before it finally settled on a number.
“That’s it. Five and one half pounds in three weeks. High Five!” he called, and Jeff raised a jubilant hand to smack his—hard.
Jeff stepped off the scale, grabbed his jacket and pulled out the working papers and a pen. “Now pay up,” he said, shoving them toward Richard.
He had already read them, so putting his John Hancock on the dotted line was a no-brainer. Yet, he felt a twinge of sadness. He’d enjoyed the times the kid had come to the hospital to be weighed. Afterwards, they’d usually gone to the cafeteria where Richard had downed a cup of hospital swill and the kid ate a fruit cup. Healthy food, as he pointed out to Richard. Now those times would come to an end.
Richard carefully folded the papers and put them back in the envelope. Jeff made a grab for them but Richard pulled them out of his reach. “Before you take on a job, we have to have an understanding. Schoolwork comes first. Your grades drop, and the job is history.”
“I can handle it.”
“There’s one more condition: now that you’ve gained the weight, you have to keep it on. Lose even half a pound, and I revoke those papers.”
“That’s not fair. You didn’t mention these conditions when we first made the deal.”
“Yeah, but it’s my signature on those papers, and on the guardianship papers that say I’m responsible for you. You want to be a grownup so bad, you have to live by grownup rules. Are we clear on this?”
Jeff frowned, his gaze fixed on the envelope still in Richard’s hand. “I guess.”
Richard handed the kid the envelope, then offered his hand.
Jeff looked at Richard’s hand, for long seconds. Then, finally, they shook on it. He quickly pulled his hand back. “Curtis is waiting for me. Mr. Miller has held the job for me. I want to start right away.”
“How are you going to get there on a regular basis? That car wash is a couple of miles from the house.” He could no longer refer to it as his home.
“Jim Ruggeri sold me his old ten-speed for twenty bucks. I can ride that to my job, and to school. I won’t need to depend on anybody anymore.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want? People do care about you, you know.”
“Curtis cares about me,” Jeff corrected him.
“I care about you, too. And you may not think so, but we have a lot in common. Neither of us had happy childhoods, and I’m sorry I haven’t made what’s left of yours better.”
“I’m not a child.”
“Neither of us knows how to let people love us, or knows how to really love anybody. We need to learn that it’s okay to lean on other people—and on each other.”
“After today, I won’t need to lean on anybody ever again.”
“I hope you won’t have to eat those words one day. And I am here for you. You just have to let me in.”
“Curtis is waiting for me,” Jeff said, and turned.
“You’re going to have to weigh in again next week,” Richard called after him.
“There’s a scale at the house,” Jeff called over his shoulder, and then he was gone.
Richard stared after him for a long few moments, feeling like he’d lost an opportunity—a huge opportunity—to do something right.
And he had a feeling he’d regret it for the rest of his life.
***
THE TURNING POINT
Bittersweet. There was no better word to describe the nearly perfect weekend Richard Alpert had just experienced. The best skiing, the best food and drink, and the best sex ever.
Pediatric nurse Cathy Garner had been more than just a casual friend these past six months, but she’d made it clear from day one that her days in Buffalo were numbered. Her job search had taken her to several different cities. She was determined to help children with a poor shot at life and had accepted a position at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
“Better weather, better opportunity, better life,” she’d described it. He’d understood. Though sad to see her go, he couldn’t help
“That’s it. Five and one half pounds in three weeks. High Five!” he called, and Jeff raised a jubilant hand to smack his—hard.
Jeff stepped off the scale, grabbed his jacket and pulled out the working papers and a pen. “Now pay up,” he said, shoving them toward Richard.
He had already read them, so putting his John Hancock on the dotted line was a no-brainer. Yet, he felt a twinge of sadness. He’d enjoyed the times the kid had come to the hospital to be weighed. Afterwards, they’d usually gone to the cafeteria where Richard had downed a cup of hospital swill and the kid ate a fruit cup. Healthy food, as he pointed out to Richard. Now those times would come to an end.
Richard carefully folded the papers and put them back in the envelope. Jeff made a grab for them but Richard pulled them out of his reach. “Before you take on a job, we have to have an understanding. Schoolwork comes first. Your grades drop, and the job is history.”
“I can handle it.”
“There’s one more condition: now that you’ve gained the weight, you have to keep it on. Lose even half a pound, and I revoke those papers.”
“That’s not fair. You didn’t mention these conditions when we first made the deal.”
“Yeah, but it’s my signature on those papers, and on the guardianship papers that say I’m responsible for you. You want to be a grownup so bad, you have to live by grownup rules. Are we clear on this?”
Jeff frowned, his gaze fixed on the envelope still in Richard’s hand. “I guess.”
Richard handed the kid the envelope, then offered his hand.
Jeff looked at Richard’s hand, for long seconds. Then, finally, they shook on it. He quickly pulled his hand back. “Curtis is waiting for me. Mr. Miller has held the job for me. I want to start right away.”
“How are you going to get there on a regular basis? That car wash is a couple of miles from the house.” He could no longer refer to it as his home.
“Jim Ruggeri sold me his old ten-speed for twenty bucks. I can ride that to my job, and to school. I won’t need to depend on anybody anymore.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want? People do care about you, you know.”
“Curtis cares about me,” Jeff corrected him.
“I care about you, too. And you may not think so, but we have a lot in common. Neither of us had happy childhoods, and I’m sorry I haven’t made what’s left of yours better.”
“I’m not a child.”
“Neither of us knows how to let people love us, or knows how to really love anybody. We need to learn that it’s okay to lean on other people—and on each other.”
“After today, I won’t need to lean on anybody ever again.”
“I hope you won’t have to eat those words one day. And I am here for you. You just have to let me in.”
“Curtis is waiting for me,” Jeff said, and turned.
“You’re going to have to weigh in again next week,” Richard called after him.
“There’s a scale at the house,” Jeff called over his shoulder, and then he was gone.
Richard stared after him for a long few moments, feeling like he’d lost an opportunity—a huge opportunity—to do something right.
And he had a feeling he’d regret it for the rest of his life.
***
THE TURNING POINT
Bittersweet. There was no better word to describe the nearly perfect weekend Richard Alpert had just experienced. The best skiing, the best food and drink, and the best sex ever.
Pediatric nurse Cathy Garner had been more than just a casual friend these past six months, but she’d made it clear from day one that her days in Buffalo were numbered. Her job search had taken her to several different cities. She was determined to help children with a poor shot at life and had accepted a position at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
“Better weather, better opportunity, better life,” she’d described it. He’d understood. Though sad to see her go, he couldn’t help
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