Page 29 of When I'm Gone
She cut him off, holding up both her hands. “Oh, no! Can’t take credit for any of this. It was Annie. She had everything ready when I got here; all I had to do was set it on the stove at five to warm up.”
So it was Annie. “Hey, you remembered to warm it up, so I’m giving you some credit.” Luke counted out four plates from his fresh stack of paper products and laid them on the table. He paused and looked Jessie over again. “You should stay for dinner. Looks like we’ve got plenty, and after all, you didsomuch work ...”
“Ha-ha. Hilarious.” Jessie flapped a hand at him and twisted her lips up to one side. Natalie used to do something very similar when he teased her. “I actually have a date tonight, so I’ll have to pass.”
“You have a date?” May ran in, breathless from her errand. She almost bumped into Will, who was leaning against the wall, still waiting and listening. “Who is he? Where are you going?” She folded her arms, looking over Jessie with a sour pout on her face. “Are you wearingthat?”
The questions poured out of her mouth without stopping. She was so excited you’d think she was the one invited to meet a boy for dinner. May raised both of her arms above her head to free her hands from the giant sweater’s engulfing sleeves and clasped them in front of her. Jessie shook her head, bangs tickling the top of her eyebrows.
“Yes, I am wearing this,” she answered, smirking defiantly and pulling the bottom of her oversize T-shirt taut so they could better see the logo ofJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.May rushed across the kitchen to stand beside her beloved Jessie, who ran her fingers through May’s tangled hair, each nail painted a different color of the rainbow. “And I’m sorry to disappoint you, but it’s only a date with my dad.”
“Oh,” May huffed, obviously disappointed Jessie wasn’t meeting her Prince Charming. “You need a boyfriend.”
Jessie’s smile stiffened, and she pulled her fingers out from a knot in May’s hair. “It’s not really that easy, honey.”
May shrugged. “I guess, but Jessie, who wouldn’t likeyou?” She gazed up at her babysitter and newly acquired role model. What May couldn’t see was the way Jessie’s eyes were moist, lips pressed together like she was holding back a story.
“You’d be surprised, sweetie.” This time Jessie laughed. “Anyway, Dad is waiting.”
“Don’t go yet!” May yanked at Jessie’s arm. “Can you stay for pizza next week, then? Please? It’s for my birthday.”
“I’m sure Jessie has something more important to do with her Friday nights than spend it eating pizza with us.” Luke placed the steaming pot of drained noodles in the middle of the table and pressed a clawed serving spoon in the center. Will put out paper plates and plastic forks. He was never this helpful. Poor kid must be dying for information.
“Next Friday? Actually, I’m totally free. I could bring ice cream to go with the cake.”
“Ohyes! Thank you, Jessie. We’ll have so much fun.” May yanked at Jessie’s arm for the fifth time. Jessie pulled it away gently, letting the tiniest ripple of irritation wrinkle her forehead.
“It’s fine with me,” Luke said, and added, “if you really want to come.”
“I do,” she reassured them.
Luke watched them together, hiding behind the refrigerator door as he fished out the green container of Parmesan cheese. May flitted around Jessie making detailed plans for the night of her party as Jessie collected her things and pulled out her keys to leave. May didn’t know how to read the “I need to leave now” social cue.
“May, let Jessie go. She’s had a long day,” Luke called out, waving his hand toward the table. “Anyway, it’s time to eat.”
May stomped her foot but then complied after giving Jessie one more quick hug.
“Thanks again, Jessie,” Luke said.
“No problem, Mr. Richardson. You have a nice weekend,” Jessie called over her shoulder as she disappeared into the front hall. She seemed sincere, like she really wanted to spend her free time with his children, like she didn’t mind working to the point of exhaustion. Yet there was still an uncomfortable gnawing in his gut telling him it wasn’t compassion or even the money motivating her, but her obligation to Natalie. What would they do when the obligation wore out and she left them?
CHAPTER 11
After Jessie left, everyone stuffed themselves full of Annie’s special spaghetti sauce. Then Clayton settled on the couch for a show before bedtime, while May took a much needed bath after getting more sauce on her face and clothes than in her stomach.
Still in his dress shirt, somehow spotless even after the messy dinner, Luke rolled up his sleeves to do the few dishes in the sink. He ran the water until steam rolled off the faucet, wanting the water as hot as the heater in the basement could get it. He wanted to focus on the sting of the water, the way his skin screamed and begged him to stop. Pain was better than remembering everything else that happened that day. As he was about to plunge his hands into the bubbly water, Will called to him from the front room.
“Dad! Where did you put the brochure you said you got? Is it in your workbag?” He’d given Will a brief rundown of his Maranatha visit as they cleared the table together. It was a highly edited version of the story, of course, but Luke hoped it’d keep Will’s curiosity at bay for a little while at least. As he heard Will messing with the zipper on his bag, he remembered the new Natalie letter behind the brochure. That would only bring up more questions for the already confused teenager.
“Wait! I’ll get it for you,” Luke shouted, pushing away from the sink. He reached Will barely in time, as the boy was peering into the black laptop bag.
“I’ll find it.”
Luke stuck out his hand.
“Ooooo-kay.” Will held out the bag and Luke grabbed it. Sitting down on the second step, it only took him a few seconds to find the brochure he’d tucked behind the unsorted mail, and right behind that, an unread Natalie letter that had come in the mail the day before.
Luke took the unopened letter out of the bag and nearly bumped into Will when he stood up. Before he could think better of it, he held out the sepia-toned brochure to his son.
