because he felt he had to be. On the inside, he
must have been hurting. Just as much as Justin and Carmella, in some ways.
Maybe more.
Justin pulled the small wallet-size photo of Mary, the
pretty girl from the skating rink, from his pocket and studied it. She had the
sweetest looking face in all of the seventh grade, and he was betting she’d be
the best-looking girl in the eighth, too. If he didn’t get her to go with him
now, it would be over and done with by high school. All the more athletic and
smarter boys would have moved in, leaving Justin out in the cold.
He stared down the flight of steps, imagining his dad’s long
face. While he couldn’t precisely view his profile from his hidden spot on the
stairs, he could envision how it might look, his brow all creased with worry,
his lips taking a downward turn. Justin returned his gaze to Mary’s photo and
her beautiful, cheerful smile. When that smile was meant for him it made his
guts turn inside out, but in a good way. He guessed when Lucy had smiled at
Dad, it had made him feel something similar. Maybe something he hadn’t felt in
a while. For all of Justin’s life, his dad had done stuff for him and the fuzz
brain. He was a good dad who loved them a lot. Maybe it was time that they let
him know they loved him back.
Justin stealthily rose to his feet and crept back up the
stairs, an idea taking hold. He tiptoed to his sister’s room and snuck in the
door.
“What are you doing?” she asked looking up from her Barbie
dolls.
He quietly shut the door and rasped under his breath.
“Carmella, I have an idea.”
“Oh no you don’t,” she said, firmly shaking her head. “Your
ideas get you in trouble, and I don’t want any of that.”
“Not even . . .” he asked, with a tempting smile. “If they
get Lucy back?”
Forty-five minutes later, Carmella goggled at Justin’s
computer screen. “Looks really good. Do you think it will work?”
“In getting her attention? You bet.” He’d done his best with
it, computer program modifications and all. It certainly got the message
across.
“I still don’t know about that word.” She frowned. “ Man-a-tory? Are you sure she’ll know
what that means?”
Justin shot her an informed look. “Do reindeers fly?”
Carmella studied her brother. “You’re some kind of softie,
aren’t you?”
“Let’s just say I had some growing up to do.”
“Does this have something to do with Mary?” she asked
astutely.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Wouldn’t hurt to have another girl around. I mean, a
grown-up one like Lucy, to ask all those mushy love questions to.”
“ Love...? ” Justin surveyed his sister,
wondering how she knew so much. “Go back to bed,” he said, playfully swatting
the side of her head.
William nearly bumped into Carmella exiting Justin’s room.
“Well hello, pumpkin.” He did a double take. “Wait a minute. Didn’t I tuck you
in over an hour ago?”
“Uh-huh,” she said, staging a yawn. “And I’m really tired.”
“Then what…?”
“Oh! I had a little bit of a bad dream, so I went to see
Justin.”
“And Justin helped you out?” he asked uncertainly. The boy
did appear to be turning over a new leaf. “Oh yes!” she said brightly. “All
better now!”
“Hmm.”
“Well, good night, Daddy,” she said, giving him a quick hug
around the legs and darting to bed. “Sleep tight!”
“You too, pumpkin,” he said, thinking something didn’t add
up. William rapped lightly at Justin’s door, then went in.
Justin sat nonchalantly on the bed, scribbling something on
a notepad. William couldn’t believe his eyes. Was that Justin—writing
poetry?
“Hey Dad. What’s up?”
“Uh, I just wanted to... About Carmella...?”
“Oh yeah, the fuzz brain had a bad dream. It’s okay, though.
I told her the monsters weren’t real and that she could leave on the lights.”
“Very good of you, Justin, thanks,” William said, impressed.
Who had taken
must have been hurting. Just as much as Justin and Carmella, in some ways.
Maybe more.
Justin pulled the small wallet-size photo of Mary, the
pretty girl from the skating rink, from his pocket and studied it. She had the
sweetest looking face in all of the seventh grade, and he was betting she’d be
the best-looking girl in the eighth, too. If he didn’t get her to go with him
now, it would be over and done with by high school. All the more athletic and
smarter boys would have moved in, leaving Justin out in the cold.
He stared down the flight of steps, imagining his dad’s long
face. While he couldn’t precisely view his profile from his hidden spot on the
stairs, he could envision how it might look, his brow all creased with worry,
his lips taking a downward turn. Justin returned his gaze to Mary’s photo and
her beautiful, cheerful smile. When that smile was meant for him it made his
guts turn inside out, but in a good way. He guessed when Lucy had smiled at
Dad, it had made him feel something similar. Maybe something he hadn’t felt in
a while. For all of Justin’s life, his dad had done stuff for him and the fuzz
brain. He was a good dad who loved them a lot. Maybe it was time that they let
him know they loved him back.
Justin stealthily rose to his feet and crept back up the
stairs, an idea taking hold. He tiptoed to his sister’s room and snuck in the
door.
“What are you doing?” she asked looking up from her Barbie
dolls.
He quietly shut the door and rasped under his breath.
“Carmella, I have an idea.”
“Oh no you don’t,” she said, firmly shaking her head. “Your
ideas get you in trouble, and I don’t want any of that.”
“Not even . . .” he asked, with a tempting smile. “If they
get Lucy back?”
Forty-five minutes later, Carmella goggled at Justin’s
computer screen. “Looks really good. Do you think it will work?”
“In getting her attention? You bet.” He’d done his best with
it, computer program modifications and all. It certainly got the message
across.
“I still don’t know about that word.” She frowned. “ Man-a-tory? Are you sure she’ll know
what that means?”
Justin shot her an informed look. “Do reindeers fly?”
Carmella studied her brother. “You’re some kind of softie,
aren’t you?”
“Let’s just say I had some growing up to do.”
“Does this have something to do with Mary?” she asked
astutely.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Wouldn’t hurt to have another girl around. I mean, a
grown-up one like Lucy, to ask all those mushy love questions to.”
“ Love...? ” Justin surveyed his sister,
wondering how she knew so much. “Go back to bed,” he said, playfully swatting
the side of her head.
William nearly bumped into Carmella exiting Justin’s room.
“Well hello, pumpkin.” He did a double take. “Wait a minute. Didn’t I tuck you
in over an hour ago?”
“Uh-huh,” she said, staging a yawn. “And I’m really tired.”
“Then what…?”
“Oh! I had a little bit of a bad dream, so I went to see
Justin.”
“And Justin helped you out?” he asked uncertainly. The boy
did appear to be turning over a new leaf. “Oh yes!” she said brightly. “All
better now!”
“Hmm.”
“Well, good night, Daddy,” she said, giving him a quick hug
around the legs and darting to bed. “Sleep tight!”
“You too, pumpkin,” he said, thinking something didn’t add
up. William rapped lightly at Justin’s door, then went in.
Justin sat nonchalantly on the bed, scribbling something on
a notepad. William couldn’t believe his eyes. Was that Justin—writing
poetry?
“Hey Dad. What’s up?”
“Uh, I just wanted to... About Carmella...?”
“Oh yeah, the fuzz brain had a bad dream. It’s okay, though.
I told her the monsters weren’t real and that she could leave on the lights.”
“Very good of you, Justin, thanks,” William said, impressed.
Who had taken
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