She Never Knew by CJ Simpson

about half way through. Assembled models sat on Rhonda’s kitchen table
in no particular order. Soon the women would break for lunch and finish their
afternoon by organizing training manuals.
    Rhonda pushed herself away from the
table and stood up. “I’m going to check on the boys; I’ll be right back.”
    “Okay.” Kat began working on a new kit
as her friend went upstairs. A few moments later, she heard hurried footsteps
descending the stairs. When she looked up, she saw that Tyler was wearing an
Iron Man helmet. She laughed as he ran toward her.
    “Mommy, look at me!” Tyler pushed up his
visor so Kat could see his eyes.
    “Oh my!” Kat pretended to be awestruck
as she looked at her son. “Who are you supposed to be?”
    “I’m the Iron Man!” Tyler exclaimed. By
this time, Eli and Rhonda had joined them. Eli was dressed as Batman and was
flapping his cape as he jumped up and down.
    Rhonda and Kat laughed as they watched
their boys chase an imaginary monster into the living room. Rhonda said, “The
boys said they’re hungry, so I’m going to go ahead and make them sandwiches. Do
you want to eat now or wait a little while?”
    Kat looked at the clock on the wall and
saw that it was just after eleven o’clock. “Let’s wait a little while. I want
to finish up this craft.”
    “Okay.” Rhonda began taking out items
from her refrigerator to make grilled cheese sandwiches for the boys. As she
prepared the sandwiches, Kat continued to work on her craft.
    “Tyler asked about his father the other
night.” Kat said, carefully gluing jewels onto a piece of felt material.
    “Oh, yeah?” Rhonda paused to look at
Kat, her hands resting on the counter. “How did that go?”
    Kat set down her craft and looked behind
her to ensure Tyler and Eli were out of earshot before answering her friend.
    “I think it went very well, actually.
But I hate lying to him, Rhonda.”
    “I know you do.” Rhonda cut a petite
slab of butter and dropped it into a small frying pan. “What did you tell him?”
    “Well, he wanted to know if he would
ever see his father again. You know, in heaven.” Kat reached into an open bag
of jewels and placed an onyx-colored gem in the palm of her hand. “I told him
that his father’s boo boos couldn’t be fixed and that God was taking care of
him now.”
    Rhonda nodded in understanding as she
carefully placed a sandwich into the frying pan. “How did he react to that?”
she asked.
    “He seemed okay with it, I guess.” Kat
said thoughtfully. “Although, I don’t think he really understands what Heaven
means and what happens to people when they pass on.”
    “Kat, I think most of us don’t. We have
this idea of going to Heaven, or going to the other side to spend the rest of
our lives with Jesus.”
    “You’re probably right.” Kat applied a
freshly-glued gem to her craft and pressed her finger on it to hold it in
place. “I think the fact that Tyler never had a father in his life somehow
makes it easier to deal with his loss, if that makes any sense.”
    “In a way, it does.” Rhonda agreed. “I
think it’s only natural for him to ask questions about his father and the rest
of his family.”
    Kat knew Rhonda was referring to Tyler’s
aunt. “Surprisingly, he hasn’t asked and I haven’t told him about Mary. The
only pictures I have around the house are of Michael and my parents.” Kat
released her finger from the jewel and sat back in her chair, a sad expression
forming on her face. “Besides, I don’t know how to explain to my five-year old
that my sister and I haven’t spoken in years.”
    Rhonda’s heart tugged for her friend.
She wished she could wave a magic wand that would remove the pain Kat was going
through. “Have you considered calling her, Kat?”
    Kat watched Rhonda flip the sandwich in
the pan and press it firmly with her spatula. “Yes, I have. Many times. But I
don’t seem to have the courage to pick up the phone and make the call.”
    Rhonda