Page 65 of The Sky in Summer
He wants me to know he knows her better than I do. Of course he does. I hear you, kid.
“She likes bracelets. You’ve heard her say that haven’t you, David?”
David nods to his brother and adds a tip of his own, “She likes yellow gold.”
“Gold, yeah, that would be really nice. Let’s go find a jewelry store. A nice one.”
Panda Express announced itself before we were through the doors. The smell of Chinese food wafting far beyond the buffet line. Calling out to every passerby.
“This is my favorite place to eat,” David says, winding noodles on the fork.
Called that one right.
“Especially this sweet and sour shit,” Teddy adds. “You like it, Uncle Van?”
“Uh, yeah,” I say, pointing to the mountain of food on my plate.
The bag from Dominica’s Jewelry Store lays atop the table. Tyler picks it up.
“Can I look?”
“Go for it.”
He removes the small red box tied with a black ribbon and opens it. The gold bangle sits on black velvet. “Its classic. Like your mom.”
David breaks a smile. A little one.
“It’s really pretty. She’s gonna like it,” Tyler says.
“I almost had something inscribed.”
Now I have David’s attention. His head swivels my way, and he stops eating.
“What would you have written?”
“Maybe something I used to say to her in kindergarten. I don’t know.”
That is a lie. I know. But it was not the right time with the boys around.
“You’re leaving for France though, pretty soon, right?”
“In three weeks. Yeah.”
I can’t detect happiness or disappointment. Holding his opinion close, David’s face does not give anything up. Tyler isn’t hiding his though. He lifts one corner of his mouth and shakes his head.
Sam points his chopsticks, with a piece of sugared pork in its grasp, at me.
“What’s the big deal about France, anyway?”
“Yeah,” Teddy agrees.
“Don’t let your grandfather hear you say that.”
It’s kinda nice knowing I will be missed by them.
“The big deal is I bought your great-grandmother’s apartment and I have spent a year and lots of money remodeling it. This is a plan that’s been in progress for a long time now. I have a job I’m starting. And it’s Paris. The most beautiful city in the world.”
“This city is pretty beautiful,” David says softly.
