He leaned over with his arms held out and Kate gave him a hug, and a little kiss on the forehead. Thank you, Katie, he's beautiful.
He looks like you.
He swatted her with the bear then and they both laughed.
Want to sit in your hammock? I'll get Mr. Erhard if you want.
No, this is nice. He was already elbow deep in the picnic basket and he stayed that way for the next half hour, with Willie sitting contentedly on his lap.
They rested quietly for a while after lunch, and Kate almost fell asleep in the warm summer air. There was the tiniest breeze ruffling her hair as she lay near Tom's wheelchair, and the baby was finally still for the first time all day. They passed the basket of cherries back and forth, shooting pits at the trees and then laughing.
'One day there will be a whole field of cherry trees here and no one will know why.
We will. Right, Katie?
Right.
His voice was so soft, almost wistful, that she thought he must know. But what was the point of his knowing? It was the one tiling that always stopped her from trying to jolt him into remembering. If he ever returned to what he had been, he would have to stand trial for assault or attempted murder or whatever they decided to call it. He was better off in Mead Home, the way he was, than in a different kind of prison. There was no way to jolt him back anyway. The doctor had explained it to her often enough. But the temptation was always there. Sometimes, just for a second, he sounded so much like himself, like the old Tom, that it was hard to believe the bullet had destroyed as much as the doctors said it had. It had been hard to give up hope, to stop trying.
Katie?
Hm? She looked up at him, a twig of cherries still in her hand; she had forgotten them for a moment.
What were you thinking?
Oh nothing much. Just lying here, feeling lazy.
You look pretty when you think. And then his eyes slid politely to her belly. He was sorry she was so fat, but it didn't matter much. He loved her, no matter what.
Thank you, Tom. She poured him a glass of lemonade, and lay back on the grass. There was a tall tree overhead, shading them from the bright sun, and in the air the wonderful stillness of a summer afternoon. The only thing missing was the squeaking of a screen door, somewhere in the distance, and then the banging of it as a child went in for a glass of cold water. It's pretty here, isn't it? He nodded happily in answer and shot another cherry pit in the direction of the cottage.
I need a slingshot.
My eye you do.
Not to hurt anyone with he looked offended just for things like cherry pits. Or paper clips. You know to shoot at trees. But he was grinning again, the irrepressible, mischievous grin.
How do you even know about those things anyway? They went out of style years ago.
I saw one on TV.
Terrific
Maybe I could make one. But she wasn't listening to him. The baby had just delivered a ferocious kick to her ribs. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and wondered if it was time to call it a day. She still had the long drive home, and it was almost two. She had been there for four hours. It wasn't long, but right now it was about all she could manage. She looked at Tom taking careful aim with another cherry pit. He still had a smudge of chocolate cake on one cheek. She sat up and wiped it off gently, then looked toward the cottage. She had seen Mr. Erhard go inside almost an hour before.
I'm going to go inside for a minute, love. Want anything?
He shook his head happily. Nope.
Mr Erhard was waiting, reading the newspaper and smoking a pipe. It seemed a wintry pastime for such a warm, sunny day.
Ready to go?
I think I'd better.
I'm surprised your doctor even lets you come up here. And then he smiled a fatherly smile. Or don't you ask him?
Well, let's just say we compromise on it.
You know, you really could skip a couple of weeks. I'll keep him busy. He may complain about it when you get back, but he won't notice it while you're gone. It was
He looks like you.
He swatted her with the bear then and they both laughed.
Want to sit in your hammock? I'll get Mr. Erhard if you want.
No, this is nice. He was already elbow deep in the picnic basket and he stayed that way for the next half hour, with Willie sitting contentedly on his lap.
They rested quietly for a while after lunch, and Kate almost fell asleep in the warm summer air. There was the tiniest breeze ruffling her hair as she lay near Tom's wheelchair, and the baby was finally still for the first time all day. They passed the basket of cherries back and forth, shooting pits at the trees and then laughing.
'One day there will be a whole field of cherry trees here and no one will know why.
We will. Right, Katie?
Right.
His voice was so soft, almost wistful, that she thought he must know. But what was the point of his knowing? It was the one tiling that always stopped her from trying to jolt him into remembering. If he ever returned to what he had been, he would have to stand trial for assault or attempted murder or whatever they decided to call it. He was better off in Mead Home, the way he was, than in a different kind of prison. There was no way to jolt him back anyway. The doctor had explained it to her often enough. But the temptation was always there. Sometimes, just for a second, he sounded so much like himself, like the old Tom, that it was hard to believe the bullet had destroyed as much as the doctors said it had. It had been hard to give up hope, to stop trying.
Katie?
Hm? She looked up at him, a twig of cherries still in her hand; she had forgotten them for a moment.
What were you thinking?
Oh nothing much. Just lying here, feeling lazy.
You look pretty when you think. And then his eyes slid politely to her belly. He was sorry she was so fat, but it didn't matter much. He loved her, no matter what.
Thank you, Tom. She poured him a glass of lemonade, and lay back on the grass. There was a tall tree overhead, shading them from the bright sun, and in the air the wonderful stillness of a summer afternoon. The only thing missing was the squeaking of a screen door, somewhere in the distance, and then the banging of it as a child went in for a glass of cold water. It's pretty here, isn't it? He nodded happily in answer and shot another cherry pit in the direction of the cottage.
I need a slingshot.
My eye you do.
Not to hurt anyone with he looked offended just for things like cherry pits. Or paper clips. You know to shoot at trees. But he was grinning again, the irrepressible, mischievous grin.
How do you even know about those things anyway? They went out of style years ago.
I saw one on TV.
Terrific
Maybe I could make one. But she wasn't listening to him. The baby had just delivered a ferocious kick to her ribs. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and wondered if it was time to call it a day. She still had the long drive home, and it was almost two. She had been there for four hours. It wasn't long, but right now it was about all she could manage. She looked at Tom taking careful aim with another cherry pit. He still had a smudge of chocolate cake on one cheek. She sat up and wiped it off gently, then looked toward the cottage. She had seen Mr. Erhard go inside almost an hour before.
I'm going to go inside for a minute, love. Want anything?
He shook his head happily. Nope.
Mr Erhard was waiting, reading the newspaper and smoking a pipe. It seemed a wintry pastime for such a warm, sunny day.
Ready to go?
I think I'd better.
I'm surprised your doctor even lets you come up here. And then he smiled a fatherly smile. Or don't you ask him?
Well, let's just say we compromise on it.
You know, you really could skip a couple of weeks. I'll keep him busy. He may complain about it when you get back, but he won't notice it while you're gone. It was
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