Page 11
Story: Two is a Pattern
Helen put her hands on her hips. “That was Ashley.”
“Ah,” Annie said.
“She’s ten going on sixteen.”
Annie chuckled nervously. Helen turned back to the stove. Kevin continued scratching out his letters with his pencil.
She was still wearing her light jean jacket, still clutching her bag at her side. Then, realizing that Helen had too much to deal with to make Annie feel at home, she took the matter into her own hands and hung her bag on the back of one of the kitchen chairs. She kept her jacket on, despite the warmth of the kitchen. Her flowered dress was sleeveless and she didn’t want to show her bare arms right away. The invitation to dinner was an interview, after all.
Unsure what else to do, Annie touched the baby, resting her hand on his warm stomach. He looked at her when she made contact, gurgled, and smiled. His legs were bare, his thighs chubby rolls. He wore a onesie today, blue stripes with a little train appliqué. The plastic edges of his diaper peeked out at the bottom.
“I hope spaghetti is okay,” Helen said. “Ashley has dance on Saturdays until six, so we eat a little later than usual.”
“Smells great,” Annie said. “Thanks for having me.”
“You said that,” Helen pointed out with a smirk.
“Sorry,” Annie said. “I’m, uh, out of my element.”
“Kevin, honey, go set the table.”
“It’s Ashley’s turn.”
“She’ll do it twice later.”
“But I’m watching the baby,” Kevin countered.
“I can keep an eye on him,” Annie said, slipping her finger into the curl of his little fingers. He hung on tight.
Kevin glowered at her but slid off his chair.
She didn’t want to stare at the baby, so she looked out into the backyard instead. Behind the house was a small building that backed up to the fence running along the alley. A gate next to the building provided access to the alley from the yard. The building from the outside looked bigger than her motel room. It might have been a garage at one time, but if so, the fence now blocked where the garage door had been.
“I’ll show you after dinner,” Helen said.
Annie turned guiltily as if she’d been caught doing something besides looking out the window.
“That’d be fine,” Annie said. “Can I help?”
“You can make the garlic bread,” Helen said, gesturing with a wet wooden spoon at a loaf of French bread on the counter next to her. Annie hesitated. “There’s margarine in the fridge. I find it spreads easier.”
Bread and butter; that wasn’t too hard. She’d seen her mom make dinner a million times. Helen pulled a serrated knife out of a wooden block and handed it to her.
“Thank you,” Annie said.
“Where did you say you were from?”
“Lots of places now,” she replied. “But I went to high school in Toledo, and that’s where most of my family still lives.”
“A good Midwestern girl.” Helen’s voice sounded slightly mocking, but maybe Annie was feeling defensive, backed into a corner, and desperate to make a bad situation bearable.
“I guess so.” Annie pulled open the refrigerator door—covered in drawings and magnets and pictures of the kids—and scannedinside for the margarine. She found a family-sized brown tub, pulled it out, then glanced back at the baby.
Kevin returned and slipped back into his chair.
“Napkins and glasses too?” Helen asked.
Kevin got back up with a heavy sigh.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11 (Reading here)
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101