thigh.
“Wait.”
He leaned forward to kiss her, but she pulled away. “I’ll taste awful.”
He planted his kiss on her temple.
“I just want you to promise me something,” he said.
Red stiffened.
“I don’t make a lot of promises,” she reminded him.
“I know that,” he said. “And I know that there are things you just won’t tell me. I’m okay with that. I don’t understand it, but I’m learning to be okay. But if you’re sick, I don’t want you to keep it from me.”
“I’m not sick,” she assured him.
“Good. But if you ever are, I want you to promise me that you’ll tell me.”
“Sure,” she answered, shrugging it off.
Cam continued. “I know there are guys that can’t deal with illness. I’m very familiar with that. But I’m not one of those guys.”
“Okay.” Red dragged the word out until it was almost a question.
“My mom got sick when I was about seven,” he told her. “My father didn’t want to be around it. So she and I moved in with my grandma. I continued to see him pretty often, but for the next six and a half years, he only came by to see her twice.”
“Did he live far away?”
Cam shook his head. “He lived in that house across the back alley from mine,” he answered.
As soon as Red realized that her jaw had dropped, she cleared her throat and tried to look unfazed.
“I’m not like that,” Cam repeated. “When things get tough,I want to be there for you. Kids don’t scare me. Tough times don’t scare me. And sickness doesn’t scare me. I’ll be here for you, Red. As long as we’re together, I’m in a hundred percent.”
To: [email protected]
September 5 9:30 a.m.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Gess where I am?
Mom, gess where I am? U will never gess. I am sitting by a tree next to the river. Not the river that is in back of the bar, but farther up nearer to the park. Cam brought us here fishing. I told him I don’t like to fish, at least I dont think I do. So he brought his laptop with WIFI and he is letting me use it while him and Daniel fish.
Daniel is not so good at fishing. He keeps getting up and running around. Cam doesn’t get mad tho. He is a pretty good friend to Daniel.
School starts tomorrow. That will be so great. Much better than being with the babysitter or Abuela Mala. I think Daniel’s teacher will be good. She likes him. And she speaks some Spanish so Daniel wont have to say English unless he want to. Daniel slips into English some times with Cam. Cam acts like he doesnt notice so its cool. For sure the Red person still gets fusstrayted with him. But at least she doesnt yell. She looks like a yeller but so far no.
I am back. Daniel caught a fish and I had to go look at it. He is so happy. I wish you could see him. It would make U happy 2. Cam says it’s a perch. He will cook it up for lunch. Is that weird! We can catch it in the river and eat it. Cam says it will be good and he doesnt lie.
I got to go. I told Cam that we cant miss church on Sunday so we are leaving here to go to second mass.
I love you Mom. Dont worry about us. I am taking care of us fine.
Livy
11
S chool started as it always does and Red found herself sighing with relief at the structure it provided. She managed to drag herself out of bed every morning before eight. She would sit on the front porch, bleary-eyed and dressed in her bathrobe as she sipped coffee and watched the two kids walk the blocks down the street before they turned toward the school.
She always wished them a good day and waved goodbye. It was the only apparent requirement from her. Olivia took care of everything. She got up on her own and made sure Daniel was up, too. She fixed cereal with bananas or berries and toast for their breakfast. And she critiqued her little brother’s washing and dressing, insuring that he was clean and appropriate. Then she’d double-check their backpacks, read Daniel the lunch menu so he could opt for peanut butter and
“Wait.”
He leaned forward to kiss her, but she pulled away. “I’ll taste awful.”
He planted his kiss on her temple.
“I just want you to promise me something,” he said.
Red stiffened.
“I don’t make a lot of promises,” she reminded him.
“I know that,” he said. “And I know that there are things you just won’t tell me. I’m okay with that. I don’t understand it, but I’m learning to be okay. But if you’re sick, I don’t want you to keep it from me.”
“I’m not sick,” she assured him.
“Good. But if you ever are, I want you to promise me that you’ll tell me.”
“Sure,” she answered, shrugging it off.
Cam continued. “I know there are guys that can’t deal with illness. I’m very familiar with that. But I’m not one of those guys.”
“Okay.” Red dragged the word out until it was almost a question.
“My mom got sick when I was about seven,” he told her. “My father didn’t want to be around it. So she and I moved in with my grandma. I continued to see him pretty often, but for the next six and a half years, he only came by to see her twice.”
“Did he live far away?”
Cam shook his head. “He lived in that house across the back alley from mine,” he answered.
As soon as Red realized that her jaw had dropped, she cleared her throat and tried to look unfazed.
“I’m not like that,” Cam repeated. “When things get tough,I want to be there for you. Kids don’t scare me. Tough times don’t scare me. And sickness doesn’t scare me. I’ll be here for you, Red. As long as we’re together, I’m in a hundred percent.”
To: [email protected]
September 5 9:30 a.m.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Gess where I am?
Mom, gess where I am? U will never gess. I am sitting by a tree next to the river. Not the river that is in back of the bar, but farther up nearer to the park. Cam brought us here fishing. I told him I don’t like to fish, at least I dont think I do. So he brought his laptop with WIFI and he is letting me use it while him and Daniel fish.
Daniel is not so good at fishing. He keeps getting up and running around. Cam doesn’t get mad tho. He is a pretty good friend to Daniel.
School starts tomorrow. That will be so great. Much better than being with the babysitter or Abuela Mala. I think Daniel’s teacher will be good. She likes him. And she speaks some Spanish so Daniel wont have to say English unless he want to. Daniel slips into English some times with Cam. Cam acts like he doesnt notice so its cool. For sure the Red person still gets fusstrayted with him. But at least she doesnt yell. She looks like a yeller but so far no.
I am back. Daniel caught a fish and I had to go look at it. He is so happy. I wish you could see him. It would make U happy 2. Cam says it’s a perch. He will cook it up for lunch. Is that weird! We can catch it in the river and eat it. Cam says it will be good and he doesnt lie.
I got to go. I told Cam that we cant miss church on Sunday so we are leaving here to go to second mass.
I love you Mom. Dont worry about us. I am taking care of us fine.
Livy
11
S chool started as it always does and Red found herself sighing with relief at the structure it provided. She managed to drag herself out of bed every morning before eight. She would sit on the front porch, bleary-eyed and dressed in her bathrobe as she sipped coffee and watched the two kids walk the blocks down the street before they turned toward the school.
She always wished them a good day and waved goodbye. It was the only apparent requirement from her. Olivia took care of everything. She got up on her own and made sure Daniel was up, too. She fixed cereal with bananas or berries and toast for their breakfast. And she critiqued her little brother’s washing and dressing, insuring that he was clean and appropriate. Then she’d double-check their backpacks, read Daniel the lunch menu so he could opt for peanut butter and
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