was taken aback. “I don’t know,” he said.
“Try and think, honey. Did she ever mention anything like that?” Lillie persisted.
“How do you know it wasn’t Partin?” Grayson asked.
“It’s a long story,” Pink interrupted. “There’s no proof of anything yet. Let’s not get all worked up. How was your day at school?”
“Great,” said Grayson. “I was nominated for student council vice president.”
“That’s wonderful, son,” Pink exclaimed. “Won’t that look fine on your record. And then, if you win this one, senior year you can shoot for president.”
“I think I’ve got a good chance,” said Grayson. “The election’s in two weeks and all the kids are feeling sorry for me because of Michele.”
“Grayson!” Lillie cried. “How can you say that?” She felt as if his words had slapped her in the face.
Grayson looked startled at his mother’s tone. “What?”
“He’s thinking like a politician,” Pink said soothingly. “You’ve got to be a realist about these things, Lillie. There is such a thing as a sympathy vote.”
Lillie stared at them both. “Is that all you can think about Michele’s death? That it’ll get you votes in a school election?”
Grayson shook his head incredulously. “Well, of course not, Mother. I was just proud of being nominated. The only reason I mentioned it was because I thought it would make you proud, that you’d be pleased.” He looked around the room at the scattered photos of his sister. “I thought you might be glad to have something else to think about, but I guess I was wrong. I’m sorry I bothered you about it.”
“She doesn’t mean it like that,” Pink assured him hurriedly.
“Grayson,” Lillie said in a trembling voice, “I did not mean that your news wasn’t important. But to speak of your sister’s death as if it were some kind of lucky advantage you have…”
“Sorry,” said Gray. “I only meant that there are a lot of people who liked her at the school, and they’d probably vote for me just because of her. If that’s wrong, I’m sorry. That’s all I meant. I never dreamed you’d take it any other way.”
“Well, maybe I misunderstood,” Lillie said wearily.
“Come on, come on,” said Pink. “We’re all tired. We’re all on edge.”
“I’ve got a campaign meeting tonight,” said Grayson. “I’m gonna make a sandwich. Unless you fixed something?” He looked back at Lillie expectantly. “Or shall I fix y’all one too?”
Lillie felt the familiar stab of guilt. She had been too absorbed in the revelation about Ronnie Lee Partin. And she had no appetite. But that was no reason to keep neglecting them like this.
“Stay put, son,” said Pink. “I’ll run down to the Country Kitchen and pick up some catfish and hush puppies. We’ll sit down together and eat for a change.” Grayson was poised in the doorway. Pink saw the expression in Lillie’s eyes start to drift again. “Come on, Lillie,” he said irritably. “We all have to eat.”
Lillie looked at her husband helplessly. “I hate sitting down in there,” she said. “Seeing her empty chair…”
“Grayson,” said Pink. “Go take Michele’s chair out to the garage. Go on.”
“Yessir,” said Grayson.
“Gray,” Lillie said. The boy stopped and looked at her. “I didn’t mean to spoil it for you. I think it’s great you were nominated. Really I do.”
Gray raised one silky eyebrow skeptically, but his voice was pleasant. “Well, I’m grateful.”
Lillie looked at her husband. “Pink, I didn’t mean to put him down. It’s just that the way it came out sounded horrible to me.”
Pink looked at his watch. “I believe I’ll run get that catfish right now. Let’s get this supper on the table.”
He doesn’t want to discuss it, Lillie thought. He never does. He just wants this whole ugly mess to go away. But it’s not going anywhere. She looked down at the pile of pictures at her feet and suddenly felt
“Try and think, honey. Did she ever mention anything like that?” Lillie persisted.
“How do you know it wasn’t Partin?” Grayson asked.
“It’s a long story,” Pink interrupted. “There’s no proof of anything yet. Let’s not get all worked up. How was your day at school?”
“Great,” said Grayson. “I was nominated for student council vice president.”
“That’s wonderful, son,” Pink exclaimed. “Won’t that look fine on your record. And then, if you win this one, senior year you can shoot for president.”
“I think I’ve got a good chance,” said Grayson. “The election’s in two weeks and all the kids are feeling sorry for me because of Michele.”
“Grayson!” Lillie cried. “How can you say that?” She felt as if his words had slapped her in the face.
Grayson looked startled at his mother’s tone. “What?”
“He’s thinking like a politician,” Pink said soothingly. “You’ve got to be a realist about these things, Lillie. There is such a thing as a sympathy vote.”
Lillie stared at them both. “Is that all you can think about Michele’s death? That it’ll get you votes in a school election?”
Grayson shook his head incredulously. “Well, of course not, Mother. I was just proud of being nominated. The only reason I mentioned it was because I thought it would make you proud, that you’d be pleased.” He looked around the room at the scattered photos of his sister. “I thought you might be glad to have something else to think about, but I guess I was wrong. I’m sorry I bothered you about it.”
“She doesn’t mean it like that,” Pink assured him hurriedly.
“Grayson,” Lillie said in a trembling voice, “I did not mean that your news wasn’t important. But to speak of your sister’s death as if it were some kind of lucky advantage you have…”
“Sorry,” said Gray. “I only meant that there are a lot of people who liked her at the school, and they’d probably vote for me just because of her. If that’s wrong, I’m sorry. That’s all I meant. I never dreamed you’d take it any other way.”
“Well, maybe I misunderstood,” Lillie said wearily.
“Come on, come on,” said Pink. “We’re all tired. We’re all on edge.”
“I’ve got a campaign meeting tonight,” said Grayson. “I’m gonna make a sandwich. Unless you fixed something?” He looked back at Lillie expectantly. “Or shall I fix y’all one too?”
Lillie felt the familiar stab of guilt. She had been too absorbed in the revelation about Ronnie Lee Partin. And she had no appetite. But that was no reason to keep neglecting them like this.
“Stay put, son,” said Pink. “I’ll run down to the Country Kitchen and pick up some catfish and hush puppies. We’ll sit down together and eat for a change.” Grayson was poised in the doorway. Pink saw the expression in Lillie’s eyes start to drift again. “Come on, Lillie,” he said irritably. “We all have to eat.”
Lillie looked at her husband helplessly. “I hate sitting down in there,” she said. “Seeing her empty chair…”
“Grayson,” said Pink. “Go take Michele’s chair out to the garage. Go on.”
“Yessir,” said Grayson.
“Gray,” Lillie said. The boy stopped and looked at her. “I didn’t mean to spoil it for you. I think it’s great you were nominated. Really I do.”
Gray raised one silky eyebrow skeptically, but his voice was pleasant. “Well, I’m grateful.”
Lillie looked at her husband. “Pink, I didn’t mean to put him down. It’s just that the way it came out sounded horrible to me.”
Pink looked at his watch. “I believe I’ll run get that catfish right now. Let’s get this supper on the table.”
He doesn’t want to discuss it, Lillie thought. He never does. He just wants this whole ugly mess to go away. But it’s not going anywhere. She looked down at the pile of pictures at her feet and suddenly felt
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