On the other side of the screen, Nina tilted her head slightly, studying the boy's animated gestures.
Ethan was trying to explain something, his small hands moving with the urgency only a child could muster.
But the words clearly weren't cooperating… they tumbled out in fragments, half-formed and tangled.
He pointed at the screen with one determined finger. Then he swung around and pointed at the clock behind him, its hands showing well past his usual bedtime. Then back at the screen again, as if the repetition would somehow make his meaning clearer.
Nina blinked, piecing together his wordless complaint. "…Wait," she said, realization dawning on her face. She squinted at him, a mixture of amusement and guilt flickering in her eyes. "You're saying I called late?"
Ethan nodded immediately, his whole body bobbing with the motion.
Then he folded his little arms across his chest like he was genuinely offended, his bottom lip jutting out just slightly.
