Page 10 of Resilience on Canvas

“Yeah, I feel a little sorry for him, too,” Robert said, reaching out to stroke the bunny’s fur. And then the kids copied him, keeping their movements slow and their touches light.

“Can we take him home?” May asked.

“Nah, we can’t. It might hurt him more to move him. Ain’t like we can fix him, neither,” Robert said. “But, well, maybe we can stay here with him ’til he passes.”

Minutes ticked by. How long, Robert wasn’t sure, but it felt like a long while. Finally, the bunny’s breathing stopped.

“Bye-bye, little bunny,” Thomas choked out.

May turned and buried her face in the crook of Robert’s neck.

“Let’s keep goin’,” Robert said, hoisting her up.

Balancing May on his hip, Robert tousled Peter’s and Thomas’s hair with his free hand, hoping to remind them that he was there for them, too, even if he couldn’t carry them the same way. And then they left for home.

***

About an hour later, Robert was cutting up some carrots for marmalade when he heard the faint rumbling of a car’s muffler coming down the driveway toward the house. After wiping his hands on his pant legs, Robert turned to the window to see who it was. Clara exited the car, and Robert could see Henry in the driver’s seat. It seemed like Henry had brought her home. Which probably meant that everything was fine between the two of them. Thank God.

Robert resumed chopping the vegetables. After another minute, Clara came into the house, but instead of saying hello, she simply pulled out one of the chairs from the table and sat. Arching an eyebrow, Robert looked over his shoulder.

“Everything good?” he asked.

“Well . . . not really. Not with the weddin’.”

Robert set the knife on the counter and turned around. “What happened?”

“I was right. Henry won’t marry me. But I’m not mad. It’s, uhm, it’s better this way.”

“Better this way?! Don’t talk like that.” Robert huffed. “I ought to smash his face in.”

“Don’t,” Clara begged. “It’s fine. Really.”

“Why won’t he marry you?”

“I...” Clara trailed off, and her cheeks turned pink.

“Does he think yer not good enough for him?” Robert said, the volume of his voice rising. “I’ll teach him to—”

“It ain’t that. I swear. It’s somethin’ else.”

“Somethin’ or someone?” Robert curled his hands into fists. “What, did he meet someone else in the store? Some woman who has no respect for who was promised to who?”

Clara stood and came over to him. Robert’s muscles tensed. She tried to take his hand, but he pulled back.

“Robert, IswearHenry never meant to hurt me. He never found no one else either.”

“Well, still, I—”

“Leave it,” Clara said, urgency in her voice. “Please.”

Despite the fact that Robert could tell how badly Clara wanted him to leave this whole thing behind them, he couldn’t fight the fury that was coursing through his veins. Hehadto fix this. Clenching and unclenching his fists a few times, Robert shrugged off Clara’s hand and started toward the door.

“I can’t leave it,” he said, his voice shaking slightly. “I’ll be back for supper.”

When Robert reached for the handle, Clara criedout, “Oh, Robert, no!”

Robert whirled to face her. “Clara, I will beat some sense into that fool if it’s the last Goddamn thing I do,” he snapped. “And you won’t be changin’ my mind, neither.”

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