Out of Esau by Michelle Webster-Hein

Author:Michelle Webster-Hein
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781640094130
Publisher: Catapult
Published: 2022-09-02T00:00:00+00:00

36

On Tuesday evening at dinner, Susan asked, “So what are we going to do about Thanksgiving this year?”

Randy had been watching Susan closely ever since he’d intercepted the letter from the pastor. If anything, she seemed steadier, calmer, warmer toward him, more resolved. For dinner she had made spaghetti, which she knew he loved, and she’d called “hello” when he’d come in the door. At the beginning of dinner, she told Lukas to tell his daddy about the project he had finished at school that day. And then, Susan’s question.

“Why are you asking me?” he said. “I don’t even know when it is.”

“Randy. It’s two days from now.”

“So?”

“So, it’s a holiday. People have talked about it at work, haven’t they?”

Randy hated it when Susan talked to him like this, like he had no idea what was going on, especially because most of the time he didn’t. “Yeah, Suzy,” he said. “We’ve been discussing our holiday plans over tea and crumpets.”

“You haven’t talked about it? At all?” Her voice was unbelieving.

“I’m sure it’s the same as any other year. We can take the day off for holiday pay, or we can work it for time and a half.”

“So?”

“So what?”

“So what are you going to do?” Susan’s tone told Randy what an annoyance he was. His arms strained, and his chest tightened.

“Why’s it matter?” he said.

She fixed him with a look. “Because I need to tell my mom who’s going to be there. And I thought, if you weren’t working, maybe we could invite your dad again.”

“Great,” Randy said.

“What?”

It was Randy’s turn to send Susan a look.

“He’s getting older, Randy. He’s not going to be around forever.”

“There’s a tragedy.”

“Randy, I’m trying to do the right thing. I don’t want to spend time with him any more than you do. But he’s lonely. He’s old and alone, and he’s lonely.”

“He should be. He’s earned it.”

“Randy, are you going to work that day or not?”

“If those are my only options, I’ll work.”

“I didn’t say we had to invite your dad.”

“Hanging out with your dad’s not much better.”

“What choice do I have?” Susan pushed back her chair and began slamming plates into a stack. Willa jerked her head at Lukas, and they scampered off toward their bedroom.

A little flame of fear leaped up inside Randy and began to burn. Ever since he’d read the letter, he’d been afraid of Susan’s anger, of going too far. He pushed down his fear and said what he most wanted to say anyway. “Well, I do have a choice. And I’m going to work.”

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