Building Fences by Violet Howe

Author:Violet Howe [Howe, Violet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781732121515
Publisher: Charbar Productions LLC

Chapter 28

“I’m gonna go down and check on the kids. Do you need anything?” I asked Patsy when I returned from visiting Caterina.

“You go ahead. I’m going to finish knitting this row, and then I’ll head down and get some coffee in the cafeteria. I’d love to meet them if that’s all right.”

“Sure, yes,” I said, wondering how I’d introduce her. “We’ll see you downstairs.”

They were both sitting where I’d left them—Eva texting furiously on her phone and Ethan absorbed in a video game on his tablet.

“Hi, guys.”

“How long do we have to stay here?” Ethan asked. “Can I get some ice cream?”

“You’ve already had ice cream today, buddy. Eva has snacks for you in her bag.”

“But how long do we have to stay?”

“A little while longer. I’m waiting for my friend to get better.”

“How long will it take her to get better? And what if she doesn’t get better? How long will that take?”

“That’s rude,” Eva said.

“What? What did I do?” he asked.

Eva rolled her eyes and shook her head, her thumbs still flying on the keyboard.

I sat beside Ethan and smoothed his hair back off his forehead, frowning at the pink in his skin despite a generous lathering of sunscreen before the soccer match.

“I need you to be patient, okay? I know this isn’t much fun, but I need to be here, and I don’t know how long it’s going to take.”

“But this is so boring!” he moaned.

“If you were at home, what would you be doing?” Eva asked.

“Something better than this!”

“Okay, look,” I said, standing. “What if we go to the cafeteria and play cards? Eva, you packed the deck of cards like I asked, right?”

“Yes,” she said, looking up from her phone. “Do I have to go? I’m fine sitting here.”

Of course you are, I wanted to say. Anything to be on the opposite side of what I need you to do.

“I’d like us to go to the cafeteria together,” I said instead.

You would have thought I’d asked her to mop the hospital floors with her toothbrush. “God, Mom. Why? I’m not complaining like he is. I’m perfectly happy sitting here texting my friend. Why do I have to go to some dumb cafeteria to play cards? I don’t even like playing cards. And cafeterias smell weird.”

“I don’t know of much you do like these days, Eva. Grab the bag and let’s go.”

“I like texting. I like being at home in my own room. I like being left alone and not being asked to play something stupid like cards.”

“How long do you think it will be?” Ethan asked. “Like thirty minutes? Or longer?”

“Longer. Let’s go.”

I started walking toward the cafeteria, ignoring the groans behind me.

Prior to our divorce, I’d played the role of the strict parent, enforcing the rules and keeping the attitudes in check while Brad pretty much allowed them to do anything they wanted.

Since he’d left, I’d been more lax than I should have. Partly from mental and emotional exhaustion, and partly from not wanting to rock the boat any more than I had to while we all adjusted to the new norms.

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