Page 62 of Coach
It was stunning.
“Wow.”
“It’s extra impressive to know that he drew each piece and mailed it to me individually, so he remembered exactly where the last piece left off and seamlessly had them all work together.”
“This was made by another inmate?”
“Yeah. He came in a couple years after me. Mad at the world. The chaplain tried to push him in my direction. But meditation and yoga weren’t for him. Art, however, was. So that became his kind of mindfulness.”
“He’s insanely talented.”
“Yeah. Keep telling him he’ll have a career on the outside doing this.”
“He will. How long does he have to go?”
“A few more years if he can keep his nose out of trouble.”
“What are the chances of that?”
“Hard to say when I don’t see him face-to-face anymore. But I think he’s come a long way from that angry kid he once was.”
“Where’d you even get a frame this big?”
“Had to make it. And get glass cut for it.”
“I love it. And all the kid art.”
“Masterpieces, all of ‘em,” he said, gesturing toward a framed piece of paper with what was only a single yellow spiral doodle.
“Do you want kids?”
Why did I want to know?
“When the woman and the time is right, yeah. You?”
“I always did.”
“But?”
“But I don’t know if it’s going to be in the cards for me.”
“Hey, you never know. The days are short. But life is long. Things can change. If you want them to.” As if sensing that my heart couldn’t take another heavy topic—even one I’d brought up myself—he quickly segued away. “Looks like the bath helped.”
“I almost fell asleep in there,” I admitted. “Thank you. For all of it.”
“The bed is changed and ready for you.”
It sounded sick to say, but I would have preferred the bed not be changed, so I could get in and smell him all around and on me.
“The TV and stereo remotes are on the nightstand. Got you a bottle of water. Some snacks. Dragged up one of the dog beds we have around. And I wanted to clear this before I gave it to her, but I found a chew for Trix.”
He gestured toward where he’d stashed it on the bookshelf. But Trix had already sniffed it out and was sitting next to the shelves, nose wiggling as she looked up at the package.
“She’d love it,” I said, standing there watching him unpackage it and toss it on the bed for her.
“I’ll let you get some sleep.”
“Wait,” I called before I could think it through. “Do you want to… watch a movie or something? I kinda got a second wind, I guess.”
