sputtered up to the surface.
“Daddy! I’m so sorry,” she cried.
After my dad helped him back on board, Mr. Evans looked at his little girl with a smile spread from ear to ear.
“It’s okay, sugar. Hazards of a small boat is all.” Casey’s lower lip quivered as big crocodile tears dripped down her cheeks. “Oh, Casey,” her dad said, quickly wrapping himself in a towel and bringing her into his arms. “It’s okay, sweet girl. Accidents happen.”
“It’s not her fault,” I spoke up. “I put the worm in her face and scared her.” Both dads looked over at me, and I shrunk into myself. I was always getting into trouble these days. Just couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble—mischief is what my mom called it.
“It’s alright, son. No one was hurt,” my dad said, patting me on the shoulder. “Just be careful.”
After a few more minutes of Mr. Evans calming Casey down, we were back to baiting our hooks.
“I’ll bait your hook for you, Casey,” I offered.
She shyly handed me her small pink fishing pole. “Thank you, Decker.”
“I’m sorry for teasing you,” I quietly said as I focused on putting the worm on the hook. I didn’t like seeing Casey cry.
“It’s okay,” she smiled. “Momma says boys only tease girls when they like them. And you’re my best friend so you’re supposed to like me. So I guess you’re supposed to tease me, too.”
I wasn’t sure what her mom was talking about, but I nodded anyway. Casey was my best friend…and I did like her.
“Whatcha thinking about over there?” she asks me, bringing me back to the present. We had just pulled up to the riverbank for a rest and are settling down on a blanket to start our picnic lunch.
“Just thinking about the first time our dads took us out fishing on the boat.”
A sad smile graces her face. “That certainly was memorable,” she gently laughs.
“I thought our dads were gonna throw me overboard,” I confess.
She full out laughs now; I love that sound. I miss that sound. “Have you met our dads? When would they have ever gotten angry enough to throw one of their kids overboard?”
I laugh with her, “You’re right.”
“You know,” she begins, picking at lint on the blanket, “last night, my mom told me her and my dad knew you used to sneak in my window at night.”
My eyes widen and I can feel the blood leave my face.
They knew? How much did they know? Obviously not much since they never bolted the window shut and I’m still alive.
She sees the expression on my face and giggles before looking back down at the invisible lint. “Don’t worry, I think our secret’s safe. She basically said they were pleased that I was breaking the rules and that we were good kids, so they didn’t see the harm.”
“Kind of contradicts the whole breaking the rules thing then, doesn’t it? If they were okay with it?” I point out.
“Yeah…and the fact that I never really thought I was doing anything wrong. It was always so easy with you, Decker. Everything was so easy back then,” she wistfully adds before she looks off at the water.
I want her to tell me more. I want to know everything she felt back then. And everything she feels now. Especially regarding me. But I know this isn’t the time to bring it up. Hell, I’m not sure if there will ever be a good time to bring it up. She just seems so fragile, like she’s hanging on by a thread…and she might just be.
“Why don’t we see what Momma E packed for us?” I say, changing the subject.
Casey turns back to me and smiles, silently thanking me for the distraction from whatever thoughts were running through her head. She reaches over and helps me unload the various containers and baggies.
“Looks like she packed enough for a small village,” I say as I pull out a third container of raw vegetables. “And it’s all healthy, too.” The containers are all filled with various fruits and veggies and the baggies have different kinds of nuts. The
“Daddy! I’m so sorry,” she cried.
After my dad helped him back on board, Mr. Evans looked at his little girl with a smile spread from ear to ear.
“It’s okay, sugar. Hazards of a small boat is all.” Casey’s lower lip quivered as big crocodile tears dripped down her cheeks. “Oh, Casey,” her dad said, quickly wrapping himself in a towel and bringing her into his arms. “It’s okay, sweet girl. Accidents happen.”
“It’s not her fault,” I spoke up. “I put the worm in her face and scared her.” Both dads looked over at me, and I shrunk into myself. I was always getting into trouble these days. Just couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble—mischief is what my mom called it.
“It’s alright, son. No one was hurt,” my dad said, patting me on the shoulder. “Just be careful.”
After a few more minutes of Mr. Evans calming Casey down, we were back to baiting our hooks.
“I’ll bait your hook for you, Casey,” I offered.
She shyly handed me her small pink fishing pole. “Thank you, Decker.”
“I’m sorry for teasing you,” I quietly said as I focused on putting the worm on the hook. I didn’t like seeing Casey cry.
“It’s okay,” she smiled. “Momma says boys only tease girls when they like them. And you’re my best friend so you’re supposed to like me. So I guess you’re supposed to tease me, too.”
I wasn’t sure what her mom was talking about, but I nodded anyway. Casey was my best friend…and I did like her.
“Whatcha thinking about over there?” she asks me, bringing me back to the present. We had just pulled up to the riverbank for a rest and are settling down on a blanket to start our picnic lunch.
“Just thinking about the first time our dads took us out fishing on the boat.”
A sad smile graces her face. “That certainly was memorable,” she gently laughs.
“I thought our dads were gonna throw me overboard,” I confess.
She full out laughs now; I love that sound. I miss that sound. “Have you met our dads? When would they have ever gotten angry enough to throw one of their kids overboard?”
I laugh with her, “You’re right.”
“You know,” she begins, picking at lint on the blanket, “last night, my mom told me her and my dad knew you used to sneak in my window at night.”
My eyes widen and I can feel the blood leave my face.
They knew? How much did they know? Obviously not much since they never bolted the window shut and I’m still alive.
She sees the expression on my face and giggles before looking back down at the invisible lint. “Don’t worry, I think our secret’s safe. She basically said they were pleased that I was breaking the rules and that we were good kids, so they didn’t see the harm.”
“Kind of contradicts the whole breaking the rules thing then, doesn’t it? If they were okay with it?” I point out.
“Yeah…and the fact that I never really thought I was doing anything wrong. It was always so easy with you, Decker. Everything was so easy back then,” she wistfully adds before she looks off at the water.
I want her to tell me more. I want to know everything she felt back then. And everything she feels now. Especially regarding me. But I know this isn’t the time to bring it up. Hell, I’m not sure if there will ever be a good time to bring it up. She just seems so fragile, like she’s hanging on by a thread…and she might just be.
“Why don’t we see what Momma E packed for us?” I say, changing the subject.
Casey turns back to me and smiles, silently thanking me for the distraction from whatever thoughts were running through her head. She reaches over and helps me unload the various containers and baggies.
“Looks like she packed enough for a small village,” I say as I pull out a third container of raw vegetables. “And it’s all healthy, too.” The containers are all filled with various fruits and veggies and the baggies have different kinds of nuts. The
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