This is the second in an anticipated 3 or 4 part series, resubmitted at the request of MMSA Stories. I appreciate all the comments I have received; feedback, story suggestions, or suggestions for the continuation of this story are always more then welcome! Enjoy!
"Over
here guys," Mrs. Fields called, from the table where she was sitting.
As Chris and his young charge approached, she continued, "Did you
have any problems?"
"Nope, Jasen and I had a good talk; he was
a trooper."
Slipping his hand from Chris', the child slid closer
to his mom and looked up at her. In his high quavering voice he said,
"I'm sorry for being bad momma, I won't do it again. I love you."
Who could resist forgiving that earnest little face- open and honest-
knowing that everything would be okay at a word from his mother?
"I
love you too Jay," his mama said as she bent down and hugged him tight.
"Do you want to run over to the arcade for a bit, while I see if Mr.
Thomas wants to grab a coffee with me?"
Buoyed by this indication
of forgiveness, and by a boy's love for video games, Jasen was quick
to take the proffered money and trot over to the nearby arcade. The
young woman, apparently deep in thought, began walking to the coffee
shop, and Chris joined her. Taking his cue from her silence, the two
of them didn't speak until they had both ordered their drinks and
sat down.
"I'd like to thank you once again for helping me
with Jasen, and for the apology he offered," Amy said, breaking the
uneasy silence.
"Not at all, I was glad to help out." Chris took
a sip from his cappuccino and then continued, "The apology was his
idea, though- I didn't mention it to him."
"Oh? That doesn't surprise
me actually, he's usually a polite child," Amy said with a smile.
With the mood lightened, the discussion turned to the subjects
natural to chit- chatting adults: their jobs and lives. Chris revealed
that he was just out of the military, and had taken a job as a freelance
reporter and editorialist with the local paper. In turn Amy disclosed
she was a nurse, who had moved here with her husband a couple years
ago. He had been a policeman, and had been killed shortly after the
move when he was struck by a drunk driver. Left behind were his wife
and three boys, aged 6 to 11. She explained how hard she found it
trying to balance a new job and the demands of mothering; money was
a little tight, but she hired a sitter when she could so she could
spend a little personal mother-son time with each of her boys. In
that vein Amy and Jasen had just seen the newest Disney film, shortly
before Chris met them. About this time the rascal in question appeared
by their table, and duly informed them that he was out of money. When
no more was offered, he squeezed onto his mama's lap and regaled the
adults with stories of his video game prowess as they finished their
drinks.
"I've really enjoyed meeting you, but I am afraid
we need to hurry and get home, so the baby-sitter can go."
"I
understand, I probably need to head on myself and see if I can scrounge
up some dinner. I must say I am really glad to have met you and Jasen,
you're the first people I have had a chance to get to know outside
of work- I don't even know any of my neighbors yet!" Chris said, as
they got up from the table.
"Who does?" Mrs. Fields said with
a laugh.
"Can I walk you out to your car?" Chris was in no hurry
to head back to his empty apartment, especially when he could enjoy
the conversation of an intelligent woman and steal glances at her
brown haired boy, who was trying to patiently wait out this grown-up
discussion- very clearly trying.
"Ummm, actually we're going to
grab a bus. My car was too much trouble to maintain, and with public
transportation available here, I didn't see a need to try. In fact,
we had better hurry if we are going to catch the evening run."
"You
know, I could give you a lift- I'm heading that way anyway," Chris
said, having learned where the family lived during their coffee conversation.
As this was acceptable to all parties, they walked out and piled into
Chris' pickup, Jasen squeezed between the grown-ups.
When
they pulled up in front of a small rancher, mother and son got out.
"Bye Mr. Thomas," Jasen piped up as he slid out.
"Cya buddy."
The boy's mother waved goodbye to Chris, but as he prepared to pull
away she stepped up to the window again.
"I hate to let you go
back to eat alone, after you took the time to drive us over. Would
you be up for grabbing a plate of spaghetti with me and the boys?"
Not about to miss this chance, the man readily agreed. The two adults
walked into the house to a scene of utter chaos.
