Page 59 of Feared

Mary fell in behind Judy as she knocked briefly, then entered a large sunny common area. Three men were sitting in wheelchairs, which faced opposite a large-screen television playing a baseball game. The man on the end had to be William, becausehe looked like John and as soon as he spotted Judy, his eyes came alive with animation behind his horn-rimmed glasses.

“Jud’!” William called out, beaming.

“William, hi! Hi, everybody!” Judy beelined to William and gave him a hug, and William tried to hug her back, raising his clenched hands slightly, though his skinny forearms remained mostly rigid at his sides, as if he were pinned by the elbows. “William, this is my friend Mary.”

“Hi!” William grinned up at her, raising his arms slightly, and Mary gave him a hug.

“William, I’m so happy to meet you. I heard such nice things about you from Judy.”

William nodded excitedly, still beaming, though his facial muscles were so drawn back that that it looked almost painful. He had on a plaid shirt and baggy jeans with black sneakers, his feet resting askew in the stainless-steel footrests of his wheelchair, which had a tall padded back. Around his neck was a pair of Dr. Dre headphones, and a smartphone was clamped to his wheelchair arm. He had darker, curlier hair than John, but his blue eyes reminded Mary of his brother’s, piercing, wide-set, and connecting with her intently. William was trying to tell Mary something, struggling to form the words, and spittle appeared in the corners of his mouth.

Mary put her hand on his, bending over. “What is it, William?”

William smiled hard, and his lips quivered with the effort of speech, then it burst forth: “You have a… baby in there!”

Mary laughed, too. “Right, I do! I have a baby, right in here.” She rubbed her tummy, and William kept grinning, though a new look in his eyes made Mary think he was curious. On impulse, she asked, “Do you want to touch my belly? The baby is inside.”

“Yes!” William nodded with excitement, his head jittery and his neck tilted to the side, frozen in that position. He tried toreach his hand out, with its knobby clenched fist, but Mary leaned over and her belly made up the extra distance.

“Here we go, William. Can you feel that?”

William brushed it gently with his knuckles. “Ha!”

“What do you think?”

“It’s a boy!” William burst into merry laughter, and so did Mary, since she hadn’t seen that coming. As they were laughing, a tall, middle-aged man came over with a professional smile. He was well-built in a white polo shirt with the Glenn Meade logo, khaki Dockers, and sneakers.

“Judy, hi, glad you could make it today.”

“Hi, Mike.” Judy gestured to Mary. “This is my friend Mary DiNunzio.”

“From the phone? Nice to see you.” Mike extended a beefy hand, and Mary shook it.

“You too, thanks.”

“Sorry about William, his excitement gets the best of him.” Mike frowned down at William. “William, you’re not supposed to touch pregnant ladies. It’s rude and—”

“No, it’s okay,” Mary interrupted. “I invited him to and I have no problem with it, actually. Total strangers on the bus touch my belly. I’m like a walking Blarney Stone.”

Mike blinked. “My wife tells me it’s not politically correct.”

“I’m Italian-American, and even though that’s only a label, we like to be touched.” Mary smiled down at William, who was still grinning, so Mike’s rebuke hadn’t fazed him. “William, you can pat my belly anytime.”

William looked at the door, raising his chin slightly. “Where’s John?”

“I’m taking you out today, with Mary,” Judy answered quickly, walking around the back of the wheelchair and taking the handles. “Let’s go see the ducks.”

“Okay! Can we feed them?”

“Yes, I have change for the machine.”

Mike went to the door, opening it. “Judy, we packed him a water bottle and strawberry yogurt for a snack, if you want to give him that. It’s in his bag on the back of the chair.”

“Thanks, see you soon.” Judy pushed William through the door in his wheelchair, with Mary following.

“Bye, Mike!” William called out over his shoulder, and Mary didn’t think he was that hard to understand, after she got used to him.

Judy rolled William into the sunshine, checking in the large black bag that hung on the back of his wheelchair. “William, do you want your prescription sunglasses? They’re in your bag.”