I followed them and leaned over to lift the window—one plus about being in an older building, we still had some of the hand-crank kind—and leaned out to see not one, not two, but a whole family of ducks trailing along the edge of the grass.
“I canna see. I canna see.” Rhi jumped up and down, hanging on to the edge of the bookshelf in front of the window.
“Here you go, Ariel.”
Rhi giggled at Luna’s nickname for her as she lifted her up and leaned forward so she could stick her face against the screen. “Duck! Duck! Quack!”
I had to laugh as I ruffled Rhi’s hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “They’re a whole family traveling together. Pretty cool, right?”
“Yes.” Her laughter was delighted until the duck family verged toward the road, somehow knowing where to cross at the crosswalk.
Traffic stopped on both sides, but that didn’t calm Rhi.
“Stop!” She held both little hands against the screen. “Stop! Now!”
“It’s okay, sweetie. The cars know to stop for people, or um, ducks in the crosswalk. See how the cars aren’t moving?”
“Nononono.” She shook her head in a frantic motion that told me tears were on the way.
Not again.
Not today.
I took a deep breath and threw back my shoulders. I knew what I had to do.
“C’mere, Rhi-Rhi. We’ll make sure the ducks are safe.”
Her lips trembled and her eyes welled with tears as I took her from Luna.
“Where are you going?” she asked as I crossed the classroom.
“Outside to protect the ducks,” I said over my shoulder. “You can wait here.”
Or not, since she was dogging my heels.
Rhiannon’s thumb crept toward her mouth as we went down the maze of halls to the exit. The three of us weaved through the people on the sidewalk. The ducks had attracted quite a crowd, and the birds weren’t very speedy. There was a line of them moving in formation, but they hadn’t made it far yet.
“Can you hold her?” I asked Luna once we made it to the front of the assembled group.
“Sure.” She took her from me, her forehead wrinkled with confusion. “What are you doing?”
“Saving the day, babe.” I gave into impulse and kissed her, and she let out a surprised, pleased noise.
Rhiannon shrieked and shoved her fingers between our lips, making us both laugh.
Cutest cockblock ever.
“Be right back.”
I moved into the street in front of the line of cars and trucks respectfully waiting. I kept a good distance between the ducks and I, since I wasn’t sure if the parents might be vicious if they sensed a potential threat to their ducklings.
This was a baby-friendly town in all ways.
In the center of the street, I shut my eyes and did a quick mental request for some karmic kindnesses for this act of public embarrassment.
Then I stuck out my arms in both directions as if I was directing traffic.
Shouts and applause broke out all around me. I glanced back at the curb and grinned at Luna holding up Rhi on her shoulders so she was taller than everyone else. My niece was giggling and cheering and pumping her little arms, and hell if I didn’t feel 100 feet tall.