that time.
“Think we could get close to it , the show I mean?” Pa went on, “even just once?” For the first time in his life, Matt saw a flash of doubt in Pa’s eyes as his spoke. It shook him, to think Pa could be uncertain or ever doubt.
“I think we can,” Matt said. He said it for Pa but he believed it, too. Somehow, he knew they could this, even if it was just for one, single day.
“Then we can,” Pa said, the old strength returning to his voice as he spoke. “We can do this,” he said and patted the box, as if for good luck. It stayed there and Matt reached over and put his hand over it too.
“We can,” Matt said and smiled.
*
For the rest of the day, after lunch and before their guests arrived, Matt and Pa spent the afternoon putting photos up on the walls. They didn’t bother with frames, but simply tacked them up where they saw fit. Even though it was hap-hazard and unplanned, each picture seemed to fit the spot they chose and after a while it became hard to imagine the walls without the photos on them. It was as if they centred the house, making it seem sturdier and more grounded. It was a simple thing they did, but Matt hadn’t felt at peace like it for a long time. It felt right, what they were doing and good. Each time one put a picture up, the other approved it. Matt looked around from time to time and wondered if the house itself was not at work somehow and making sure everything they did fitted just right. Ideas like that should have sounded crazy but since they had set out in the car all that time ago, he didn’t put much stock in things like that anymore. Maybe crazy wasn’t such a bad place to go, once in a while.
*
Matt saw Lucas and Marcus walk up the driveway and felt disappointed to not see Max join them. He felt sad for him, sitting in amongst the shadows of the caves and wished he had felt comfortable enough to come to the house. Matt was just about to say hello when his jaw dropped at the sight of Lucas. Gone was the mossy, petal- heavy Lucas of last night. It had been replaced by a Lucas with clear, tanned skin and ruddy, colourful cheeks. Even his nails seemed to glow and his hair was shoulder length and almost silver in tone.
“This is what I get for spending a day in a kitchen baking cakes,” he said cheerfully, pointing to himself and making light of Matt’s shock.
“You look…good,” Pa said as he stepped onto the back porch.
“Let’s see, I’ve got cookie complexion,” Lucas said, pointing to his face. “After that, I got icing sugar nails,” he went on, wiggling his fingers. “Lastly, I’m looking at some flour in the hair.” For a finale, he swished his hair spectacularly along his shoulder.
“More importantly,” Marcus interrupted, rolling his eyes at the performance, “I’ve brought the cakes.” He flipped the box he had been carrying and the lid flew up to reveal a dozen multicoloured pastries.
“We’ll weigh this place down if we’re not careful,” Pa said, ruefully patting his stomach, even though his eyes zoomed straight to the cakes.
“Nonsense,” Marcus went on . “All the work you do with the house, you’ll need to keep your energy up.” Pa waved them up and both of them began to walk towards the house and then stopped for a moment.
“It looks straighter,” Marcus said, matter-of-factly.
“Hmm,” Lucas said, as a way of agreement. The two of them bounded up the steps even as Matt and Pa stopped to peer at the house.
“It does look straight Pa,” Matt said after a few moments of stunned silence.
“Hmm,” Pa said, as a way of agreement.
Setting down the cakes and brewing a fresh pot of coffee, the four of them sat in the room and laid out the remaining boxes , one by one. Marcus looked briefly at the photos on the wall but said nothing, instead
“Think we could get close to it , the show I mean?” Pa went on, “even just once?” For the first time in his life, Matt saw a flash of doubt in Pa’s eyes as his spoke. It shook him, to think Pa could be uncertain or ever doubt.
“I think we can,” Matt said. He said it for Pa but he believed it, too. Somehow, he knew they could this, even if it was just for one, single day.
“Then we can,” Pa said, the old strength returning to his voice as he spoke. “We can do this,” he said and patted the box, as if for good luck. It stayed there and Matt reached over and put his hand over it too.
“We can,” Matt said and smiled.
*
For the rest of the day, after lunch and before their guests arrived, Matt and Pa spent the afternoon putting photos up on the walls. They didn’t bother with frames, but simply tacked them up where they saw fit. Even though it was hap-hazard and unplanned, each picture seemed to fit the spot they chose and after a while it became hard to imagine the walls without the photos on them. It was as if they centred the house, making it seem sturdier and more grounded. It was a simple thing they did, but Matt hadn’t felt at peace like it for a long time. It felt right, what they were doing and good. Each time one put a picture up, the other approved it. Matt looked around from time to time and wondered if the house itself was not at work somehow and making sure everything they did fitted just right. Ideas like that should have sounded crazy but since they had set out in the car all that time ago, he didn’t put much stock in things like that anymore. Maybe crazy wasn’t such a bad place to go, once in a while.
*
Matt saw Lucas and Marcus walk up the driveway and felt disappointed to not see Max join them. He felt sad for him, sitting in amongst the shadows of the caves and wished he had felt comfortable enough to come to the house. Matt was just about to say hello when his jaw dropped at the sight of Lucas. Gone was the mossy, petal- heavy Lucas of last night. It had been replaced by a Lucas with clear, tanned skin and ruddy, colourful cheeks. Even his nails seemed to glow and his hair was shoulder length and almost silver in tone.
“This is what I get for spending a day in a kitchen baking cakes,” he said cheerfully, pointing to himself and making light of Matt’s shock.
“You look…good,” Pa said as he stepped onto the back porch.
“Let’s see, I’ve got cookie complexion,” Lucas said, pointing to his face. “After that, I got icing sugar nails,” he went on, wiggling his fingers. “Lastly, I’m looking at some flour in the hair.” For a finale, he swished his hair spectacularly along his shoulder.
“More importantly,” Marcus interrupted, rolling his eyes at the performance, “I’ve brought the cakes.” He flipped the box he had been carrying and the lid flew up to reveal a dozen multicoloured pastries.
“We’ll weigh this place down if we’re not careful,” Pa said, ruefully patting his stomach, even though his eyes zoomed straight to the cakes.
“Nonsense,” Marcus went on . “All the work you do with the house, you’ll need to keep your energy up.” Pa waved them up and both of them began to walk towards the house and then stopped for a moment.
“It looks straighter,” Marcus said, matter-of-factly.
“Hmm,” Lucas said, as a way of agreement. The two of them bounded up the steps even as Matt and Pa stopped to peer at the house.
“It does look straight Pa,” Matt said after a few moments of stunned silence.
“Hmm,” Pa said, as a way of agreement.
Setting down the cakes and brewing a fresh pot of coffee, the four of them sat in the room and laid out the remaining boxes , one by one. Marcus looked briefly at the photos on the wall but said nothing, instead
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