if nothing had ever happened.
How can you do it, Brian? she screamed silently. Your life, all those years, and you don’t speak about them, you don’t lash out, you don’t say anything about it at all. You just sit there, listening gravely when a son you haven’t seen in almost twelve years tells you how great the Bay City Rollers are….
Dinner was finally over. “Thank you,” Brian said, laying his napkin upon the table. His voice was strange yet soft. Strange was understandable. Eating dinner with his sons must be very strange for him. “That was really nice. You’ve learned how to cook,” he said teasingly.
Kim shrugged. “We manage. I’m afraid I’m never going to be the Galloping Gourmet.”
“She makes a great turkey, Dad!” Josh offered.
It sounded as if her son were trying to sell her good points. She wanted to tell both the kids to shut up. He was their father, but she had known him for years before their existence. Whatever happened now was between her and Brian. She couldn’t allow the boys to influence her, and she definitely didn’t want them apologizing for her!
What was the matter with her? she wondered. She had to think of what this night meant to Jake and Josh! They had never had a father; he had been a dead hero to them. Now that their father was with them, how could she begrudge her own sons such happiness? She didn’t begrudge it; she was merely lost and spinning….
“How about a cup of coffee?” Brian asked.
At those simply spoken words time suddenly rolled back. She saw an image too clearly. A simple question had been voiced, just as it had been asked all those years ago when Brian interrupted her while she was working on an essay for her photography course on the use of infrared. Because he jarred her concentration, she had snapped at him to make his own damn coffee. Astounded and angry at her response, he had reminded her of their agreement that neither school nor work would come before their marriage, that she was his wife first, last, and forever, regardless of her ambition. She then had taunted him, telling him maybe he should trade her in for a new model, and in response he had picked her up and carried her over his shoulder into the kitchen. Still holding her, he had made her fill the kettle, all the while instructing her on how to make coffee. Overcome by the silliness of what they were doing, she had stopped pummeling him and then was in his arms, and he was kissing her. She’d murmured that she had to finish her essay, and he’d silenced her, saying he would type it for her. Then they had made love on the kitchen floor while the kettle whistled away….
“Kim? Are you there? I didn’t mean to put you in a mental retreat.”
“Uh, coffee…sure, I’ll put some on. I can brew it—”
“Instant will be fine.”
“No, I’ll, uh, make a pot and join you.”
Her fingers shook as she measured coffee into the CorningWare electric pot. They had to talk, so she could understand him and tell him what had happened to her through the years. They were going to have to decide where they would go from here, what they would do.
She froze with her hand on the plug as the doorbell rang.
Keith! Why hadn’t she called him, explained she was in the middle of a problem? Problem, oh hell, Brian would really love that description of his return, but why was she thinking this when she had better answer the damn door?
She streaked out of the kitchen, but too late. Jake had already answered the clanging summons.
“Hiya, kid.” Keith swept by Jake and caught her in his arms as she charged toward the door, delivering a quick kiss to her lips. “I’ve got a buyer for you, Kim! Isn’t that great! A family man transferred here from Jacksonville! He’s ready to buy the place at your price, sight unseen!”
“Keith.” She tried to struggle from his arms, but he was already releasing her, keeping his hand on her waist. His brown eyes were curiously on the man at the
How can you do it, Brian? she screamed silently. Your life, all those years, and you don’t speak about them, you don’t lash out, you don’t say anything about it at all. You just sit there, listening gravely when a son you haven’t seen in almost twelve years tells you how great the Bay City Rollers are….
Dinner was finally over. “Thank you,” Brian said, laying his napkin upon the table. His voice was strange yet soft. Strange was understandable. Eating dinner with his sons must be very strange for him. “That was really nice. You’ve learned how to cook,” he said teasingly.
Kim shrugged. “We manage. I’m afraid I’m never going to be the Galloping Gourmet.”
“She makes a great turkey, Dad!” Josh offered.
It sounded as if her son were trying to sell her good points. She wanted to tell both the kids to shut up. He was their father, but she had known him for years before their existence. Whatever happened now was between her and Brian. She couldn’t allow the boys to influence her, and she definitely didn’t want them apologizing for her!
What was the matter with her? she wondered. She had to think of what this night meant to Jake and Josh! They had never had a father; he had been a dead hero to them. Now that their father was with them, how could she begrudge her own sons such happiness? She didn’t begrudge it; she was merely lost and spinning….
“How about a cup of coffee?” Brian asked.
At those simply spoken words time suddenly rolled back. She saw an image too clearly. A simple question had been voiced, just as it had been asked all those years ago when Brian interrupted her while she was working on an essay for her photography course on the use of infrared. Because he jarred her concentration, she had snapped at him to make his own damn coffee. Astounded and angry at her response, he had reminded her of their agreement that neither school nor work would come before their marriage, that she was his wife first, last, and forever, regardless of her ambition. She then had taunted him, telling him maybe he should trade her in for a new model, and in response he had picked her up and carried her over his shoulder into the kitchen. Still holding her, he had made her fill the kettle, all the while instructing her on how to make coffee. Overcome by the silliness of what they were doing, she had stopped pummeling him and then was in his arms, and he was kissing her. She’d murmured that she had to finish her essay, and he’d silenced her, saying he would type it for her. Then they had made love on the kitchen floor while the kettle whistled away….
“Kim? Are you there? I didn’t mean to put you in a mental retreat.”
“Uh, coffee…sure, I’ll put some on. I can brew it—”
“Instant will be fine.”
“No, I’ll, uh, make a pot and join you.”
Her fingers shook as she measured coffee into the CorningWare electric pot. They had to talk, so she could understand him and tell him what had happened to her through the years. They were going to have to decide where they would go from here, what they would do.
She froze with her hand on the plug as the doorbell rang.
Keith! Why hadn’t she called him, explained she was in the middle of a problem? Problem, oh hell, Brian would really love that description of his return, but why was she thinking this when she had better answer the damn door?
She streaked out of the kitchen, but too late. Jake had already answered the clanging summons.
“Hiya, kid.” Keith swept by Jake and caught her in his arms as she charged toward the door, delivering a quick kiss to her lips. “I’ve got a buyer for you, Kim! Isn’t that great! A family man transferred here from Jacksonville! He’s ready to buy the place at your price, sight unseen!”
“Keith.” She tried to struggle from his arms, but he was already releasing her, keeping his hand on her waist. His brown eyes were curiously on the man at the
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