quotes. “He said, ‘Don’t worry, I have lots of paperwork to do.’ I heard honky-tonk in the background.”
Brenda shook her head. There were only two places in town where honky-tonk played in the background: The Stallion Inn and the Starlight Lounge directly across the street from it. He was either drinking or carrying on with his girl of the week.
Brenda and Lacy looked at each other, grinned and simultaneously said, “Pancake night.” Then they burst into another round of laughter.
It wasn’t that either one of them especially loved pancakes. Once, Brenda had been short of time because she got home late from a meeting. She didn’t have time to go to the grocery store, so she fixed pancakes for dinner. This angered Peter, and he screamed about having breakfast for dinner, demanding to know where his damned steak was. That night, the wall wore the pancakes and Brenda’s smile wore a split lip. Now, out of spite, whenever Peter was gone, they ate pancakes for dinner. They had tried to mix-it-up once and had waffles instead, but it wasn’t the same, so they started experimenting with different flavors and add-ins.
“How about banana-blueberry tonight?” Lacy asked.
Brenda grimaced.
Lacy cocked her eyebrows. “It’s my turn to choose.”
Brenda started to argue, but at the look on Lacy’s face, she changed her mind. “You win.” Brenda hugged her daughter. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“I’ll get started on the pancakes.”
Brenda walked into the bathroom and looked at the wall where the mirror had stood only hours before. She dreaded what was likely to happen once Peter saw it. She shuddered and stepped into the warm shower, savoring its cleansing warmth. Her mind wandered to Dr. Petoro and she caught herself smiling. Quickly, she forced the smile away. Although, she couldn’t stop her mind from wondering what it would be like to be kissed by him. She didn’t even try to stop the thought, nor fight the feeling of arousal that came over her as the sponge glided over her body. It had been a long time since she had experienced the joy of lovemaking. For her and Peter, it had become a ritualistic, marital-coupling, forced upon her, even when she didn’t want it. Some would call it submissive rape. Peter called it his right.
In the kitchen, Lacy thawed frozen blueberries under cool water. While they drained, she bent down to get a bowl for the batter.
“What are you doing?”
She whirled around, scattering pots, pans, and mixing bowls onto the floor.
“Jake!” she exclaimed, breath panting, heart racing. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m watching you fumble around the kitchen. You don’t do it often, do you?”
She shook her head. “Dad’s really picky about his food.”
“So, what, you can’t cook?”
“Sure I can, Mom’s been teaching me since I was twelve.” She lowered her head, “I just don’t get that much practice.” She raised her head sharply and stared at Jake. “How did you get in here, anyway?”
He reached over and grabbed a blueberry. “Did you make these?”
She eyed him quizzically. “Of course not, blueberries grow on shrubs.”
“Technically,” he said, “they grow on bushes.”
“Aha!” she said. “You do know about blueberries.”
Jake grinned and popped another into his mouth. “They really are delicious.”
“Do you want to stay and eat with us? I’d love for you to meet my mom.”
“Can’t, I have to run. I just wanted to see how you were doing.”
“But you just got here. I want to introduce you to my mom.”
“Another time,” he said. He walked out the door, leaving her staring at his departing back.
“He is one odd duck,” she said aloud.
“Who is?” Brenda asked as she walked into the kitchen.
“Just a friend. He showed up practically out of nowhere, and then when I asked him to stay, he just left.”
“Where’d you meet this friend?”
“Outside. He was there the day we went to the hospital.” She
Brenda shook her head. There were only two places in town where honky-tonk played in the background: The Stallion Inn and the Starlight Lounge directly across the street from it. He was either drinking or carrying on with his girl of the week.
Brenda and Lacy looked at each other, grinned and simultaneously said, “Pancake night.” Then they burst into another round of laughter.
It wasn’t that either one of them especially loved pancakes. Once, Brenda had been short of time because she got home late from a meeting. She didn’t have time to go to the grocery store, so she fixed pancakes for dinner. This angered Peter, and he screamed about having breakfast for dinner, demanding to know where his damned steak was. That night, the wall wore the pancakes and Brenda’s smile wore a split lip. Now, out of spite, whenever Peter was gone, they ate pancakes for dinner. They had tried to mix-it-up once and had waffles instead, but it wasn’t the same, so they started experimenting with different flavors and add-ins.
“How about banana-blueberry tonight?” Lacy asked.
Brenda grimaced.
Lacy cocked her eyebrows. “It’s my turn to choose.”
Brenda started to argue, but at the look on Lacy’s face, she changed her mind. “You win.” Brenda hugged her daughter. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“I’ll get started on the pancakes.”
Brenda walked into the bathroom and looked at the wall where the mirror had stood only hours before. She dreaded what was likely to happen once Peter saw it. She shuddered and stepped into the warm shower, savoring its cleansing warmth. Her mind wandered to Dr. Petoro and she caught herself smiling. Quickly, she forced the smile away. Although, she couldn’t stop her mind from wondering what it would be like to be kissed by him. She didn’t even try to stop the thought, nor fight the feeling of arousal that came over her as the sponge glided over her body. It had been a long time since she had experienced the joy of lovemaking. For her and Peter, it had become a ritualistic, marital-coupling, forced upon her, even when she didn’t want it. Some would call it submissive rape. Peter called it his right.
In the kitchen, Lacy thawed frozen blueberries under cool water. While they drained, she bent down to get a bowl for the batter.
“What are you doing?”
She whirled around, scattering pots, pans, and mixing bowls onto the floor.
“Jake!” she exclaimed, breath panting, heart racing. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m watching you fumble around the kitchen. You don’t do it often, do you?”
She shook her head. “Dad’s really picky about his food.”
“So, what, you can’t cook?”
“Sure I can, Mom’s been teaching me since I was twelve.” She lowered her head, “I just don’t get that much practice.” She raised her head sharply and stared at Jake. “How did you get in here, anyway?”
He reached over and grabbed a blueberry. “Did you make these?”
She eyed him quizzically. “Of course not, blueberries grow on shrubs.”
“Technically,” he said, “they grow on bushes.”
“Aha!” she said. “You do know about blueberries.”
Jake grinned and popped another into his mouth. “They really are delicious.”
“Do you want to stay and eat with us? I’d love for you to meet my mom.”
“Can’t, I have to run. I just wanted to see how you were doing.”
“But you just got here. I want to introduce you to my mom.”
“Another time,” he said. He walked out the door, leaving her staring at his departing back.
“He is one odd duck,” she said aloud.
“Who is?” Brenda asked as she walked into the kitchen.
“Just a friend. He showed up practically out of nowhere, and then when I asked him to stay, he just left.”
“Where’d you meet this friend?”
“Outside. He was there the day we went to the hospital.” She
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