“Yeah, well . . . maybe you’re right about that . . . but, well, we can make sure we don’t step on it.”

I think about what that means. Maybe I’ve been stepping where I shouldn’t lately. When I look back up at Ronan, he has stuffed his hands in his pockets and he’s looking up at the trees.

“Be the egg,” he says, with a single nod.

“Be the egg?” I ask. “Is that what you said?”

“Yeah. Be the egg. Not the potato.”

“Ronan? Why are you saying that? Is it a riddle?”

Ronan’s face turns red. “Delsie. I try so hard not to . . .”

He can’t finish.

I want to say something to him, but I still don’t know what he’s talking about.

“We didn’t leave them. They left us. They did the leaving, right? That wasn’t our fault.”

“Yeah . . .” I agree.

“So how can we be broken because of something someone else has done?”

I know that’s true. But I have to try to feel that it’s true. I can’t take my eyes off the broken glass on the ground.

“Why were you talking about eggs and potatoes?” I ask.

“Because I want you to know that we’re both eggs, Delsie. Not potatoes.”

“Why are we eggs and not potatoes?”

“Think of what happens to each when you put them in boiling water.”

I smile, but his face makes me sad. It’s like inside he is begging for me to agree. He needs me to agree.

“Well, I’d rather be hard-boiled like an egg than a smooshy potato mess, but . . .” Staring at the glass pieces, I think about Esme and the Strong Shoulder jars. “I don’t know, Ronan. I think maybe we’re more like tea bags. In hot water, we just get stronger and stronger.”

A smile spreads across Ronan’s face. And then we both laugh. We both laugh so hard, it almost feels like crying.

Chapter 38

NOW WE’RE COOKIN’

Henry lugs out the half barrel for another neighborhood cookout. Ruby is dragging an empty cooler, and Esme is following her with bags of ice.

“Ruby,” I ask, “why are you always covered in Band-Aids?”

“I like how they smell.”

“How they smell?”

“Yeah, they smell all Band-Aidy. I like them. And I like how people act about them.”

“What do you mean?”

“When people see them, they act all nice, asking me how I hurt myself and if I’m okay, and I like it.”

I smile at her logic. “And are you okay, Ruby? Are people being nice to you?”

“Everyone but Olive.” Ruby frowns. “Olive says I’m clumsy and probably trip over my own shadow.”

I put my arm around Ruby and pull her close. I think of the elephants that Esme told me about and how Ruby is sort of like my little sister. I’m going to be extra good to her.

Grammy drives up, and Ronan is in her car. “Look what I found on the road.” Grammy laughs as she gets out of the car. “I told him it was cookout night and he should come over.”