I'll Stand By You by Sharon Sala

Author:Sharon Sala [Sala, Sharon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2015-06-01T18:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Dori had moved the playpen into her bedroom for the night and was giving Luther a bottle. The rocker creaked every now and then, but Luther’s eyes were nearly closed. The milk in his mouth was running down the side of his cheek. He was already too far gone to swallow.

She set the bottle aside, put him on her shoulder, and began to pat his little back in a steady, rhythmic thump as she continued to rock. One good burp and she’d put him down.

She glanced at the clock.

Johnny had been gone for hours. He would have picked up his brothers at school a long time ago, and she thought they would have come straight home. But they hadn’t.

She was a little worried about what she’d told Johnny. He knew her secret now, and while he seemed very supportive, she was afraid that he’d come to judge her. She wouldn’t stay here if that happened. She couldn’t. No matter what kind of hardship it caused.

Luther grunted and shifted uncomfortably in her arms. The gas on his belly was hurting, but she just kept patting and rocking.

She was dreading the funeral tomorrow and at the same time was so ready for it to be over. They were serving a meal at the church before the service, and even though they didn’t have any family left, her grandfather had made a lot of friends during his lifetime. They would be there and so would she.

Luther finally burped and went limp.

She kissed the side of his cheek, loving the silky-soft feel of baby skin on her lips, and then laid him down in the playpen and covered him up. Bless Peanut Butterman for his thoughtfulness. She paused to make sure Luther was settled and then left him, confident he would be safe in the new bed.

A car passed by out on the street with a radio playing so loud, she could hear the bass thumping from inside the house and hoped it didn’t wake Luther.

Tonight they were eating the ribs and baked beans Ruby had brought, and Dori had made potato salad out of the leftover mashed potatoes from last night. When she got to the kitchen, she rinsed out the baby’s bottle and set it aside to wash with dishes later, then leaned against the cabinet as she looked around the room. It felt like she’d lived a lifetime in the short two days she’d been here. The house was even becoming familiar.

The blue and white floor tiles were clean. The white walls were a little dingy and could have done with a coat of paint. The pale yellow oilcloth on the old wooden table was a bright note in the room, and the pendulum tail on the red rooster clock was still swinging, ticking off time.

It was almost 5:00 p.m. She couldn’t imagine what was keeping Johnny and the boys. Still, they’d have to show up sometime, so she began to set the table.

* * *

Johnny was still in shock. He didn’t know how to cope with the revelation of Dori’s story without wanting to hit something.

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