Keeping the Tarnished by Bradon Nave Page B

Would he be warm enough? Would he have enough to eat? All these questions which were heavy on her mind, and she had only known this boy for a day. The fact she had grown so fond of him so quickly was somewhat troublesome to the woman. Looking at the boys, carefree and happy, she couldn’t help but imagine Johnny becoming a permanent fixture at the residence, regardless of how crazy it sounded when she said it out loud.
    “Momma, I want juice!” Bryce yelled as she came running into the kitchen. The request startled her mother, who had been in deep thought. Bryce had done exceptionally well at her piano lesson. Her mother had given her quite a bit of praise throughout the day, and it seemed to have fed her ego rather well.
    “Okay, Miss Thing. You need to say please, and perhaps your request will be fulfilled,” Graye replied in a condescending tone.
    “Pretty, pretty, pretty please!” the little girl said with a big smile as she looked up at her mother. Bryce was only four, but Graye knew the little girl understood how to work the system.
    “Okay then. But only because you added that third pretty to your please.” Graye walked to the refrigerator. As she opened it to grab the orange juice, she heard Jared in the living room.
    “Yea, man, I’ll be right out. I think it’s up in my room,” she heard her son say as he ran up the stairs. Bryce dashed off toward the living room.
    “B, don’t bother your brother, he’s busy,” Graye said passively. She returned to the kitchen counter and poured the orange juice in Bryce’s Tinker Bell cup. “B, come get your juice.” As Graye called out, she believed the girl to be upstairs, bothering her brother. Jared was always patient with the little girl, but Graye knew her son didn’t always have the opportunity to simply goof off and be a guy with other guys his age because of their location. She wanted him to be able to enjoy his game in peace. She was also glad he was outside doing something, rather than being stuck in the man cave, playing games. Graye exited the kitchen in pursuit of her daughter. She walked through the living room and up the stairs to Jared’s room.
    “Sweetheart, is Bryce not up here with you?” she asked her son, who was on his belly half way under his bed.
    “Nah, Mom,” the boy replied from under the bed. “Hey, have you seen my air pump?” He asked as he began pushing himself backward from under the bed.
    “Look in your closet,” Graye replied as she left the room. As she began her descent down the stairs, she heard her daughter’s voice on the front porch. Quietly she walked down the remaining stairs and made her way to the screen door, which Jared had left open.
    “So, you don’t have a sister?” Bryce asked Johnny in an innocent voice. The two of them were sitting next to each other on the first step of the porch. Johnny was sweating and out of breath. He was wearing Jared’s old basketball shorts and a black t-shirt. A black t-shirt in this heat seemed absolutely miserable to Graye.
    “Nope. No sister. I got a baby brother, though,” the boy said proudly as he looked at the little girl and smiled.
    “Where is he?” The little girl was quite curious to learn more about this little brother. Johnny remained quiet for a few seconds.
    “Well, that’s the thing, Bryce. I guess I’m not too sure where he is,” Johnny said with a smile. The little girl was obviously very confused.
    “Is he with your momma?” she asked inquisitively.
    “Yes he is. I imagine they’re havin’ a good ol’ time somewhere on the beach,” Johnny said as he looked at the girl again.
    “Johnny, are you gonna stay here forever?” Bryce asked as she grabbed his hand and looked at him in a sweet and loving manner.
    “I’m afraid not, I gotta get a job and all that other fun stuff you do when you grow up. But maybe I can visit you sometime, Bryce.”
    The little girl gave him a disapproving look. “You are not a grown up. Jared doesn’t have a