packing
up Dad’s stuff?” Carey sounding like he was accusing me of something.
“I am.” I kept
my answer short and looked him right in the eye.
“Why?” His voice
was getting louder, and his eyes were starting to look wild.
I crossed to
him. Our son. He got his license without his father there. He turned 16
on a cold, wet day with no celebration. This felt like the final straw to him.
“Because, baby,
it’s time.” I hugged his rigid body and rubbed his back. After a moment, he
sagged into me.
“Okay. I
guess,” he said so quietly that I almost didn’t hear him.
“God! Look at
this thing, Mom. It’s so ugly!” Sam picked up the fishing vest and laughed.
“I know, right?
Your Dad loved that thing.”
“Jimmy should
have this. He loved it. I think he’s the only one of us that loved fishing as
much as Dad and Grandpa.” Sam surprised me.
“That is
exactly what I was thinking.” I walked over to Sam and gave him a subtle high
five. Great minds think alike!
“Can I have
something too?”Carey asked.
“Absolutely,
sweetie. I was thinking you might like this.” I picked up the sweater they had
so lovingly picked out for Brian and handed it to Carey.
I saw tears
fill his eyes when he took it from me. He thanked me and ran to his room. Sam
started after him.
“No, let him
be.” I gently grabbed Sam’s arm. “This has been hard on everyone, but sometimes
it feels good to just cry. To just cry and remember.”
Sam nodded and
saw Brian’s suit, “You aren’t getting rid of Dad’s suit, are you?”
“No, I thought
you might like it.”
Sam nodded.
“Can I get something else too?”
“Sure, whatever
you want,” I told him.
Sam went into
our closet and came out with two ties.
“Oh!” I said
trying to hold in tears. “I remember those.”
“You helped me
pick them out for Dad, remember? You said he needed some nice clothes when he
went to business meetings. He hated wearing ties.” Sam smiled sadly as he
remembered.
“Yep. He always
took them off as soon as he walked out the door.”
“I don’t know
if I’ll ever wear the ties, but I would still like to keep them.”
“I think that’s
a great idea. I’m just going to pack up Dad’s clothes today. Maybe in a few
weeks, we can go through Dad’s workshop. He has a lot of stuff down there.”
“Some of the
guys that used to work for Dad might like the stuff,” Sam suggested.
“I had an idea
for the stuff, and we can talk about it later. But Dad wanted to take you guys
on a really cool vacation this summer. I was thinking we could clean up the
house, and then still do that. What do you think?”
“Yeah! I’d love
that. I think it would be good to get away from it all.”
“Yeah?” I was
pleased that Sam seemed to understand my intentions. “Well, let’s think about
where we want to go, and we can discuss it tonight at dinner. How does that
sound?”
“Cool. I’m
gonna tell the crew, and we can all think of some ideas.”
“You going to
the park with everyone?” I asked him.
“No, I actually
have to work later. But I told Mrs. B I would come get Jimmy, Jess, and Mag’s
stuff for them and bring it down.”
“Okay, I have
their stuff in a bag on Jimmy’s bed. Is Carey going?”
“He said he
was. Now I don’t know.”
“Well, I’ll go
ask him. You go grab the bag.”
* *
*
I walked down the hall to Carey’s room
and knocked. “Carey? Can I come in?”
“Sure,” he
called to me.
I opened the
door and took in his room. He had repainted it last summer. Brian had told him
if he wanted it another color, he was on his own. So Carey bought the paint
himself and took up the challenge. He had painted the walls plain white, but
then splattered the walls with all shades of blue, green, and black. It looked
cool. I’ll give him that. Posters of his favorite bands adorned the walls.
“Who is Iced
Earth?” Brian asked when Carey brought us upstairs to see the finished project.
“They’re a
band,
up Dad’s stuff?” Carey sounding like he was accusing me of something.
“I am.” I kept
my answer short and looked him right in the eye.
“Why?” His voice
was getting louder, and his eyes were starting to look wild.
I crossed to
him. Our son. He got his license without his father there. He turned 16
on a cold, wet day with no celebration. This felt like the final straw to him.
“Because, baby,
it’s time.” I hugged his rigid body and rubbed his back. After a moment, he
sagged into me.
“Okay. I
guess,” he said so quietly that I almost didn’t hear him.
“God! Look at
this thing, Mom. It’s so ugly!” Sam picked up the fishing vest and laughed.
“I know, right?
Your Dad loved that thing.”
“Jimmy should
have this. He loved it. I think he’s the only one of us that loved fishing as
much as Dad and Grandpa.” Sam surprised me.
“That is
exactly what I was thinking.” I walked over to Sam and gave him a subtle high
five. Great minds think alike!
“Can I have
something too?”Carey asked.
“Absolutely,
sweetie. I was thinking you might like this.” I picked up the sweater they had
so lovingly picked out for Brian and handed it to Carey.
I saw tears
fill his eyes when he took it from me. He thanked me and ran to his room. Sam
started after him.
“No, let him
be.” I gently grabbed Sam’s arm. “This has been hard on everyone, but sometimes
it feels good to just cry. To just cry and remember.”
Sam nodded and
saw Brian’s suit, “You aren’t getting rid of Dad’s suit, are you?”
“No, I thought
you might like it.”
Sam nodded.
“Can I get something else too?”
“Sure, whatever
you want,” I told him.
Sam went into
our closet and came out with two ties.
“Oh!” I said
trying to hold in tears. “I remember those.”
“You helped me
pick them out for Dad, remember? You said he needed some nice clothes when he
went to business meetings. He hated wearing ties.” Sam smiled sadly as he
remembered.
“Yep. He always
took them off as soon as he walked out the door.”
“I don’t know
if I’ll ever wear the ties, but I would still like to keep them.”
“I think that’s
a great idea. I’m just going to pack up Dad’s clothes today. Maybe in a few
weeks, we can go through Dad’s workshop. He has a lot of stuff down there.”
“Some of the
guys that used to work for Dad might like the stuff,” Sam suggested.
“I had an idea
for the stuff, and we can talk about it later. But Dad wanted to take you guys
on a really cool vacation this summer. I was thinking we could clean up the
house, and then still do that. What do you think?”
“Yeah! I’d love
that. I think it would be good to get away from it all.”
“Yeah?” I was
pleased that Sam seemed to understand my intentions. “Well, let’s think about
where we want to go, and we can discuss it tonight at dinner. How does that
sound?”
“Cool. I’m
gonna tell the crew, and we can all think of some ideas.”
“You going to
the park with everyone?” I asked him.
“No, I actually
have to work later. But I told Mrs. B I would come get Jimmy, Jess, and Mag’s
stuff for them and bring it down.”
“Okay, I have
their stuff in a bag on Jimmy’s bed. Is Carey going?”
“He said he
was. Now I don’t know.”
“Well, I’ll go
ask him. You go grab the bag.”
* *
*
I walked down the hall to Carey’s room
and knocked. “Carey? Can I come in?”
“Sure,” he
called to me.
I opened the
door and took in his room. He had repainted it last summer. Brian had told him
if he wanted it another color, he was on his own. So Carey bought the paint
himself and took up the challenge. He had painted the walls plain white, but
then splattered the walls with all shades of blue, green, and black. It looked
cool. I’ll give him that. Posters of his favorite bands adorned the walls.
“Who is Iced
Earth?” Brian asked when Carey brought us upstairs to see the finished project.
“They’re a
band,
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