’s eight years old, and a lot of kids experience significant weight gain at this age. Girls especially.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“And remember she already went through a chubby phase.”

“You want her to be a waif?”

“No, that would be just as bad. I want her to be healthy.”

“Fine. I’ll give her a low-calorie kiss tonight,” he says. “A Diet Smooch.”

I smile. Still, when we say goodbye, it’s stiff.