“You’re eyebrows look very…chic.”
“Thanks and check out my nails,” I said, holding out my hands.
“Very nice,” she replied lifting them up.
I sunk into the over-sized couch next to her favorite chair. “So, school’s closed. That’s a first.”
“Yes, it’s on the news. All of the schools have been shut down temporarily, due to the flu.” She stretched her arms and stood up. “Are you hungry? I could make you a sandwich.”
“Yes, I’m starving! Thanks mom.”
I got up and followed her into the kitchen where she began making me a tuna and pickle sandwich. I washed my hands and sat down.
Just then my dad walked into the kitchen.
“Hello ladies,” he said, kissing us both on the cheek.
“Hi dad,” I said.
My mom smiled. “Hi honey, how was your day?”
He gave us a despairing look and sat down by the counter. “It was a complete waste of time, with absolutely no customers. It’s almost the end of the month and they still expect us to move cars. Everyone has the flu. How do I overcome that obstacle?”
“I’m sorry,” said my mom as she moved behind him and began rubbing his shoulders.
He closed his eyes and smiled. “Thanks, that feels good.”
“Maybe business will pick up tomorrow?” asked my mom.
“Doubtful. Damn, I just need to find a new job.”
My mom and I both looked at each other but didn’t say anything.
He grabbed my mom and hugged her. “Can we switch jobs for a day? Let me corral the daycare kids and you can sell cars. Come on hon.”
My mom smiled sympathetically. “You wouldn’t survive a day.”
“I could put them in kennels? Lock them up and feed them when they get hungry,” he said smiling.
“Very funny,” my mom answered.
My cell phone began to ring. It was Bryce! I’d forgotten to call him back.
“I’m sorry!” I answered into the phone.
My parents stared curiously as I hurried out of the kitchen.
“You should be. I was getting worried about you,” Bryce said sternly.
I smiled with pleasure. Bryce was actually worried about me.
“I made it. I survived,” I said.
He chuckled. “So, did you notice the roads? How deserted they were? I thought maybe I was in one of those old episodes of the Twilight Zone or something. It was really weird.”
“It was totally odd. This flu virus must be really getting out of control,” I said.
“Tell me about it. My mother is so sick, I don’t know how she’s going to care for my brother tomorrow,” he muttered.
“I didn’t know you had a brother. How old is he?”
“Bobby? He’s six.”
“Well, my mother runs a daycare. She might be willing to watch him until your mom gets better.”
I could almost see the smile spreading across his face. “Wow, really? I have to work tomorrow, otherwise I’d just stay home with him,” he paused. “I work for a construction company and we have this major deadline coming up. My boss already called me tonight to make sure I was still coming in. Most of the guys on this job are sick and he’s frantic.”
“If you promise to be nice to me, I might ask her to watch him.”
Bryce laughed wickedly. “Really? Well, I can be extremely nice if it gets me what I want.”
I groaned. “You’re such a… man.”
“You didn’t notice before?”
“Believe me… everyone notices.”
“Well, I wouldn’t know about that.”
“Do you have a girlfriend?” I blurted. I’m not sure where it came from but I was dying to know.
He paused then said, “No, not at the moment.”
I was glad he couldn’t see my face, because it was burning. I couldn’t believe I’d asked him like that, out of the blue. Like a little school girl.
“You still there?” he asked softly.
I took a deep breath, “Um…yeah. So…you’re brother, does he have any allergies?”
“No… but I suppose I should mention that he has Down Syndrome. He’s a great kid; really friendly and gets along with everyone. But, obviously he needs special attention
“Thanks and check out my nails,” I said, holding out my hands.
“Very nice,” she replied lifting them up.
I sunk into the over-sized couch next to her favorite chair. “So, school’s closed. That’s a first.”
“Yes, it’s on the news. All of the schools have been shut down temporarily, due to the flu.” She stretched her arms and stood up. “Are you hungry? I could make you a sandwich.”
“Yes, I’m starving! Thanks mom.”
I got up and followed her into the kitchen where she began making me a tuna and pickle sandwich. I washed my hands and sat down.
Just then my dad walked into the kitchen.
“Hello ladies,” he said, kissing us both on the cheek.
“Hi dad,” I said.
My mom smiled. “Hi honey, how was your day?”
He gave us a despairing look and sat down by the counter. “It was a complete waste of time, with absolutely no customers. It’s almost the end of the month and they still expect us to move cars. Everyone has the flu. How do I overcome that obstacle?”
“I’m sorry,” said my mom as she moved behind him and began rubbing his shoulders.
He closed his eyes and smiled. “Thanks, that feels good.”
“Maybe business will pick up tomorrow?” asked my mom.
“Doubtful. Damn, I just need to find a new job.”
My mom and I both looked at each other but didn’t say anything.
He grabbed my mom and hugged her. “Can we switch jobs for a day? Let me corral the daycare kids and you can sell cars. Come on hon.”
My mom smiled sympathetically. “You wouldn’t survive a day.”
“I could put them in kennels? Lock them up and feed them when they get hungry,” he said smiling.
“Very funny,” my mom answered.
My cell phone began to ring. It was Bryce! I’d forgotten to call him back.
“I’m sorry!” I answered into the phone.
My parents stared curiously as I hurried out of the kitchen.
“You should be. I was getting worried about you,” Bryce said sternly.
I smiled with pleasure. Bryce was actually worried about me.
“I made it. I survived,” I said.
He chuckled. “So, did you notice the roads? How deserted they were? I thought maybe I was in one of those old episodes of the Twilight Zone or something. It was really weird.”
“It was totally odd. This flu virus must be really getting out of control,” I said.
“Tell me about it. My mother is so sick, I don’t know how she’s going to care for my brother tomorrow,” he muttered.
“I didn’t know you had a brother. How old is he?”
“Bobby? He’s six.”
“Well, my mother runs a daycare. She might be willing to watch him until your mom gets better.”
I could almost see the smile spreading across his face. “Wow, really? I have to work tomorrow, otherwise I’d just stay home with him,” he paused. “I work for a construction company and we have this major deadline coming up. My boss already called me tonight to make sure I was still coming in. Most of the guys on this job are sick and he’s frantic.”
“If you promise to be nice to me, I might ask her to watch him.”
Bryce laughed wickedly. “Really? Well, I can be extremely nice if it gets me what I want.”
I groaned. “You’re such a… man.”
“You didn’t notice before?”
“Believe me… everyone notices.”
“Well, I wouldn’t know about that.”
“Do you have a girlfriend?” I blurted. I’m not sure where it came from but I was dying to know.
He paused then said, “No, not at the moment.”
I was glad he couldn’t see my face, because it was burning. I couldn’t believe I’d asked him like that, out of the blue. Like a little school girl.
“You still there?” he asked softly.
I took a deep breath, “Um…yeah. So…you’re brother, does he have any allergies?”
“No… but I suppose I should mention that he has Down Syndrome. He’s a great kid; really friendly and gets along with everyone. But, obviously he needs special attention
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