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Authors: Joe McKinney, Wayne Miller
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flagstone drive, and he was still frowning as he went inside, where leaning piles of boxes lined the walls below both staircases. God, they were a mess. Thinking back to the old-fashioned headlines he’d been reading in th e Ligh t ’s society pages, he could almost see the story:
FLORIDA WHITE TRASH INVADES ONE OF
SAN ANTONIO’S FINEST HOMES!
Neighbors Aghast
But the next instant he heard dishes clanking in the kitchen, and the smile left his face.
“ Sarah?”
No answer.
He made his way to the back of the house. Sarah and Angela were in the kitchen, Angela stacking hand towels in one of the three pantries while Sarah stacked plates in the cabinets.
“Hi,” he said.
Sarah didn’t say anything. Instead she looked over at Angela and gestured for the child to leave. Angela left the pantry and touched Robert’s arm on the way out. “Hi, Daddy.”
“Hi, Baby.”
She broke into a run, yelling “Bye, Daddy,” as she hustled out.
“Bye,” he said.
He turned to Sarah.
She was looking at him, her expression dark and full of menace . She waited for a second, and when he didn’t say anything, spread her arms wide. “Well, what the hell?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Where in the hell were you? I tried calling you all afternoon.”
“I put my phone on silent for the meetings.”
“Which were supposed to be over at 2.”
“I’m sorry.”
She was wearing faded jeans with holes at the knees, flip-flops and a tattered, black AC/DC concert shirt. Her bangs were sweat-soaked and hanging down her forehead. Her face was flushed, but whether from all the work she’d been doing, or from her anger with him, Robert couldn’t tell.
“I’m really sorry,” he said. “I know I screwed up.”
“Stop saying that . I don’t give a damn if you’re sorry. Do you know all the crap I had to take care of today? I could have really used your help, Robert.” She stopped there, and suddenly her emotions left her. She didn’t look angry anymore, or hurt, just blandly uninterested. “You smell like beer,” she said tiredly.
“I had a few with Thom over lunch.”
“Which was what, about eight hours ago?”
He shrugged.
“Great,” she said.
“ Sarah, I’m sorry.” Anger flickered in her eyes again, and he winced. “I’m sorry. I mean, oh damn it, Sarah...I screwed up, okay? I admit it. You needed me here and I was busy poking around the library. I don’t know what else to say. I let you down, and I’m sorry.”
“You were at the library ?”
Like it was a dirty word.
He shook his head. “You’re not gonna let this go, are you? Damn it, Sarah, I was wrong. I should have been here and I wasn’t. I get it. Stop beating me up over it.”
She looked like she wanted to lay into him with a fresh salvo, but couldn’t find the right words to do it . She stammered for a moment, and then finally gave up with an angry huff. There was a towel on the counter behind her. She took it up, wiped her hands and her brow, and then threw it on the butcher’s block between them.
As she walked out he heard her muttering: “Fucking library . Wonderful.”
He watched her go, thinking to himself that he’d actually gotten off pretty eas ily.
*
They avoided each other for the next hour or so. But by degrees the emotional weather in the house warmed and they were finally able to settle down together in the conservatory, which they were using as their TV room, and watchedCharlton Heston in the origina l Planet of the Ape s until it was time for Angela to go to bed.
After the movie they went out to the entryway, where Angela promptly sprinted to the top of the stairs, and from the landing yelled, “It was Earth all the time!”
“What a goose,” Sarah said.
Both Robert and Sarah laughed, and she offered him a little smile. They followed Angela upstairs, put her to bed, and as they went through their nightly routine of kisses and goodnights, Robert found his spirits brighter than they’d been in
FLORIDA WHITE TRASH INVADES ONE OF
SAN ANTONIO’S FINEST HOMES!
Neighbors Aghast
But the next instant he heard dishes clanking in the kitchen, and the smile left his face.
“ Sarah?”
No answer.
He made his way to the back of the house. Sarah and Angela were in the kitchen, Angela stacking hand towels in one of the three pantries while Sarah stacked plates in the cabinets.
“Hi,” he said.
Sarah didn’t say anything. Instead she looked over at Angela and gestured for the child to leave. Angela left the pantry and touched Robert’s arm on the way out. “Hi, Daddy.”
“Hi, Baby.”
She broke into a run, yelling “Bye, Daddy,” as she hustled out.
“Bye,” he said.
He turned to Sarah.
She was looking at him, her expression dark and full of menace . She waited for a second, and when he didn’t say anything, spread her arms wide. “Well, what the hell?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Where in the hell were you? I tried calling you all afternoon.”
“I put my phone on silent for the meetings.”
“Which were supposed to be over at 2.”
“I’m sorry.”
She was wearing faded jeans with holes at the knees, flip-flops and a tattered, black AC/DC concert shirt. Her bangs were sweat-soaked and hanging down her forehead. Her face was flushed, but whether from all the work she’d been doing, or from her anger with him, Robert couldn’t tell.
“I’m really sorry,” he said. “I know I screwed up.”
“Stop saying that . I don’t give a damn if you’re sorry. Do you know all the crap I had to take care of today? I could have really used your help, Robert.” She stopped there, and suddenly her emotions left her. She didn’t look angry anymore, or hurt, just blandly uninterested. “You smell like beer,” she said tiredly.
“I had a few with Thom over lunch.”
“Which was what, about eight hours ago?”
He shrugged.
“Great,” she said.
“ Sarah, I’m sorry.” Anger flickered in her eyes again, and he winced. “I’m sorry. I mean, oh damn it, Sarah...I screwed up, okay? I admit it. You needed me here and I was busy poking around the library. I don’t know what else to say. I let you down, and I’m sorry.”
“You were at the library ?”
Like it was a dirty word.
He shook his head. “You’re not gonna let this go, are you? Damn it, Sarah, I was wrong. I should have been here and I wasn’t. I get it. Stop beating me up over it.”
She looked like she wanted to lay into him with a fresh salvo, but couldn’t find the right words to do it . She stammered for a moment, and then finally gave up with an angry huff. There was a towel on the counter behind her. She took it up, wiped her hands and her brow, and then threw it on the butcher’s block between them.
As she walked out he heard her muttering: “Fucking library . Wonderful.”
He watched her go, thinking to himself that he’d actually gotten off pretty eas ily.
*
They avoided each other for the next hour or so. But by degrees the emotional weather in the house warmed and they were finally able to settle down together in the conservatory, which they were using as their TV room, and watchedCharlton Heston in the origina l Planet of the Ape s until it was time for Angela to go to bed.
After the movie they went out to the entryway, where Angela promptly sprinted to the top of the stairs, and from the landing yelled, “It was Earth all the time!”
“What a goose,” Sarah said.
Both Robert and Sarah laughed, and she offered him a little smile. They followed Angela upstairs, put her to bed, and as they went through their nightly routine of kisses and goodnights, Robert found his spirits brighter than they’d been in
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