Page 110 of Ebbing Tides
“Nice guys can dig a grave, Grace,” Sid pointed out, then jabbed his elbow against her arm. “I mean, look at Charlie! Great guy. A little creepy, kinda weird, can’t imagine living in a fuckin’ cemetery, but, yeah, great guy.”
Melanie softly laughed beside me. That sort of laugh where you knew it was funny, you knew the joke was good-natured, but the heart was too invested.
She loved Charlie. She cared for him as the little brother she never had, and whether they were still bound by marriage or not, I knew nothing would ever change how deeply she felt for him.
I kissed the top of her head, then said, “We should ask Charlie and Stormy if they want to come down to Connecticut soon.”
“The boys would like that,” she replied.
“Yeah, let’s do it.” I unwrapped my arm from her shoulders and pushed my chair out. “But first, I can’t remember when I last took a piss. I’ll be right back.”
Melanie’s adoring gaze lifted to mine with a smile, just as Sid barked with a boisterous laugh.
“That’s your weak old-man bladder, Serg,” he teased.
“Oh, yeah?” I smirked. “Why don’t you tell Mel how your colonoscopy went? I’m sure she’s dying to hear about that.”
The smile was wiped away from his face, and I laughed triumphantly as I turned to leave the dining room, knowing he was about to divulge far more information than my poor wife had bargained for.
I visited the bathroom, did what I had to do, and left to head back into the dining room. But I noticed movement coming from the couch, and thinking for a split second that it might be Lido getting up to something he shouldn’t, I approached, only to find that it wasn’t my dog, but instead my oldest stepson.
Luke was sitting on the couch, holding on to something in his hands. His face was downturned, his eyes hidden from my view.
It was late. He and the other kids—his brothers, along with Sid’s and Ricky’s respective kids—had been sent to bed a while ago, and he should’ve been asleep by now.
“Hey,” I said gently, taking a seat beside him. “What are you doing down here?”
“Can’t sleep,” he muttered, not turning to look at me.
Melanie’s boys and I had spent the last two years building a relationship that was sturdy and dependable. CJ had been quick to fall in love with me and the idea of me sticking around, and Danny had followed shortly after. Luke was a little more hot and cold, although our bad days were growing fewer and further between as time went on, but just as unpredictable as they’d always been.
And now, judging by his lack of desire to address me, I was suspecting this moment was one of those times.
“Oh, no?” I asked, trying to catch a better glimpse of what was held in his hands.
He sniffled, and I quickly tried to assess if he was crying or perhaps coming down with something.
“It’s hard to sleep after you’ve had a busy day,” I commiserated.
And, boy, had it been a long one. From driving north at the butt crack of dawn, to packing the last of the things at the house, to handing over the keys to the new owner, to invading Sid’s house, to partying for hours …
I yawned, just thinking about it, and flopped back against the couch.
“God, I think I could fall asleep right now actually,” I said, stretching my arms out.
I thought Luke might perk up. Thought he might lean back and rest on the couch with me like he sometimes did at home. But he didn’t. He remained where he was, perched on the edge of the seat, staring at whatever it was he was holding.
“Did you come down, looking for your mom?” I asked.
He shook his head.
“Okay,” I replied. “What are you looking at?”
He reached his hand behind him and held something out to me. I took it to find that it was a picture, one of a man in a white T-shirt and loose-fitting pants. In his arms, he held a baby, and without asking for clarification, I knew that the people in this picture were Luke Senior and his first son, this boy beside me.
“This is you and your dad,” I stated.
He didn’t reply for a moment, and the air grew tighter, and the good feeling I had felt in the dining room vanished. Iwondered if I should’ve gotten Melanie, wondered if Luke would prefer to talk to her, but then …
