Page 44 of Whiskey

“Okay.” He shrugged and kept his gaze forward. We sat in silence for a moment. “Are you here to give me a session, too, like my dad?”

“Do you have five hundred dollars to pay me?” That made him chuckle and look at me.

“Maybe I should be a doctor like you when I get older.”

“It can be hard.” I shrugged.

“Actually, I’m going to be just like my dad.”

“An Army kid, are ya?”

“I guess, but I want to be a hero just like Dad. Mom says nothing gets by my dad.” I was pleased to hear he had love and respect for Keith. It was well-deserved.

“They’re the best of the best.” I watched his dad and the guys down by the picnic table next to the barbecue. Ty was smiling at someone on the phone. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was that Demi girl.

“Did you have fun with the other kids on your trip?”

“I guess,” he pulled at a blade of grass, “but when we got back here, everything was the exact same. Mom didn’t come and tuck me in.” He stilled. “Reagan cries at night, but Mommy doesn’t come and talk to her the way she used to either.” He pulled at the grass again. “I don’t think she likes us anymore. She seems sad.”

That made my heart hurt, and I kept my gaze forward like he did. I knew that kids talked more without eye contact.

“Oh, no, Brandon. I’m sure you’re wrong about that. I’m sure your mom loves you.” I patted his back gently.

“I’m sad. I’m mad at…” He cleared his throat and tried to hold it together. “What did we do to make my mom not love us anymore?”

And this was why I worked with adults. Children in pain broke me in the of worst ways. I took a moment to think of how I should answer him.

“Have you ever seen a snow globe?” He nodded. “You know when you shake it all up and it makes a blizzard, and you can’t see the people inside anymore? Well, that’s what it’s like for your mom. She’s just lost in a blizzard. But the storm will go away, and the snow will settle. She’ll see you again, I’m sure of it. Just give it a little time. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Yeah. Okay.” He looked down and seemed to shake off a little of stress he was holding on to.

“Should we eat?” He nodded, and we walked together down to the others. Daniel called him over to the grill and fixed him a plate.

Later that evening after the cleanup, everyone was sitting around the fire, and I decided to slip down for another quick swim. The water was black. The sun low in the sky made a brilliant orange path that led to the mountains. I stripped down to my bikini, sat on the edge of the dock, and slipped silently into the cool water. I knew from my earlier swim there weren’t any big rocks or debris to worry about. I duck-dived under the surface and with a strong stroke glided along under the cool water. It felt heavenly. I popped up a few yards away and took in everything around me.

My ears picked up the sound of the crickets as they chirped from the shore, the loons called to each other from the distance, and the soft strums of John’s guitar floated along in the breeze. I closed my eyes and let it flow over me. It was incredibly relaxing.

“You know,” Ty popped up in front of me, and I nearly screamed, “it’s not safe to swim at night without letting anyone know where you were going.”

“How did you— I didn’t even hear you.” I treaded water in front of him.

“I’ve many skills you’ve yet to discover.” He grinned. “I’ve spent days hidden in the dark water, barely above the surface just to stay alive.” He moved in circles around me like a predator, hardly raising a ripple in the water. “You learn how to be quiet and not draw attention to yourself.” He circled once more with his eyes just above the surface.

“I can see that.” I continued to move to face him. “Well, so ya know, I wasn’t trying to be reckless. I just wanted to cool off.”

“Tell me next time.”

“You don’t need to watch me here too, Ty.”

“I wish I couldn’t.” He waited a beat letting his comment linger in the air between us. “I figured the kids would have worn you right out.” He chuckled and stopped and effortlessly began to tread water. “They sure kept you busy.”

“I hoped I’d be tired after all that exercise. Sadly, sleep hasn’t been my friend for a while,” I muttered without thinking.

“Got a lot on your mind?”

“Yeah.” I tipped my head back into the water to allow my long hair to flow with it down my back. The sun was just about to drop behind the mountain peak, casting a palette of colors across the sky.

“Want to talk about it?” He looked into my eyes as I shifted my gaze to him and saw he watched me intently.

---