Page 4 of To Save Him

“Annabel, you said?”

“Yes.”

“She looks a lot like you.”

I laughed, because she did not, and I didn’t think he’d seen enough of her to make a fair judgment.  Aside from a mane that flowed to her shoulder blades, she was the spitting image of her father.  That probably would seem rude to point out, though, so I simply said, “She might not like hearing that.”

“I doubt it.”  He acted like he wanted to say something else but stopped himself.

JR jumped in the wake left behind our dwindling conversation.  “Can I go to Joey’s to play games till dinner?”

Ah, my son thought he was catching me in a weak parenting moment—mom won’t ride my butt and make me do homework or chores when we have company.  But he’d thought wrong.  “Honey, since we have a guest, why don’t you either get your homework done or help me entertain while I make dinner?”

He didn’t seem too upset by the prospect and I was grateful, because I’d always found it easier to maintain composure when my children were close by.  No more weepy Kimberly…for now.  It was my job to keep my head on, because they too were feeling the vacuum that Gabriel’s death had created and were hurting just like I’d been.  They didn’t need the additional burden of a teary mom who couldn’t keep herself together.

I saw a twinkle flash in JR’s eyes, and I expected him to say something smart, like “Why don’t you have Annabel do it?”  I braced myself for the inevitable chafe when he instead said, “I’d rather show him the Xbox if that’s okay.”

“The—JR, our guest doesn’t want to watch you play a videogame.”

“Actually,”—Brandon paused to say my name; he was getting better at catching himself—“Kimberly, I wouldn’t mindplayinga game with your son if that’s what he had in mind.”

“Oh, hell, yeah!”

“JR, watch your mouth.”

“Sorry, mom.”  He faced Brandon.  “C’mon.  It’s in the living room.”  Our guest stood and smiled—the biggest one I’d seen on his face since his arrival.  Maybe playing a game would be best for both the males.  As they walked out of earshot, I heard JR start to ask, “Have you ever played…”

And they left me alone with my weighty thoughts.

 

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