motioned him in the door.
Trevor walked into the foyer but said nothing.
“Well Lord, you are just drenched! Here, let me take those.” Lorene grabbed the bouquet out of his hands, “Hold on there, I’ll be right back. Don’t move.” She went to the bathroom and came back with two large bath towels, and one of Bill Stewart’s robes. As soon as Trevor saw the robe, his eyes got wide.
“Uh, you don’t want me to wear that , do you?” He asked with slight panic in his voice.
“Look Trevor, Bea won’t be home for at least an hour. You can’t keep those clothes on—you’ll be sick. If you didn’t notice, the Stewarts like to keep the house nice and cool. In spite of the storm, the central air is still on high.”
The boy took the robe but didn’t move.
“I’ll put your clothes in the dryer and they’ll be ready in twenty minutes, okay? There’s a bathroom right in that hallway, first door on your left.”
He looked down the hall as if contemplating what to do. He finally reached for one of the towels and hurried to the bathroom.
Lorene put the teapot on to boil; maybe some hot chocolate might warm him up and ease his nerves.
Trevor came out of the bathroom in the plush, full-length navy robe , looking highly embarrassed. “I feel like an idiot.”
Lorene tried to suppress a laugh, “Oh it’s not so bad. You look very…grown-up in that.” Just then the teapot started whistling. “I was just thinking about you. Would you like some hot chocolate?”
“Yeah, thanks.” The boy sat down on a stool at the kitchen counter. “Will Bea’s parents be coming home soon?”
“Oh no. They don’t get home until much later. Marshmallows or no marshmallows?”
He looked at her with a puzzled expression, “In the hot chocolate you mean?”
“Sure, didn’t your mom ever make you—?” Lorene stopped herself in mid-sentence. As soon as the words came out, she regretted it. Damn.
He put his head down, “No, she didn’t,” he said quietly.
Lorene felt her heart sink . How could she make a mistake like that! She tried to change the subject, “Bea had a school science fair today.”
Trevor seemed to ignore her attempt at small talk, “You’re probably wondering about my parents. I mean, why would I live with an uncle that I obviously can’t stand?”
Lorene was unsure of what to say, “Only if you want to tell me.”
He kept his eyes on his hot chocolate, “Well, my dad left a long time ago and my mom is dead. She never made me hot chocolate with marshmallows—she never did a lot of things.” Lorene could hear a hint of anger in his voice.
“Trevor, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
But it was too late. He got up and walked to the bathroom. He stopped at the door , and without turning around said, “Can I have just have my clothes please?”
“Of course.” Lorene hurried to the laundry room and grabbed the damp clothes from the dryer. She wanted to kick herself for being so stupid.
After sh e handed the clothes to Trevor he disappeared into the bathroom. When he came out a few minutes later, his eyes were wet and his face was flushed. Oh Lord, had he been crying?
Lorene couldn’t let the boy leave like that. She walked over to him, putting her hands on his shoulders as a mother would to a child. He remained rigid, standing like a statue with his eyes fixed on the ground.
“Trevor, I know about your past, okay? I know about what happened—I know about your mom. You don’t ever have to talk about it, but I just want you to know, I’m your friend and I’m always here.”
Lorene could see the surprise in his face, “You know everything?” he asked.
“Yes, and I’m so sorry Trevor. The truth is I admire you. I really do. You have such a beautiful spirit. Don’t ever lose that spirit, you hear me?”
He nodded his head. “Are you g oing to tell Bea? About my mom, I
Trevor walked into the foyer but said nothing.
“Well Lord, you are just drenched! Here, let me take those.” Lorene grabbed the bouquet out of his hands, “Hold on there, I’ll be right back. Don’t move.” She went to the bathroom and came back with two large bath towels, and one of Bill Stewart’s robes. As soon as Trevor saw the robe, his eyes got wide.
“Uh, you don’t want me to wear that , do you?” He asked with slight panic in his voice.
“Look Trevor, Bea won’t be home for at least an hour. You can’t keep those clothes on—you’ll be sick. If you didn’t notice, the Stewarts like to keep the house nice and cool. In spite of the storm, the central air is still on high.”
The boy took the robe but didn’t move.
“I’ll put your clothes in the dryer and they’ll be ready in twenty minutes, okay? There’s a bathroom right in that hallway, first door on your left.”
He looked down the hall as if contemplating what to do. He finally reached for one of the towels and hurried to the bathroom.
Lorene put the teapot on to boil; maybe some hot chocolate might warm him up and ease his nerves.
Trevor came out of the bathroom in the plush, full-length navy robe , looking highly embarrassed. “I feel like an idiot.”
Lorene tried to suppress a laugh, “Oh it’s not so bad. You look very…grown-up in that.” Just then the teapot started whistling. “I was just thinking about you. Would you like some hot chocolate?”
“Yeah, thanks.” The boy sat down on a stool at the kitchen counter. “Will Bea’s parents be coming home soon?”
“Oh no. They don’t get home until much later. Marshmallows or no marshmallows?”
He looked at her with a puzzled expression, “In the hot chocolate you mean?”
“Sure, didn’t your mom ever make you—?” Lorene stopped herself in mid-sentence. As soon as the words came out, she regretted it. Damn.
He put his head down, “No, she didn’t,” he said quietly.
Lorene felt her heart sink . How could she make a mistake like that! She tried to change the subject, “Bea had a school science fair today.”
Trevor seemed to ignore her attempt at small talk, “You’re probably wondering about my parents. I mean, why would I live with an uncle that I obviously can’t stand?”
Lorene was unsure of what to say, “Only if you want to tell me.”
He kept his eyes on his hot chocolate, “Well, my dad left a long time ago and my mom is dead. She never made me hot chocolate with marshmallows—she never did a lot of things.” Lorene could hear a hint of anger in his voice.
“Trevor, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
But it was too late. He got up and walked to the bathroom. He stopped at the door , and without turning around said, “Can I have just have my clothes please?”
“Of course.” Lorene hurried to the laundry room and grabbed the damp clothes from the dryer. She wanted to kick herself for being so stupid.
After sh e handed the clothes to Trevor he disappeared into the bathroom. When he came out a few minutes later, his eyes were wet and his face was flushed. Oh Lord, had he been crying?
Lorene couldn’t let the boy leave like that. She walked over to him, putting her hands on his shoulders as a mother would to a child. He remained rigid, standing like a statue with his eyes fixed on the ground.
“Trevor, I know about your past, okay? I know about what happened—I know about your mom. You don’t ever have to talk about it, but I just want you to know, I’m your friend and I’m always here.”
Lorene could see the surprise in his face, “You know everything?” he asked.
“Yes, and I’m so sorry Trevor. The truth is I admire you. I really do. You have such a beautiful spirit. Don’t ever lose that spirit, you hear me?”
He nodded his head. “Are you g oing to tell Bea? About my mom, I
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