Alone With You by Marisa Silver

Author:Marisa Silver
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2010-08-14T04:00:00+00:00

Gary loved the duck pond. He was only two years old, but Martha knew he loved it just as much as she did. Every Saturday, she would ask her mom to take her and her baby to the pond so they could feed the ducks the leftover ends of bread Martha kept in a plastic grocery bag under the kitchen sink. Martha’s father lived in an apartment near his work now. She and Gary visited him there, but he said the duck pond was too far away so they played at a nearby park or they ordered takeout and watched TV.

Gary pointed and Martha said “Duck! Duck!” and Gary said “Duck!” and Julia clapped her hands.

“Did you hear him, Martha? He has so many words now!”

It was a chilly morning and Martha wore her red sweater that zipped up all the way over her chin. She liked to hide. It was fun to crawl under the covers of her bed when someone was looking for her, or to play with Gary in a tent made of sheets. Gary sat in her lap by the edge of the pond. Her mother sat next to them. Julia had cut her hair very short and went to work every day. She had to make money now that Martha’s father didn’t live at home anymore. Julia was too old and out of practice to get her law job back. Now she worked in an office and typed up papers that told big ships where to go. Sometimes they had to go to Korea. Sometimes they had to go to China. And sometimes the Chinese ships had to come to America. “That’s how we get our toys!” she said, when Martha complained about Yanni, who took care of Martha and Gary while Julia was at work. Sometimes Martha thought that when her mother walked out the door each morning, she just hid in the garden until the end of the day, but when Martha checked, she could never find her mother anywhere.

“You’re teaching him to talk. Just keep repeating words,” Julia said.

“Okay, Mom,” Martha said.

“Mama,” Gary said.

“And then point,” Julia said. She pointed her finger at Martha. “Mom!” she said.

Martha pointed to Julia. “Mom!” She laughed so loudly that two ducks began to beat their wings on the water. The ruckus made Gary whimper.

Martha leaned away from him. “He’s going to cry,” she said.

“He’s fine. The ducks startled him, that’s all.”

Martha liked Gary all the time except when he cried. She closed her eyes to keep his voice from going right into the middle of her head.

“Never shut your eyes while you’re with Gary,” Julia said, reaching out to steady the baby. “And keep your hands on him all the time. You have to watch a baby every second, Martha.”

But Gary was still crying and Martha had to cover her ears and start humming.

“Stop that, Martha! You have to listen to what I’m saying. You’re the mother.”

“Are you mad at me?” Martha said, opening her eyes, her voice wavering.

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