Toys and
dishes scattered across the living room, the TV blaring, and a teenage
girl talking on the phone, oblivious to the new arrivals. The girl
quickly hung up the phone after her employer turned off the television.
Repeating to her babysitter what appeared to be an old lecture about
cleaning and phone use, Mrs. Fields paid her and sent her scuttling
out the door.
"Sorry for the mess, Chris. Why don't you sit on
the couch while I get things straightened up and dinner started?"
Chris wasn't quite sure what to do. Jasen had apparently disappeared,
and his brothers were no where in sight. He picked up the room a little
bit, then settled down to flip through a magazine from the coffee
table. Before he had read more then a paragraph, however, he felt
the couch shake as someone sat down. Putting down his magazine, Chris
found that Jasen's little brother had appeared.
"Hi."
"Hi,"
squeaked back the boy distractedly, as he picked up the remote and
began flipping through channels. The child was, in a word, beautiful.
Chris estimated he weighed maybe fifty pounds and would stand about
a meter tall; this was just a guess, however, as the child was sitting
Indian style on the couch. The golden highlights in his dark brown
hair and his bronzed tan, almost olive colored, seemed to indicate
the tiny fellow's love of playing outside. He had light pink lips
and chipmunk cheeks, which dimpled as the boy smiled at his cartoon.
Given his size, coloring, and his delicate boyish features, Chris
toyed with the idea that it was an elf who had settled in beside him.
This confusion was laid to rest as the TV began blaring commercials.
"Bet you can't guess how old I am," the child said suddenly, turning
his attention on Chris.
"Hmmm, ten?"
"Uh-uh, guess again!"
"Oh, I know- you must be Jasen's eleven year old brother," Chris
said playfully, and was rewarded with a charming smile from the tyke.
"No! That's Andy- I'm Tyler. I'm seven... well, almost. My birthday
is next week!"
"Cool buddy, does your mom have a party planned?"
"Yup, I'm going to have a regular party and then a sleep-over.
What's your name?" Tyler continued, with the abruptness of youth.
"I'm
Chris. I met your mom and brother at the mall."
"'Kay," the boy
said. "Hey! You wanna play 'Go Fish'?" Without waiting for a response
he raced out of the room and seconds later returned with a deck of
cards. Tyler solemnly explained the rules as settled across the couch
from the stranger and dealt the cards. Soon a spirited game was underway,
interrupted when Amy walked in and laid a hand on her small son's
shoulder.
"Dinner sure smells good, Amy," Chris greeted her.
"Thanks,
it's almost ready. Can you go wash up and get your brothers, Tyler?"
The adults, Jasen, and Tyler were all sitting around the
table before Chris got his first look at the oldest boy, Andy. His
younger brothers had made something of an effort to look nice, with
faces scrubbed and hair slicked back, but Andy was clearly dressed
to unimpress. He shuffled up to the table in his dirty white T-shirt
and ragged jean shorts, and plopped down in his chair. The oldest
boy had brown hair like the rest of his family, but in its uncombed
state it appeared spiky, giving one the fleeting impression that a
large brown hedgehog had settled on his head. His face was delicately
boned, with a light scattering of freckles across his tanned cheeks.
In short Andy looked a handsome, all- American boy despite his unkempt
appearance. Chris' scrutiny of the lad was broken abruptly when the
child locked his brown eyes upon the admiring adult's, and returned
the man's gaze with one of angry resentment.
With the full crowd
at the table, Amy began dishing out servings for the boys.
"Andy,
this is Chris Thomas. Jasen and I met him at the mall," Amy said,
after leading them in saying grace.
"Hi Andy, nice to meet you."
"It's Andrew- Andy is for my friends," the child said sourly,
not bothering to look up from his plate.
Speaking up into the
awkward silence following this snub, Jasen began telling the table
about the movie he had seen earlier that day- starting off slowly
and picking up speed as he noticed Chris' interest. The youngster
obviously enjoyed being the center of attention; Amy had to speak
up a few times to temper his excitement as Jasen began illustrating
key scenes with his hands. The storyteller seemed eager to win Chris'
approval; when the narrative had wound down and Jasen won a smile
and compliment from the man seated beside him, he positively beamed.
