Can we get rid of that thing?
“With Daddy. A lot of times.” Leo looked up at me, cheerful. “The stroller is Carol’s. That’s why I wanted it. I recognized it.”
The sidewalk seemed to tilt under me.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me about Carol, sweetie?”
Leo shrugged with his whole small body. “Dad said it was our secret.”
I squeezed his hand.
That was the moment Carol stopped sounding like an imaginary friend.
“He calls everything a secret.”
That evening, Greg came into the kitchen and gestured at the stroller parked by the coat rack.
“Han, seriously. Can we get rid of that thing? It’s cluttering the hallway.”
I stirred the pasta and did not turn around. “Apparently it reminds Leo of Carol.”
The spoon in my hand kept moving. Behind me, everything else stopped.
“What?”
“That’s what he told the boys at the park today.” I kept my voice mild, curious. “He said he was taking care of Carol’s baby until she came back. Who’s Carol?”
