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back of his shirt and pulled. He stopped moving. “You’re going to prove to me you’re not some weirdo.”
    “How am I going to do that?”
    “We want dinner and a movie!”
    Confusion transformed his face. “I didn’t expect that, but I’m willing.”
    Charmaine didn’t know what she was doing and why she would get him to take them both out. The fact was she had seen the hurt in his eyes. Elliot was trying to help her. He’d gotten out of his bed in the middle of the night and run to the store for her. His pointers at different times turned out to be right on the money from what she had been reading about kids. Then she had accused him of being a pervert when both instances, Amaya was the one in the wrong. Well—both her and Amaya. In the end, it was her job to watch the girl, and she had failed—again.
     
    * * * *
     
    Elliot was funny just like Amaya had said. He kept Charmaine laughing, and for a while, she let herself enjoy their time together. Just a little.
    “Didn’t I tell you ladies that movie was going to be good?” Elliot asked, grinning.
    “Stop acting like you filmed it yourself,” she teased. “It was all right.”
    He offered a lame frown, and Amaya giggled. “I liked it. The frog was silly. He said…” And off Amaya went telling them every detail of the movie as if they hadn’t been there to see it for themselves. Elliot listened, nodding as she spoke and commenting patiently. The man actually did like kids. He’d make an awesome dad.
    Quit thinking that kind of stuff, Charmaine, and get your head out of the clouds.
    Elliot unlocked his car doors and opened one for Amaya. She climbed in. “Hold on, Charmaine. Let me get that for you.”
    “I can get it.”
    “Please.”
    She sighed and waited. He jogged around to the passenger side and opened the door for her. “You know chivalry is dead, right?”
    “Never got the memo.”
    “Stubbornness is alive and kicking.”
    “We both got several copies of that one.”
    She couldn’t help laughing. “Dummy.”
    He winked.
    They were on the road before he spoke again. “Charmaine, have you considered getting her tested?”
    Charmaine glanced over her shoulder. Amaya had already nodded off. “Tested for what? She seems healthy.”
    “No, I mean she’s intelligent. She might even be advanced for her age.”
    “She knows a few words. I think maybe Stacia or Mama taught her. It might be from her father’s side. My mother told me I was still just staring at pictures with no interest in reading when I was five. Stacia hated books from day one. Amaya is different.”
    “You’re right, and it would be great to know if she’s truly different.”
    Charmaine hesitated. She had no idea where to start or that they had such a thing. She and Stacia had been regular students. After a while, Stacia lost interest in school and kind of skated by until she got her high school diploma. They probably issued it just to get rid of the headache that was Stacia Poe.
    “I could find out what’s involved for you,” he offered.
    She stared out the window. “Why should you care, Elliot?”
    “I see a need in front of me, and I want to do something to help.”
    “A need?” she snapped. “Look, we’re not your charity project, okay? We’re fine. I’m not a perfect mother, but I’m all Amaya’s got. I’m doing okay by her, and we don’t need you to fix us!”
    “I didn’t mean it like that. I apologize.” He reached for her, but she shook his hand off.
    “Take us home, please.”
    “Charmaine.”
    “Drop it, Elliot.”
    He drove back to their apartment building, and Charmaine struggled to get Amaya out and into her arms. Elliot moved as if he would help, but she tossed him a look that said he would draw back nubs if he tried. He retreated a couple steps, and she stumbled into the building and up the elevator to her place. After she lowered Amaya into bed and removed her shoes and clothes, she covered the little girl and dropped onto the