Page 91 of Chasing Fireflies

“Good morning,” Anne says, looking over at me. She stands over her green flowing flower with a watering pot in her hand and her reading glasses sitting on top of her gray hair.

“Morning,” I say, walking over to the coffeepot and filling a cup. You can’t come in here and not have a cup of Anne’s coffee.

“Did you run this morning?” she asks me as she moves to another plant.

“Yep.”

She smiles and tilts the pot. “I ran across an old photo this morning of Drew in high school. He was so good-looking,” she tells me. “Sometimes I miss him so much I have a hard time breathing.” She stops watering and puts the pot down. “I forget that he’s gone even after five years, Cash. Last night I decided I wanted a sandwich, so I went into the kitchen to make it, and then I thought to ask him. I actually started to say his name.” Anne looks down and takes a shaky breath. When she looks back up at me, her eyes have glossed over. “And then I remembered and I cried like it happened yesterday. I didn’t eat the damn sandwich. I came up here and sat in his office.” She casts her eyes down the hall and shakes her head. “Your office now, which you haven’t changed a bit,” she says, looking back at me.

“It’ll always be his office. I can’t change anything in there,” I say, sliding my hand into my pocket and taking a sip of my coffee.

“You’ve only added a picture of you three.” She smiles. “How’s Little Miss doing today? It’s her birthday, right?”

“Yes, it is. She’s a happy little girl. Going to do story time with Sara at the library.”

“That’s good. Kids need to read more books. They’re too busy with their video games these days.”

I nod and put my coffee down. “So, what about the Kingsleys? What are the neighbors saying?”

She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “You’d think after all these years those two would calm down. I thought once Joe stopped drinking they finally would.”

“Well, it has been a while since we’ve been over there.”

“You’re right. It may just be Elizabeth’s pregnancy hormones. I still can’t believe they are having a baby.”

“Not just one,” I say.

“No!Twins?” Anne asks with wide eyes.

“Yep. They found out last week. I saw them coming out of the doctor’s office. Joe was white as paper, and Elizabeth had a wrinkle between her brows. I stopped and said hello. Elizabeth turned to me, and with a concerned expression, she said, ‘Twins.’ And then she started fussing at Joe about how he had to give her twins. Couldn’t just be one baby, but two. How they couldn’t afford diapers for two babies.”

“What did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything. I drove off.” I laugh.

“Oh, Cash,” Anne says, slapping my arm as she laughs, too.

*

I pull up to the Kingsley’s place like I have a million times before and shut the truck off. I see a big box that’s been thrown out into the yard and on it is a picture of a crib. Walking past it, I step onto the porch and knock on the door. Elizabeth opens it moments later.

“Cash, what can I do for you?” she asks, smiling like the sun never goes down and it’s always a perfect seventy degree day.

I narrow my eyes and adjust my hat. “Just came to see how you guys were doing.”

“We’re just fine. Would you like to come in? I’ve got some chocolate chip cookies that just came out of the oven.”

My eyes grow wide, and I’m not sure if I’ve stepped into the twilight zone or if this is actually the Kingsley’s house. I want to touch her forehead and make sure she hasn’t come down with some deadly fever.

“You made cookies?” I ask.

“Yes,” she says, looking at me. “Come in,” she insists so I do. I step inside and smell the cookies. I hear an electric screwdriver and see Joe in the middle of the living room with a big ass crib. He notices me and stops his work.

“Cash, how the hell are ya?” he asks, putting the power tool down and standing up.

“I’m doing well. Just got a call from your neighbors earlier. I came to see if everything was okay.”

Joe shakes my hand, and Elizabeth shoves a tray of cookies in my face. I look from it to her before I take one. I’m still confused as shit. It’s like an episode ofLeave It to Beaverwithout the Beav. I’m looking at Ward and June instead.

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