head.
“What’s so funny?” I asked shyly but curious as to what the answer would be.
Alex chuckled again before he gave a little sigh and closed the door. “Just an old memory,” he said as he moved onto the next unit. “I remember when I was about six, my grandparents got a new fridge that had the ice and water in the door and my dad was absolutely fascinated by it. He thought that was the coolest thing ever invented. I wonder what he might have thought if he were to see this.” This was the first time I had ever heard Alex mention either of his parents. “Where do your parents live now?” I couldn’t help but asking.
As Alex looked at me I saw a certain sadness spread in his eyes. It made me sad too, those startlingly blue eyes should never look sad.
“I have never actually met my mom,” he said as he continued walking slowly through the isle. “She took off when I was only a few weeks old. My grandparents never had anything good to say about her and have alluded to a drug problem she had struggled with for years. I guess I was lucky it didn’t affect me at all when she was pregnant with me. I have no idea where she is or what last name she might be using to even try to track her down. I only know her first name is Caroline.
“When I was about three my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. He smoked while he was in the army and it caught up to him, though he had quit long before I was born.
His body wasn’t handling it too well and we had to move in with my grandparents. It was a nasty battle with the cancer and of course they didn’t have the treatments for it back then as they do now. He died a week before my seventh birthday.”
He was quiet for a long moment after that and I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. “I’m so sorry, Alex. That’s terrible.”
His own sad eyes met mine. To my surprise a smile spread on his face and to my relief it spread to his eyes. In a gesture that totally took me off guard, he draped an arm across my shoulders. “It’s alright,” he said casually. “My grandparents were amazing people and I was very happy growing up with them. I don’t remember too much of my dad but what I do remember is nothing but good memories.” I tried to smile and gave a little sniffle. He looked back down at me and giving me a quick squeeze, turned to a fridge. “How about this one?” he said with a sarcastic smile.
I couldn’t help but laugh as I saw the one he indicated was maybe half the size of a normal fridge.
He didn’t take too much longer to pick out the rest of his new appliances. My jaw nearly hit the floor when I saw the total that everything was. I thought I saw Alex cringe slightly as well but he simply pulled out a card. “Thanks Grandma and Grandpa,” he said with a chuckle as he swiped it.
CHAPTER SIX
Morning dawned with an oddly bright hue. As I peered out my bedroom window, I was surprised to see several feet of fluffy looking snow on the ground. One more thing about Washington in the winter. It can rain buckets and dump large amounts of precipitation in a short time, but if the temperature drops below freezing that makes for a lot of snow. Lake Samish was located in a bit of a pass and the roads were difficult to keep clear in snow storms. I knew what the conditions were going to be like. Smart people would be staying home today.
I had just poured a large amount of cereal into a bowl when I heard the door crack open.
“Jessica?” his voice was surprisingly quiet and hesitant. It seemed unnatural for him.
“Yes?” I said as I felt slightly frantic that I was getting caught yet again in my pajamas.
He rounded the corner and I was slightly surprised at his appearance when he came into view. He was wearing a threadbare white tee-shirt that seemed several sizes too small, with the mascot from some high school in southern California. His bottom half was covered in red and black checkered pajama pants.
“Would you care to join me for breakfast?”
“What’s so funny?” I asked shyly but curious as to what the answer would be.
Alex chuckled again before he gave a little sigh and closed the door. “Just an old memory,” he said as he moved onto the next unit. “I remember when I was about six, my grandparents got a new fridge that had the ice and water in the door and my dad was absolutely fascinated by it. He thought that was the coolest thing ever invented. I wonder what he might have thought if he were to see this.” This was the first time I had ever heard Alex mention either of his parents. “Where do your parents live now?” I couldn’t help but asking.
As Alex looked at me I saw a certain sadness spread in his eyes. It made me sad too, those startlingly blue eyes should never look sad.
“I have never actually met my mom,” he said as he continued walking slowly through the isle. “She took off when I was only a few weeks old. My grandparents never had anything good to say about her and have alluded to a drug problem she had struggled with for years. I guess I was lucky it didn’t affect me at all when she was pregnant with me. I have no idea where she is or what last name she might be using to even try to track her down. I only know her first name is Caroline.
“When I was about three my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. He smoked while he was in the army and it caught up to him, though he had quit long before I was born.
His body wasn’t handling it too well and we had to move in with my grandparents. It was a nasty battle with the cancer and of course they didn’t have the treatments for it back then as they do now. He died a week before my seventh birthday.”
He was quiet for a long moment after that and I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. “I’m so sorry, Alex. That’s terrible.”
His own sad eyes met mine. To my surprise a smile spread on his face and to my relief it spread to his eyes. In a gesture that totally took me off guard, he draped an arm across my shoulders. “It’s alright,” he said casually. “My grandparents were amazing people and I was very happy growing up with them. I don’t remember too much of my dad but what I do remember is nothing but good memories.” I tried to smile and gave a little sniffle. He looked back down at me and giving me a quick squeeze, turned to a fridge. “How about this one?” he said with a sarcastic smile.
I couldn’t help but laugh as I saw the one he indicated was maybe half the size of a normal fridge.
He didn’t take too much longer to pick out the rest of his new appliances. My jaw nearly hit the floor when I saw the total that everything was. I thought I saw Alex cringe slightly as well but he simply pulled out a card. “Thanks Grandma and Grandpa,” he said with a chuckle as he swiped it.
CHAPTER SIX
Morning dawned with an oddly bright hue. As I peered out my bedroom window, I was surprised to see several feet of fluffy looking snow on the ground. One more thing about Washington in the winter. It can rain buckets and dump large amounts of precipitation in a short time, but if the temperature drops below freezing that makes for a lot of snow. Lake Samish was located in a bit of a pass and the roads were difficult to keep clear in snow storms. I knew what the conditions were going to be like. Smart people would be staying home today.
I had just poured a large amount of cereal into a bowl when I heard the door crack open.
“Jessica?” his voice was surprisingly quiet and hesitant. It seemed unnatural for him.
“Yes?” I said as I felt slightly frantic that I was getting caught yet again in my pajamas.
He rounded the corner and I was slightly surprised at his appearance when he came into view. He was wearing a threadbare white tee-shirt that seemed several sizes too small, with the mascot from some high school in southern California. His bottom half was covered in red and black checkered pajama pants.
“Would you care to join me for breakfast?”
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