“Then I better concentrate,” she murmured as she made the first knot.
“No, no. You have to slide the left one through that way,” he said, using his free hand to help her. “It loops, then slides, see?”
Another unexpected wave of emotion hit her, the words kicking her in the gut. “Oh…” She couldn’t breathe for a moment.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I just…you just…” She smiled. “I got the worst déjà vu right then. You sounded exactly like my father teaching me to thread a fishing rod. Same tone of voice, same inflection. You frequently remind me of him.”
He gave a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes and he looked more wistful than surprised. “I…I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet him.”
She drew back at the admission. “Oh, that’s…sweet. He was a great guy. You’ll meet Seamus and hear all about him, I promise.”
“Yeah, but it’s not the same.”
“That’s for sure.” She made the final loop and tugged. “There we go. Now pull the sides and…voila! A bow tie on this little rat.”
“Perfect.” He closed the crate door and tucked the dog away. “You want me to carry it in for you?”
“Yes, please. To the side of the stage.”
As they walked with the crate between them, she stole one more look at the tall, handsome, athletic man. He didn’t just sound like Artie in that exchange, she mused. He kind of looked like him, too.
Was that why she liked the kid so much? He reminded her of?—
“Here we go,” he said as he pulled the door open. “Game time.”
Instantly, Lacey was there, smiling from one to the other. “She’s on stage. Roman, let’s go to the side and open the crate at the right moment.”
“I’ll stay here and watch from this angle,” Tessa said, gesturing for them to take the long way so Naomi didn’t spot the crate.
Still feeling inexplicably uneasy, Tessa positioned herself in the middle of the room as the DJ cut the music.
“Naomi Kaplan, report to the stage,” he announced.
Naomi trotted up in her sparkly heels, confused but curious. The kids gathered, chattering. Parents pressed in and the whole room sort of held its collective breath. Jennifer and her husband were on the opposite side of the stage from Lacey and Roman, who were well out of sight.
“Now,” the DJ said, “we know Naomi has a passion for animals. So much so, she wants to be a vet one day, right, Naomi?”
She nodded. “That’s Dr. Kaplan to you,” she joked.
“Well,” the DJ continued, “someone very special wanted to make sure your Bat Mitzvah included a little extra somethingwild.”
He gestured toward her parents, who both beamed at their daughter. Yes, Jennifer wanted to impress her friends, but maybe Tessa had been too harsh. Clearly, she was motivated by a deep love for her daughter and nothing else.
Once again, the old baby regret climbed out of the box Tessa kept locked in her heart and crawled up to her throat. Oh, to love like that…
“And we’ve got one last surprise!” the DJ said, adding a drumroll sound that cracked up the whole room. “Three…two…one…”
Roman and Lacey walked onto the stage, holding the crate, grinning. Lacey dropped down and unlatched the door and little Pickles tiptoed out, suddenly shy in front of the crowd.
The kids gasped. The parents cheered. Naomi shrieked in utter disbelief.
“He’s mine?” She looked straight at her mother. “Mommy, really?”
Tears trickled down Jennifer’s cheeks. “It’s Pickles, honey. The one you loved on the field trip to the animal refuge.”
She dropped to her knees, scooped up the tiny dog, and burst into tears.
