A Thin, Dark Line by Elliot Emma

Author:Elliot, Emma [Elliot, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, General
ISBN: 9781612131054
Google: -h-1MQEACAAJ
Amazon: B0093NNL1A
Barnesnoble: B0093NNL1A
Goodreads: 14760323
Publisher: Writer's Coffee Shop
Published: 2012-07-13T06:00:00+00:00

“Is Daddy ever coming back?” Robby asked suddenly.

“Yes, he is.” I squatted down between the boys. “You know how when the two of you are angry and can’t say anything nice to one another, and your mom sends you to your separate rooms so you can calm down?” They nodded. “That’s how Mommy and Daddy are right now. But I promise you, he’s coming home.”

Harmon nodded, reassured, and took a crunching bite of his waffle cone. I stood and we continued down the sidewalk, each so focused on our gelato that we almost passed the library’s front walk.

“My gelato’s melting!” Robby cried.

I laughed. “Come on, let’s sit here on the steps and finish it before we go inside.”

I perched on the top step, and they plopped down on either side of me. After several minutes, Harmon said, “Aunt Weez?”

“What, sweetie?” I swiped the dribble of melting gelato from Robby’s face before it rolled off his chin and onto his T-shirt.

“Why don’t you have any babies?”

I almost dropped my cone. “You’ve never asked me that before.”

He shrugged, focused on crunching through his waffle cone at Mach speed. Chocolate streamed down his fingers and forearms in brown rivulets that dripped off his elbows. “I was just thinking, we have Mom and Daddy and our baby, but you don’t have anyone.”

He said it with the blunt, unintentionally cruel candor of a child. “I have your mom and dad. And you and Robby.”

“But we’re not yours. Like a real family you go home to at night.” He finished the cone and looked at me, face guileless, brows furrowed with worry. “Mom told Daddy that you shouldn’t have to sleep alone for the rest of your life.” The words hit me like a kick in the chest. “And you should have kids so Robby and me’ll be best friends with them. Just like you and Mom. If they’re boys. Girls are just gross.”

“Gross,” Robby said, nodding his red head.

I strove to keep my voice light. “I need a husband before I start having babies for you.” Not technically, but I didn’t feel like explaining the inner workings of conception to a four and six-year-old.

“Why don’t you get one?” Robby licked the remnants of strawberry gelato from his fingers.

I dug moist towelettes from my purse, ripped the foil packaging, and handed them each one. “No one’s ever asked me.”

“We could help you find one,” Harmon said.

I would have laughed were it not for the intent, serious expressions on the two faces peering up at me. I could just imagine them posting signs on every telephone pole and storefront in town. “Um . . .”

“Help you find what?”

The three of us jumped. Cormac was standing at the foot of the steps watching us with that patent half-smile. I hadn’t seen him since I’d driven him home yesterday morning. He looked rested, the circles under his eyes less pronounced. The bruises, save the new one over his left brow, were more blue and purple than black, and the swelling in his right eye had diminished.

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