"Is
that where you met Mr. Thomas, in the movies?" Tyler asked, turning
to his mother.
"Well actually, your brother was acting up after
the movie. Chris came over to help me- I had to ask him to spank Jasen."
"Really?" the tyke asked, turning his big brown eyes on his brother.
Jasen looked down unhappily, until Chris reached over and tousled
his hair. At this the kid glanced up at the man beside him, and smiled.
"Yah, but we're okay now- right Chris?"
"Of course, buddy,"
he replied. He rubbed the child's back briskly, then patted the boy's
slim fleshy thigh. Following this Chris took the conversational lead,
and delighted the family with some funny stories from his career in
the military. Pretty soon the table was laughing- everyone but Andrew,
that is. The oldest boy would begin to crack a smile now and again,
but would ruthlessly suppress any sign of enjoyment as soon as he
realized it was there. Almost an hour passed before the boys began
to get fidgety.
"If you guys are done, why don't you clear the
table for me."
As the boys went about their work- the youngest
two chattering away- the adults continued discussing all the minutiae
of grown-up conversations. He didn't know what it was, maybe their
closeness in age, or being new to the area and welcomed so graciously,
but Chris really felt close this young woman. They conversed freely,
and as the adults carried their conversation to the living room, Chris
found himself talking to her like an old friend. The sounds of clattering
dishes attested to the washing going on in the kitchen, and as the
noise died down a young voice called,
"Mom, we're done. Can we
go swimming now?"
"No dear, it's too late. I need you guys to
go and get dressed for bed."
"Swimming?" Chris asked, and Amy
responded.
"One of the reasons we picked this house was for the
swimming pool out back. The boys love to swim, so it works out well."
"That figures, they're brown as nuts." He paused a second, then
went on, "I've been wondering, did I say something wrong to Andrew?
At dinner he seemed a little more... withdrawn then the other two."
Amy sighed, and after a moment's reflection responded. "Ever since
his dad died, Andy hasn't been the same. He used to be a happy, expressive
kid, but lately he's been so moody. I've tried talking to him, but...
anyways don't worry, it was nothing you said or did."
This line
of conversation engendered an uncomfortable silence, and Chris decided
that maybe it was time for him to be going. He was just about to say
something to that effect when the patter of feet caused him to turn
his head.
Into the room burst Tyler, followed by Jasen,
both of whom were dressed (or perhaps undressed) for bed. Tyler, who
led the way, was as naked as the day he was born. Sans clothes, the
boy looked even more elfin then Chris had first thought. From his
undeveloped chest to his spindly arms and legs, Tyler looked as though
a strong breeze might break him in half. The child's tan did not end
at his face, but was evident across the lad's entire body. When Tyler
plopped belly- down on the rug facing the TV, Chris was treated to
the sight of the boy's fanny. He was surprised to note that Tyler's
bottom- which although tiny was rather plump, not at all like the
rest of his body- was lightly suntanned. He was just pondering the
significance of a small bruise on one of the apple sized cheeks when
the man's attention was distracted by Jasen. He was wearing a pair
of cotton pajama shorts, decorated with Pokemon characters. As those
shorts were perhaps a size too small, an observant person might have
noted the child's innie bellybutton just peeking out over the waistband,
set in the flat stomach characteristic of his age. The older child
squeezed past his mom, grabbed the remote control from the table and
a blanket from the back of the couch, and settled down Indian- style
between the two adults on the sofa. Jasen began looking through the
channels for a show to watch, with the input of Tyler and Amy; Chris
contented himself with looking at the boys instead. They settled on
a movie, and Amy consented to allow the boys to stay up past their
bedtime to watch it.
"Andy! We're watching a movie, wanna join
us?" Amy yelled down the hall. No answer.
