something I had put off getting
for a while. But when Carey saw that sweater, he knew Brian would love it. I
took it off the shelf and brought it to my face. I caught a whiff of Brian’s
aftershave, and I folded it gently and laid it on the bed.
The girls had
already taken some of Brian’s old T-shirts. They loved to sleep in them, so
they were good.
Now, what to
get for Jimmy?
I searched and
discarded a few ideas. Brian’s clothes were still too big for Jimmy, so I
didn’t want it to be something like a sweater or a suit. It had to be special.
And then I saw it in the back of the closet. Brian’s fishing vest. I hated that
thing. It wasn’t easy to get Brian into the mall. He thought it was a waste of
time, but occasionally when he needed something, he would come to Miller’s
Crossing with me. Miller’s Crossing was what you would call an outdoor
mall—tons of stores and restaurants, but with a very open plan.
“J, why don’t
we go to Miller’s today?” I should have known something was up when Brian threw
that out at me.
“What? Really?
Great!” I didn’t question him. I just ran and got my purse.
And the first
store we go in was Orvis.
“I knew it!” I
fussed at him good-naturedly.
“What?” He
acted so innocent.
“You want to
buy some fishing crap, and you won’t spend that kind of money without me, so
that’s why you dragged me here!” I laughed at him.
He cuddled up
to me and whispered in my ear, “You help me pick out some new gear, and I’ll
get you a pretty purse.”
He knew my
weakness. So we got him some new gear, and he wore that damn vest all the time.
He had lures all over it, and patches he and the boys bought on their fishing
trips. Jimmy loved it and would wear it whenever Brian let him. It would be perfect
for Jimmy. It’s a bit long at the moment, but in a few years he would grow into
it. I could probably just hang it on his wall for him so it would be near him.
And I already
knew what I wanted. I had to search for it. Brian hid it from me as every time
he wore it, I threatened to throw it out. His old University of Virginia
sweatshirt. It had holes around the collar, and I had already patched the left
elbow for him... twice. The hem was a ragged mess, but he wore that sweatshirt
constantly. And on the top shelf in his closet, underneath all the other
sweatshirts I bought him, I found it. There was still a stain on the front of
it from the first time he changed the oil in my car. It was big on me. The
sleeves were well past my fingertips, and the bottom of the sweatshirt covered
my knees. I used to wear it when I was pregnant with the girls all the time.
“Seriously,
woman! You’re stretching out my sweatshirt!” Brian fussed at me.
“First of all,
no, I’m not.” I totally was. “Second, you got me knocked up. Deal with it.”
I was in my
ninth month with the twins, and though they were born in August, I was
constantly cold. I was also huge. Not like pregnant huge. Like elephant huge. I
hadn’t seen my feet in months, and if I wore anything other than flip-flops, I needed
Brian or one of the boys to help me put them on. My maternity clothes barely
fit at that point, but the sweatshirt did. I don’t think I took it off the last
week of my pregnancy. I slept in it and wore it around the house with an old,
stretched out pair of Brian’s sweatpants. Since they were too long, Sam had cut
the bottom for me so they didn’t drag around the floor.
I would keep
the sweatshirt until it fell apart. I smiled. I’ll probably keep it even after
that.
I clapped my
hands together. Okay! Got that done!
* *
*
I set about taping up the boxes and was
almost done when I heard the front door open.
“Mom?” Carey
called into the house.
“Up here!”
I heard two
distinct sets of feet clomping up the stairs. Sam’s heavier, and Carey’s more
agile.
“What’s up?”
Sam stuck his head in.
And both boys
pulled up short when they saw what I was doing.
“You’re
for a while. But when Carey saw that sweater, he knew Brian would love it. I
took it off the shelf and brought it to my face. I caught a whiff of Brian’s
aftershave, and I folded it gently and laid it on the bed.
The girls had
already taken some of Brian’s old T-shirts. They loved to sleep in them, so
they were good.
Now, what to
get for Jimmy?
I searched and
discarded a few ideas. Brian’s clothes were still too big for Jimmy, so I
didn’t want it to be something like a sweater or a suit. It had to be special.
And then I saw it in the back of the closet. Brian’s fishing vest. I hated that
thing. It wasn’t easy to get Brian into the mall. He thought it was a waste of
time, but occasionally when he needed something, he would come to Miller’s
Crossing with me. Miller’s Crossing was what you would call an outdoor
mall—tons of stores and restaurants, but with a very open plan.
“J, why don’t
we go to Miller’s today?” I should have known something was up when Brian threw
that out at me.
“What? Really?
Great!” I didn’t question him. I just ran and got my purse.
And the first
store we go in was Orvis.
“I knew it!” I
fussed at him good-naturedly.
“What?” He
acted so innocent.
“You want to
buy some fishing crap, and you won’t spend that kind of money without me, so
that’s why you dragged me here!” I laughed at him.
He cuddled up
to me and whispered in my ear, “You help me pick out some new gear, and I’ll
get you a pretty purse.”
He knew my
weakness. So we got him some new gear, and he wore that damn vest all the time.
He had lures all over it, and patches he and the boys bought on their fishing
trips. Jimmy loved it and would wear it whenever Brian let him. It would be perfect
for Jimmy. It’s a bit long at the moment, but in a few years he would grow into
it. I could probably just hang it on his wall for him so it would be near him.
And I already
knew what I wanted. I had to search for it. Brian hid it from me as every time
he wore it, I threatened to throw it out. His old University of Virginia
sweatshirt. It had holes around the collar, and I had already patched the left
elbow for him... twice. The hem was a ragged mess, but he wore that sweatshirt
constantly. And on the top shelf in his closet, underneath all the other
sweatshirts I bought him, I found it. There was still a stain on the front of
it from the first time he changed the oil in my car. It was big on me. The
sleeves were well past my fingertips, and the bottom of the sweatshirt covered
my knees. I used to wear it when I was pregnant with the girls all the time.
“Seriously,
woman! You’re stretching out my sweatshirt!” Brian fussed at me.
“First of all,
no, I’m not.” I totally was. “Second, you got me knocked up. Deal with it.”
I was in my
ninth month with the twins, and though they were born in August, I was
constantly cold. I was also huge. Not like pregnant huge. Like elephant huge. I
hadn’t seen my feet in months, and if I wore anything other than flip-flops, I needed
Brian or one of the boys to help me put them on. My maternity clothes barely
fit at that point, but the sweatshirt did. I don’t think I took it off the last
week of my pregnancy. I slept in it and wore it around the house with an old,
stretched out pair of Brian’s sweatpants. Since they were too long, Sam had cut
the bottom for me so they didn’t drag around the floor.
I would keep
the sweatshirt until it fell apart. I smiled. I’ll probably keep it even after
that.
I clapped my
hands together. Okay! Got that done!
* *
*
I set about taping up the boxes and was
almost done when I heard the front door open.
“Mom?” Carey
called into the house.
“Up here!”
I heard two
distinct sets of feet clomping up the stairs. Sam’s heavier, and Carey’s more
agile.
“What’s up?”
Sam stuck his head in.
And both boys
pulled up short when they saw what I was doing.
“You’re
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