Forbidden by Abbie Williams

good assessment.”
    Matthew pulled his own sunglasses from his face, let them hang against his bare chest on the green cord around his neck. He leaned forward and braced his forearms against his thighs, letting his hands dangle, and squinted out at the shimmering water where people were living it up the way you’re supposed to in the summer. He heard himself admitting, “I miss him, Bar. It all happened so damn fast, and I was…on a route for Marsh. It doesn’t seem real yet.”
    Bar crossed his ankles, knocked the tips of his loafers together once. He said, “I know what you mean. When Dad died a few years ago, it was real fast, too. Rae almost didn’t make it back for the funeral. Ma had kittens over that,” he added with a hint of affectionate malice.
    Matthew, uncomfortable discussing his own father any longer, seized on the new topic. “I hear Rae is moving back this summer.”
    â€œYeah, that’s the story. She’s been in Chicago for so long now, said she needed a change of pace.” Had Matthew been his usual observant self, he would have detected the over-casual tone of Bar’s next question, but he was still studying the rippling blue expanse of Rose Lake and missed it entirely. Bar leaned forward himself, stared out in the same direction as Matthew and asked, “Will Shelly be back for the funeral?”
    Matthew shook his head, and Bar refused to acknowledge the sharp disappointment in his gut. “No…she won’t be.”
    â€œErica told me her little girl came up, though. I can’t imagine Michelle old enough to have a girl that age.
    Matthew’s heart pounded very hard for a moment. “She got here yesterday.”
    â€œWell, that’s good,” Bar said, and rose reluctantly to his feet. “Anyway, I just wanted to say hello while I was out here. Damn, it’s pretty by the water. I can see why so many local girls want to get married on Rose Lake beach.”
    Matthew stood too, shook Bar’s hand one more time, and said, “Hey, thanks again.”
    â€œYou know it, Sternhagen. Listen, you take care and we’ll see you on Wednesday.”
    Matthew watched as Bar retreated back the way he’d come, thinking for a moment that his shoulders seemed a little slumped, but probably it was just his imagination. It was a hot day.
    Debbie came wandering over two hours later, fanning herself with a glossy magazine. “Hey there. You about ready to head up for lunch?”
    Matthew nodded, catching sight of the twins on the far edge of the beach. He cupped his mouth and yelled, “Emma, Cody! Lunchtime!”
    â€œLook at all those girls checking you out,” Debbie teased him as they made their way across the hot sand. “Angie Stickland better watch out.”
    Matthew threw his hands in the air in a gesture of defeat. “Ange and I haven’t been together since last Christmas!”
    â€œWhatever you say,” Debbie said, reaching to tousle Emma’s curls as the two of them came flying up, breathless and fighting about something. Cody landed a punch on Emma’s bare shoulder, and she howled, going at him with both fists. Debbie grabbed for her as Matthew caught Cody around the waist and hauled him up onto his left shoulder, where Cody flailed and knocked the hat from Matthew’s head.
    â€œHey, simmer down, buddy,” he warned his little nephew, stooping to retrieve his favorite piece of clothing. “It isn’t nice to hit girls, you know.”
    â€œBet God didn’t know about Emma when he made that stupid rule!” Cody blurted, and Matthew almost laughed, but bit it back, knowing it had been a hard week for the kids especially. They had loved their grandpa tremendously, and there would be a huge hole in their lives now. Matthew breathed in sharply as he understood that, the realization slowly sinking into his own soul. He hadn’t allowed himself much of a