As the movie progressed,
the children got sleepier and sleepier. About an hour into it, Tyler
went to sit splay- legged in his mama's lap. Jasen, a few minutes
later, slid over to lean up against Chris. He looked up at Chris as
if asking permission, and when Chris smiled down at him the tyke smiled
back sleepily before returning his attention to the screen. Chris'
attention, however, was more on the boy beside him. After a few minutes,
he daringly reached out and tugged Jasen in closer to him, seemingly
absent-mindedly rubbing the lad's bare shoulder. The boy snuggled
up to the man for warmth, and for the next thirty minutes Chris watched
as Jasen's eyes got droopier and droopier until finally the child
drifted off to sleep. The slow rise and fall of the lad's chest, the
gentle weight of his head leaning against Chris' side, filled the
man with a paternal love for the chap so trustingly dreaming beside
him. Glancing over towards Amy, he saw that the little fellow in her
lap was also dead to the world. She looked up, and their eyes met-
they smiled, as two people do when they share a secret.
"Look's
like it's bedtime for these two," Amy whispered, as she turned off
the TV. With some effort she shifted Tyler around so that he was facing
her, and stood up with him.
"Ugh, he's almost too big for me to
carry anymore. Should we wake Jasen up, or do you want to grab him?"
Chris whispered back that he would get him, so Amy started heading
down the hallway with her charge. When he slid the blanket off the
boy, Jasen tensed against the sudden cold and murmured sleepily.
"Shhh,
I've got you."
Lifting the lad under his arms, Chris pulled the
boy against his chest. Jasen wrapped his arms around Chris' neck,
and pillowed his head on the broad, waiting shoulder. Chris settled
the Jasen a little more firmly against him by wrapping one arm around
the child's bare back and placing the other under the boy's bottom-
still covered by his thin cotton shorts. He walked slowly as he carried
the small child down the hall, delighting in the warm mist of Jasen's
breaths against his neck.
The boys' bedroom was a mess.
From the light of the hall Chris could see little cars and blocks
scattered in the center of the room, the remnants of some forgotten
game the kids had been playing. The bookshelf against the wall did
not, of course, contain books, but rather a collection of games and
puzzles in boxes which were falling to pieces. The rug in one corner
of the room was not visible, covered by a hodgepodge of toy parts,
sporting equipment, and other sundry items. In short, it was all one
would expect of a room shared by two small boys. The lower of the
bunk beds was just now being filled by Amy. As neither of the beds
had been made, she had no trouble pushing back the covers and depositing
Tyler onto the mattress. Chris got one last look at the naked youngster
before his mom finished adjusting his head on the pillow, then tucking
him in under the covers. Turning to see Chris waiting, she motioned
him over.
"If you lift him up, I'll get the covers."
Chris
nodded an assent to Amy's whisper, and lifted Jasen tenderly onto
the top bunk, where the boy promptly rolled over and curled up. Half
of one of the youngster's plump cheeks was visible, where his shorts
had ridden up from being carried. His bottom appeared to have returned
to its normal color, that which it had been before the day's earlier
spanking. Although he would have loved to massage that innocently
exposed flesh, Chris instead consented himself with a quick caress
of the lad's back as he freed the sheet from where Jasen had rolled
over it. Amy came around to pull up the blankets, kissing the boy's
cherubic face before gesturing her visitor to follow her out the room.
"It's been great having you over, Chris," Amy said, as
the two walked towards the front door. She continued with a smile,
saying, "I think the boys really liked having a guy around the house
for once."
"Thanks, I had a great time too. Your spaghetti was
delicious, and you have some really nice kids."
"Yeah, I think
I'll keep 'em," she said laughingly. "Listen- Tyler is having his
birthday party next weekend, I was wondering if you wanted to come?
I have to be on call at the hospital, but I don't expect they'll need
me. Still, I was going to ask another parent to be here in case I
have to go, but if you're interested...?"
Chris contained a sudden
surge of excitement as he replied, "Sounds like fun, what time?"
"Around
seven or so would be great; I'm going to need some backup for the
sleepover party."
The two adults discussed the minutia of the
party for a couple minutes. At last, Chris said his goodbyes and headed
out the door. As he got into his pickup and drove off, Chris had only
one thought on his mind: Only five days before he'd see them all again!