you’re here,” she sighed into her ear.
The bittersweet tone in her voice nearly broke Valerie’s heart. What a horrible thing she’d put her mother through. She’d left without as much as a goodbye. Her mother pulled back and looked Valerie over.
“You’re so skinny! Come eat!” she chirped.
A smile broke onto her face. As she stepped to the breakfast table, she was met by her dad and another bear hug. When they separated, he showed her a contented smile and a simple wink as if nothing needed to be said.
Food was in front of her as soon as she sat down next to Russell and she was still speechless at the oddity of the setting. It had been over a year since she’d had breakfast with her parents. She shook her head and glanced to her side. Russell was beaming.
“Good morning,” he said.
“We need to talk,” she said through a tight smile.
He breathed a laugh and nodded. Coffee and conversation continued to flow and didn’t let up once. Valerie was mostly quiet, taking in all the stories she’d missed out on that her parents were anxious to talk about. Her mother had been doing hair out of the garage her father remodeled into a salon for her. It was a little space that worked just fine for her and since there had always been a loft above the garage, it still left plenty of room for her dad’s miscellaneous tools. Her father talked about what a good year he had with the crops and that he was thinking about getting a few more animals.
Justin mentioned a band he and his friends had put together. Their lives had continued on without her and they all seemed so happy. There was a touch of melancholy sitting in Valerie’s heart at the notion the three of them had become a unit that seemed to no longer have a place for her.
“Valerie? You’ve been quiet. Tell us about school. How’s everything going?” Her mother asked. Valerie swallowed a lump in her throat and glanced at Russell.
“I, uh…” She stared at her hands and tried to think of a way to say it but nothing came to her. She simply looked up at her mother, gave her a pained smile and shook her head.
“Well sweetie pie, we’re just glad to have you home. You and Russell stay as long as you like,” she said, not missing a beat, not letting a frown come close to her mouth.
"Russell, you ever been on a farm before?" Her dad asked. She knew right where he was going.
"Not exactly," Russell replied.
Her father grinned and put his hand on Russell's back again in paternal reflex. "Well if you kids stay here for very long, I’m gonna have to teach you a few things. I can always use an extra set of hands."
The sweetest, most innocent smile grew on Russell's face. "I would love that, George."
She felt like laughing at the absurdity of Russell and her father working the fields together. As the breakfast cleanup began, she heard her father telling Russell he could get him some clothes for the meantime and that they should go on upstairs and have a look in the closet.
Soon it was just Valerie and her mother standing in the kitchen clearing plates.
“So…” her mother started with her back turned to Valerie, rinsing plates in the sink, the word drawn out in her sugary sweet voice. Valerie didn’t speak up though a frown made its way to her lips as she sipped at the brown mug she held with both hands. Her mother spun on her heels and faced her daughter curiously.
“You know I could ask you quite a few questions,” she said.
Valerie sighed. “And I’d prefer you not to.”
Her mother eyed her closely. “Are you in trouble?”
“No. No, mom. It’s nothing like that.”
A part of her felt guilty but there was certainly no reason to tell her mother about what happened with Henry since everything had turned out okay . So far.
“We just both…wanted to get out of town,” Valerie said busying her hands with dirty dishes.
“Wanted to get out of town fast?”
Valerie gave her mother a look for her probing.
“What? The man doesn’t
The bittersweet tone in her voice nearly broke Valerie’s heart. What a horrible thing she’d put her mother through. She’d left without as much as a goodbye. Her mother pulled back and looked Valerie over.
“You’re so skinny! Come eat!” she chirped.
A smile broke onto her face. As she stepped to the breakfast table, she was met by her dad and another bear hug. When they separated, he showed her a contented smile and a simple wink as if nothing needed to be said.
Food was in front of her as soon as she sat down next to Russell and she was still speechless at the oddity of the setting. It had been over a year since she’d had breakfast with her parents. She shook her head and glanced to her side. Russell was beaming.
“Good morning,” he said.
“We need to talk,” she said through a tight smile.
He breathed a laugh and nodded. Coffee and conversation continued to flow and didn’t let up once. Valerie was mostly quiet, taking in all the stories she’d missed out on that her parents were anxious to talk about. Her mother had been doing hair out of the garage her father remodeled into a salon for her. It was a little space that worked just fine for her and since there had always been a loft above the garage, it still left plenty of room for her dad’s miscellaneous tools. Her father talked about what a good year he had with the crops and that he was thinking about getting a few more animals.
Justin mentioned a band he and his friends had put together. Their lives had continued on without her and they all seemed so happy. There was a touch of melancholy sitting in Valerie’s heart at the notion the three of them had become a unit that seemed to no longer have a place for her.
“Valerie? You’ve been quiet. Tell us about school. How’s everything going?” Her mother asked. Valerie swallowed a lump in her throat and glanced at Russell.
“I, uh…” She stared at her hands and tried to think of a way to say it but nothing came to her. She simply looked up at her mother, gave her a pained smile and shook her head.
“Well sweetie pie, we’re just glad to have you home. You and Russell stay as long as you like,” she said, not missing a beat, not letting a frown come close to her mouth.
"Russell, you ever been on a farm before?" Her dad asked. She knew right where he was going.
"Not exactly," Russell replied.
Her father grinned and put his hand on Russell's back again in paternal reflex. "Well if you kids stay here for very long, I’m gonna have to teach you a few things. I can always use an extra set of hands."
The sweetest, most innocent smile grew on Russell's face. "I would love that, George."
She felt like laughing at the absurdity of Russell and her father working the fields together. As the breakfast cleanup began, she heard her father telling Russell he could get him some clothes for the meantime and that they should go on upstairs and have a look in the closet.
Soon it was just Valerie and her mother standing in the kitchen clearing plates.
“So…” her mother started with her back turned to Valerie, rinsing plates in the sink, the word drawn out in her sugary sweet voice. Valerie didn’t speak up though a frown made its way to her lips as she sipped at the brown mug she held with both hands. Her mother spun on her heels and faced her daughter curiously.
“You know I could ask you quite a few questions,” she said.
Valerie sighed. “And I’d prefer you not to.”
Her mother eyed her closely. “Are you in trouble?”
“No. No, mom. It’s nothing like that.”
A part of her felt guilty but there was certainly no reason to tell her mother about what happened with Henry since everything had turned out okay . So far.
“We just both…wanted to get out of town,” Valerie said busying her hands with dirty dishes.
“Wanted to get out of town fast?”
Valerie gave her mother a look for her probing.
“What? The man doesn’t
Similar Books
