Page 80 of Resilience on Canvas

“I’ll miss it too. I couldn’t not miss the place where we kinda became... us.”

“Where I practically licked marmalade off of yer face, you mean?”

“Right,” Henry said with a chuckle.

Clara cut in. “It’s time to eat. No marmalade lickin’ permitted, though.”

“Ah, shucks,” Henry teased as he made his way to the table.

Robert nudged him. “I’m sure I could find somethin’ else to lick off you if you want.”

Henry stopped short of pulling out his chair, his mouth falling open in shock. “Goodness, Robert! Clara’s right here!”

Clara covered her mouth in an obvious attempt to try to contain her laughter. After her shoulders stopped shaking, she pointed a finger at Robert as he sat and said, “Don’t be makin’ those kinds of comments in front of the children.”

Robert held up his hands innocently, and Clara only shook her head. She turned to fetch the pot of stew from the stove and called out to the kids to tell them that it was time to eat.

When May and Peter came into the kitchen, they were fighting. Peter was clearly hiding something in one of his closed fists, and May was slapping him on the back as she followed. Thomas trailed behind farther, cackling to himself.

With a roll of his eyes, Robert said, “What the hell are you two fighting ’bout?”

“Peter took my cat’s eye marble!” May whined.

“Nuh-uh, you said I could have it!”

“No, I didn’t!”

“Yes, you did!”

Robert huffed and said, “Hush now! Both of you!” He looked over at Thomas. “Who’s tellin’ the truth?”

“Both of ’em. Kinda.” Thomas shrugged, and Robert leveled a look, urging him to explain. “Well, May was copying everything he was saying, and sohesaid ‘you can have my favorite marble,’ and then May repeated it, and so, Peter took the marble.”

“I was only copyin’ him because they were copyin’ me this mornin!” May said.

Robert closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jesus Christ. Peter, return the Goddamn marble.”

“But shesaidthat I—”

“I know that! I’m still tellin’ you to give it back!” Robert said, finally raising his voice.

Truthfully, Henry was surprised it had even taken him this long. Every single night for the last week, there had been some kind of squabble. Being trapped in the house for hours and hours was probably a nightmare for them kids. In turn, they were making it a nightmare for everyone else. Henry couldn’t blame them, though. They were only kids. And being home was boring as sin. Heck, Henry would know. Homebound boredom was the reason he had purchased his first set of charcoal pencils back in Oklahoma City all them years ago.

“But that’s not fair!” Peter said.

May began working to pry the marble out of Peter’s hands, but Peter tried to keep it from her, turning in a little circle while she clung to his wrist. Finally, Peter pushed her back, and May stumbled before falling backward and knocking into Clara, who let go of the pot of stew, sending it crashing onto the floor. It landed with athunkand splatter, some of the contents exploding over the brim and onto the hardwood (and some of Clara’s skirt too).

Robert stood up and smacked his fist on the table.

“Now look what happened! Supper’s ruined!”

Clara said, “Oh, Robert, it’snot—”

“Get back in your rooms while we figure this out!”

May scrambled to her feet, and all three children rushed toward the hall. Peter handed the marble back to May on the way. Robert started massaging his temples.

“Christ Almighty,” he said with an irritated sigh.

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