into her pocket and turned to walk back inside when suddenly she stopped. Slowly, she turned her head and her mouth fell open as she looked over the strung out contents of the garage.
“What in the world did you do, Sam?” she asked, flabbergasted.
Sam stood dumfounded, his mind searching for the perfect explanation.
“I … um …”
“Um, what, Sam?” she said. “It looks like the garage threw up on you! Mom is going to kill you!”
“Yeah, but … you see …”
“Uh, yeah, I do see. I see that you’re going to be grounded for the rest of your life if you don’t clean up this mess before Mom gets home!”
Sarah shook her head, turned, and walked back into the house. “Men—they can’t do anything right!” Sam heard her say to herself.
He stood staring at the back door as it slammed shut and the familiar feeling of utter failure crept back over him.
Nothing ever works out as it should, he thought . Nothing!
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his dad’s ring. He stared at it for a moment before walking over to the porch steps and sitting down.
The red ruby glistened in the sun as he moved it around in his fingers. The inscription was rough to the touch as he ran his finger around the inner band.
“You know, I never even met him,” Sam said softly. “My father, I mean. How can you miss a person you’ve never even met?” He sighed. “I guess that sounds pretty pathetic, huh?”
Travis turned, walked over to Sam, and sat down next to him on the porch. He brought his legs to his chest and placed his chin on his knees.
“It’s not pathetic, Sam,” he said.
“Oh, isn’t it?” Sam said, staring at the ring.
“No, but maybe it’s a wanting feeling, more than a missing one, and there is nothing pathetic about wanting things to be different.”
Sam brushed away a tear that began to fall down his cheek and cleared his voice, trying to keep his composure.
“There is just so much about him that I don’t know. I mean, my mother never goes into any great detail; we barely talk about him. And now I find this hidden box with his ring and a letter from her past. And let’s not forget the magic spell, or whatever the heck that was. It’s like the older I get, the more questions I have and nobody wants to talk about it.
“Sometimes when I’m with my mom it feels like the whole room is filled up with everything we don’t say to one another. It’s like I don’t know who we are—like there’s some kind of big secret and I’m the only one that’s not in on it.”
Travis turned and looked over at Sam. “I’m not sure what your mother is thinking, but whatever it is, Sam, I’m sure she has her reasons. She loves you—she loves you and Sarah, and she’s trying so hard to take care of you. It can’t be easy on her either, and what’s worse is she did know your dad. She loved him for years and then he was gone. Imagine that pain. Maybe she doesn’t want to relive that—maybe it just hurts too much.”
Sam could hear the pain in Travis’s voice. He wasn’t sure if Travis was still talking about Sam’s mother or his own family. Either way, he knew what it was like to want something you could never have again.
Both Sam and Travis sat for a few moments longer, staring into the garage, thinking about nothing and everything all at once.
The sun had moved behind the house by the time they began to straighten up the garage once more. The hours passed quickly with two people working on the mess and before Sam knew it, he was done again.
There was more trash on the curb than before and less stuff in the garage. The holes in the roof of the garage were patched with leftover particle board they had found in the corner. It would probably leak, but it was the best they could do for now.
Travis helped Sam carry the last of the garbage to the curb. The pile was huge; it looked like the Dalcomes were moving. Barron had already made his way from across the street to investigate the
“What in the world did you do, Sam?” she asked, flabbergasted.
Sam stood dumfounded, his mind searching for the perfect explanation.
“I … um …”
“Um, what, Sam?” she said. “It looks like the garage threw up on you! Mom is going to kill you!”
“Yeah, but … you see …”
“Uh, yeah, I do see. I see that you’re going to be grounded for the rest of your life if you don’t clean up this mess before Mom gets home!”
Sarah shook her head, turned, and walked back into the house. “Men—they can’t do anything right!” Sam heard her say to herself.
He stood staring at the back door as it slammed shut and the familiar feeling of utter failure crept back over him.
Nothing ever works out as it should, he thought . Nothing!
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his dad’s ring. He stared at it for a moment before walking over to the porch steps and sitting down.
The red ruby glistened in the sun as he moved it around in his fingers. The inscription was rough to the touch as he ran his finger around the inner band.
“You know, I never even met him,” Sam said softly. “My father, I mean. How can you miss a person you’ve never even met?” He sighed. “I guess that sounds pretty pathetic, huh?”
Travis turned, walked over to Sam, and sat down next to him on the porch. He brought his legs to his chest and placed his chin on his knees.
“It’s not pathetic, Sam,” he said.
“Oh, isn’t it?” Sam said, staring at the ring.
“No, but maybe it’s a wanting feeling, more than a missing one, and there is nothing pathetic about wanting things to be different.”
Sam brushed away a tear that began to fall down his cheek and cleared his voice, trying to keep his composure.
“There is just so much about him that I don’t know. I mean, my mother never goes into any great detail; we barely talk about him. And now I find this hidden box with his ring and a letter from her past. And let’s not forget the magic spell, or whatever the heck that was. It’s like the older I get, the more questions I have and nobody wants to talk about it.
“Sometimes when I’m with my mom it feels like the whole room is filled up with everything we don’t say to one another. It’s like I don’t know who we are—like there’s some kind of big secret and I’m the only one that’s not in on it.”
Travis turned and looked over at Sam. “I’m not sure what your mother is thinking, but whatever it is, Sam, I’m sure she has her reasons. She loves you—she loves you and Sarah, and she’s trying so hard to take care of you. It can’t be easy on her either, and what’s worse is she did know your dad. She loved him for years and then he was gone. Imagine that pain. Maybe she doesn’t want to relive that—maybe it just hurts too much.”
Sam could hear the pain in Travis’s voice. He wasn’t sure if Travis was still talking about Sam’s mother or his own family. Either way, he knew what it was like to want something you could never have again.
Both Sam and Travis sat for a few moments longer, staring into the garage, thinking about nothing and everything all at once.
The sun had moved behind the house by the time they began to straighten up the garage once more. The hours passed quickly with two people working on the mess and before Sam knew it, he was done again.
There was more trash on the curb than before and less stuff in the garage. The holes in the roof of the garage were patched with leftover particle board they had found in the corner. It would probably leak, but it was the best they could do for now.
Travis helped Sam carry the last of the garbage to the curb. The pile was huge; it looked like the Dalcomes were moving. Barron had already made his way from across the street to investigate the
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