cottage and then inside. He was already gone when Kate turned around.
Your new drawings are so pretty, love. But she wasn't looking at the drawings, she was looking at him. He looked brown and strong and happy. The Tom Sawyer of Mead Home. And then he wheeled right up to her and she quickly bent down and took him in her arms. It was a good, clean, warm hug. That was all he understood now, but it carried with it the strength of everything she felt for him.
You look pretty, Katie. He looked almost embarrassed as he pulled away, and then wheeled his chair quickly to the table. He picked up the jar with the yellow flowers and then wheeled quickly back. I picked these for you. Tears sprang to her eyes as she smiled at him and took the jar. But they were happy pregnant tears, not tears of grief.
They're beautiful. She wanted to hug him again, but she knew she had to wait. It would make him uncomfortable if she overdid it. He would come to her in his own time. Want to go for a walk?
Okay.
She tossed her handbag aside and started to push his chair. It was heavier than she had realized, or maybe she was just exceptionally tired. The baby seemed to weigh a thousand pounds today. But Tom helped her as they got onto the walk. He guided the wheels with his hands, and they quickly found one of the smoother walks.
Want to sit by the lake? He looked back at her and nodded happily, and then he started whistling to himself.
The lake was tiny but pretty, like everything at Mead. Kate had brought him a model sailboat to use on the water, and he went there often. Mr. Erhard said it was one of his favorite things to do. But they had left it at the cottage. Gently, she turned the chair around, and sat down heavily on the grass.
So, what've you been up to all week?
How come you didn't come to see me this week?
Because I was too busy being fat. There was still this foolish compulsion to talk to him about it, as though she could jog his memory, as though he would understand that the baby was his, or even that there was a baby at all.
I bet it's hard to run. He said it with a broad grin and a barely suppressed chuckle that made her laugh too. She reached for his hand, and the dear sound of her laughter rang out over the small lake.
It sure is. I look like an old mother hen waddling along. He laughed too then, and kept hold of her hand. They sat smiling for a long time and then he grew serious.
How come I can't come home with you, Katie? I can do the chair myself. Or maybe we could take Mr. Erhard. Huh? That again. Dammit.
Kate slowly shook her head, but continued to hold his big hand in hers. Don't you like it here, Torn?
I want to go home with you. He looked so wistful that she had to swallow the tears in her throat. She couldn't discuss that with him. Not again. He didn't understand. He made her feel as if she were abandoning him.
That would be kind of hard to do right now. Why don't we just leave it like this for a while, and then we can talk about it another time?
You won't let me then either. I promise I'll be good. There were tears in his eyes now, and all she could do was rise to her knees on the grass and put her arms around him to hold him close.
You are good, and I love you. And I promise, darling, if it's possible at all, one day I'll take you home. There was a long sad silence, as they both held tightly to their own thoughts, worlds away from each other and yet never closer. And in the meantime, I'll visit and we'll play, and Mr. Erhard will take good care of you, and ' It was impossible to go on as she choked back the tears. But Tom had already lost the thread of the conversation.
Okay. Oh, look! Excitedly, he pointed upward and she leaned back to look into the sun, wiping the dampness from her eyes. Isn't he pretty? I forget what you call it, Mr. Erhard told me yesterday. It was a blue and green bird with a yellow tail and shimmering wings. Kate smiled slowly at Tom and sat down on the grass again.
I brought you a
Your new drawings are so pretty, love. But she wasn't looking at the drawings, she was looking at him. He looked brown and strong and happy. The Tom Sawyer of Mead Home. And then he wheeled right up to her and she quickly bent down and took him in her arms. It was a good, clean, warm hug. That was all he understood now, but it carried with it the strength of everything she felt for him.
You look pretty, Katie. He looked almost embarrassed as he pulled away, and then wheeled his chair quickly to the table. He picked up the jar with the yellow flowers and then wheeled quickly back. I picked these for you. Tears sprang to her eyes as she smiled at him and took the jar. But they were happy pregnant tears, not tears of grief.
They're beautiful. She wanted to hug him again, but she knew she had to wait. It would make him uncomfortable if she overdid it. He would come to her in his own time. Want to go for a walk?
Okay.
She tossed her handbag aside and started to push his chair. It was heavier than she had realized, or maybe she was just exceptionally tired. The baby seemed to weigh a thousand pounds today. But Tom helped her as they got onto the walk. He guided the wheels with his hands, and they quickly found one of the smoother walks.
Want to sit by the lake? He looked back at her and nodded happily, and then he started whistling to himself.
The lake was tiny but pretty, like everything at Mead. Kate had brought him a model sailboat to use on the water, and he went there often. Mr. Erhard said it was one of his favorite things to do. But they had left it at the cottage. Gently, she turned the chair around, and sat down heavily on the grass.
So, what've you been up to all week?
How come you didn't come to see me this week?
Because I was too busy being fat. There was still this foolish compulsion to talk to him about it, as though she could jog his memory, as though he would understand that the baby was his, or even that there was a baby at all.
I bet it's hard to run. He said it with a broad grin and a barely suppressed chuckle that made her laugh too. She reached for his hand, and the dear sound of her laughter rang out over the small lake.
It sure is. I look like an old mother hen waddling along. He laughed too then, and kept hold of her hand. They sat smiling for a long time and then he grew serious.
How come I can't come home with you, Katie? I can do the chair myself. Or maybe we could take Mr. Erhard. Huh? That again. Dammit.
Kate slowly shook her head, but continued to hold his big hand in hers. Don't you like it here, Torn?
I want to go home with you. He looked so wistful that she had to swallow the tears in her throat. She couldn't discuss that with him. Not again. He didn't understand. He made her feel as if she were abandoning him.
That would be kind of hard to do right now. Why don't we just leave it like this for a while, and then we can talk about it another time?
You won't let me then either. I promise I'll be good. There were tears in his eyes now, and all she could do was rise to her knees on the grass and put her arms around him to hold him close.
You are good, and I love you. And I promise, darling, if it's possible at all, one day I'll take you home. There was a long sad silence, as they both held tightly to their own thoughts, worlds away from each other and yet never closer. And in the meantime, I'll visit and we'll play, and Mr. Erhard will take good care of you, and ' It was impossible to go on as she choked back the tears. But Tom had already lost the thread of the conversation.
Okay. Oh, look! Excitedly, he pointed upward and she leaned back to look into the sun, wiping the dampness from her eyes. Isn't he pretty? I forget what you call it, Mr. Erhard told me yesterday. It was a blue and green bird with a yellow tail and shimmering wings. Kate smiled slowly at Tom and sat down on the grass again.
I brought you a
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