20 Pact

When Danny learned about pinky promises, he made them with everyone. He made his sister promise to tie his shoes. He made Tucker promise to be his friend. He made his stuffed astronaut promise to play with him.

But when his parents made a promise to him, they didn’t keep it.

“Mommy, Daddy?” Danny asked, carefully climbing down the stairs to the lab.

“Danno,” Daddy said, “you’re not supposed to be down here!”

“How did you get the door open?” Mommy asked.

“Jazzy,” Danny said. “Will you pinky promise me?”

Mommy stopped her work to pick him up. “What do you want to pinky promise?”

“Will you take care of me and Jazzy?” Danny asked, his blue eyes looking intently at his mother. “You work too much.”

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“Oh, sweetie,” Mommy said, holding out her pinky, “of course we will. We love you so much!”

Danny shook her pinky firmly. “Daddy, you too.”

Daddy came over and sealed the pact with a smile.

Mommy put Danny down and said, “Now, run along. We have to finish our work.”

“But you pinky promised!” Danny whined, holding onto her leg.

“Yes, after we’re done,” Daddy said. “We’ll take care of you, Danno. Don’t you worry.”

Satisfied, Danny made his way up the stairs. He was so excited for them to keep their promise. He waited in the kitchen all day.

But it was Jazzy who made dinner that night, and Jazzy who tucked him in.

“Mommy and Daddy pinky promised,” Danny said on the point of tears. “Why aren’t they taking care of us?”

“I’m so sorry, Danny,” was all Jazzy could say. She read him a bedtime story to help him sleep.

That was the last time he made a pinky promise.