them to build bears, have pizza, and see the latest Pixar movie. Riley’s concerned voice nearly melted his heart. “Won’t you be sad all by youself? Gramma might let you come too…”
“Your daddy needs a few hours to himself now and then, and today is a perfect chance for it.” Jonathan’s mother smiled at him. “Did you have a good lunch?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“That means he really liked it, Gramma. See how his eyes are shining? When things are just okay, he doesn’t look at you for very long.” Bryson’s observation caused both Jonathan and his mother to glance at the child sharply. How did such a little tyke comprehend so much?
“We get to see her tomorrow. She’s making us dinner, Gramma!”
“As you’ve told me at least fifty times today, Riley,” Mary Lyman agreed, rolling her eyes at her son. “I don’t think I could forget it if I wanted to.”
By three o’clock, the house nearly echoed with emptiness. His father was still at work, his mother and children were with his Aunt Jeannie and some of the cousins, and he had three hours to kill.
His hand curled around the key in his pocket, but before he could even think of it, his cellphone rang. When Cara’s name flashed on the screen, his heart sank. She must want to cancel dinner, his children were gone, and he’d spend the evening wondering what he wasn’t learning about her.
“Hey.” Jonathan fought to keep the dread from his voice.
“I’m calling to find out what you and your children are doing this afternoon.”
“You talked to my mother!” How he knew it, he didn’t know, but Jonathan was certain she’d talked with his mother.
“I called to find out your favorite wine. The Lymans like their wine, if I remember correctly.”
He frowned. “My mother answered her cellphone? And how did you know her number?”
“She called my office yesterday. She asked if she could have it in case of emergency—in case your phone died or something. I got hers and well…”
“That sounds like her, but her answering the phone—that doesn’t.” He remembered the question about wine and added, “As far as wine goes, I rarely drink and never if I’m going to have to drive—”
“That’s what she said,” Cara assured him. “She also said she left you all alone and forlorn looking, while she and the kids went off to have fun. Are you at home or did you drive to my house?”
“They just left!”
Disappointment hovered in her voice. “You’re not going to do it, are you?”
“Why is it so important to you? I can’t believe you wouldn’t find it difficult to go into someone else’s home and rifle through their possessions.”
“I normally wouldn’t, but desperate times call for desperate measures , and well, you’re leaving too soon for me not to feel a little desperate.” The humor she displayed almost covered her anxious tones. “Just go over there. Put your feet up, read a book, watch TV, take a nap. If something interests you, don’t feel like you’re prying. Assume you’ve been a friend for years and have seen it all before.”
“I’ll go, but that’s all I’m promising.”
“See you when I get home. Thanks, Jonathan.”
He changed into jeans, his favorite Atlanta Braves t-shirt, and grabbed a Rockland U sweatshirt. A glance in the mirror reminded him to brush his teeth and hair and then he decided it was time to do the awkward. He’d go get his clutter fix for the next few decades until Cara arrived.
~*~*~*~
Each time he entered her house, Jonathan’s amazement grew. How one person could manage to fill space so thoroughly was beyond his comprehension. Contrary to his intention, he went immediately into the kitchen and stared at the cabinets in wonder. Why had she removed the doors? She wouldn’t need those shelf liner things that draped off the edge of the cabinet shelves if she’d put on the doors again. The pink dishes bothered him almost as much. Who wanted pink dishes?
The refrigerator
“Your daddy needs a few hours to himself now and then, and today is a perfect chance for it.” Jonathan’s mother smiled at him. “Did you have a good lunch?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“That means he really liked it, Gramma. See how his eyes are shining? When things are just okay, he doesn’t look at you for very long.” Bryson’s observation caused both Jonathan and his mother to glance at the child sharply. How did such a little tyke comprehend so much?
“We get to see her tomorrow. She’s making us dinner, Gramma!”
“As you’ve told me at least fifty times today, Riley,” Mary Lyman agreed, rolling her eyes at her son. “I don’t think I could forget it if I wanted to.”
By three o’clock, the house nearly echoed with emptiness. His father was still at work, his mother and children were with his Aunt Jeannie and some of the cousins, and he had three hours to kill.
His hand curled around the key in his pocket, but before he could even think of it, his cellphone rang. When Cara’s name flashed on the screen, his heart sank. She must want to cancel dinner, his children were gone, and he’d spend the evening wondering what he wasn’t learning about her.
“Hey.” Jonathan fought to keep the dread from his voice.
“I’m calling to find out what you and your children are doing this afternoon.”
“You talked to my mother!” How he knew it, he didn’t know, but Jonathan was certain she’d talked with his mother.
“I called to find out your favorite wine. The Lymans like their wine, if I remember correctly.”
He frowned. “My mother answered her cellphone? And how did you know her number?”
“She called my office yesterday. She asked if she could have it in case of emergency—in case your phone died or something. I got hers and well…”
“That sounds like her, but her answering the phone—that doesn’t.” He remembered the question about wine and added, “As far as wine goes, I rarely drink and never if I’m going to have to drive—”
“That’s what she said,” Cara assured him. “She also said she left you all alone and forlorn looking, while she and the kids went off to have fun. Are you at home or did you drive to my house?”
“They just left!”
Disappointment hovered in her voice. “You’re not going to do it, are you?”
“Why is it so important to you? I can’t believe you wouldn’t find it difficult to go into someone else’s home and rifle through their possessions.”
“I normally wouldn’t, but desperate times call for desperate measures , and well, you’re leaving too soon for me not to feel a little desperate.” The humor she displayed almost covered her anxious tones. “Just go over there. Put your feet up, read a book, watch TV, take a nap. If something interests you, don’t feel like you’re prying. Assume you’ve been a friend for years and have seen it all before.”
“I’ll go, but that’s all I’m promising.”
“See you when I get home. Thanks, Jonathan.”
He changed into jeans, his favorite Atlanta Braves t-shirt, and grabbed a Rockland U sweatshirt. A glance in the mirror reminded him to brush his teeth and hair and then he decided it was time to do the awkward. He’d go get his clutter fix for the next few decades until Cara arrived.
~*~*~*~
Each time he entered her house, Jonathan’s amazement grew. How one person could manage to fill space so thoroughly was beyond his comprehension. Contrary to his intention, he went immediately into the kitchen and stared at the cabinets in wonder. Why had she removed the doors? She wouldn’t need those shelf liner things that draped off the edge of the cabinet shelves if she’d put on the doors again. The pink dishes bothered him almost as much. Who wanted pink dishes?
The refrigerator
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