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39 “Reuben?” His mom was in the living room again. She sounded
half-concerned, half-suspicious. Not alarmed, though. He had
hidden from her too many times for her to be truly alarmed. “I
swear, if you jump out and scare me, I’m going to scream. You
know you hate it when I scream.”

40 Reuben tossed a pillow over the watch, which he dared not
touch, and in a faltering voice he called out, “In here.” If he’d been
thinking clearly, he would have waited until he’d composed himself,
but he was too shaken up. All he knew was that he desperately
wanted his mom to come back.

41 When she appeared in the doorway, he threw his arms around
her, burying his face against her chest. She held him tightly. “Oh,
honey, what’s the matter? Are you okay? What happened?”
42 Reuben shook his head, not looking up. He had no idea what
to say.

43 “I heard you cry out—I thought you’d seen a rat or something.
Where were you? I looked in here and didn’t see you.”

faltering Something that is faltering is hesitant and not confident.

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