The Family Affair by James Gainer

Author:James Gainer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: gay
Publisher: Raider Publishing International

Chapter 12

THE SUNLIGHT’S GENTLE WARMTH STIRRED ME AWAKE, millions of sunbeams dancing along my face and neck. I stretched, as my body woke. I squeezed my eyes more tightly closed hoping my mind will be fooled into going back to sleep. It was no use. I blinked my eyes repeatedly, trying to adjust to the brightness of the day. 8:15 a.m., the bedside clock told me. Starving I threw on a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt and headed downstairs.

Confusion hit me as I entered the kitchen. There, perched on one of the stools that flanked the island, was Maria, with the morning paper spread out before her and a cup of coffee by her right hand.

“Good morning, sunshine,” she greeted me with a smile.

“Uh, morning,” I said as I rubbed my eyes, trying to make sense of the moment.

“Fresh coffee in the pot.” She gestured for me to pour myself a cup. “Breakfast is in the warming oven.”

“You made me breakfast?” I asked as I opened the warming oven and took out the stainless steel pan.

“Oh, no, Jackie,” she said with a laugh in her voice, “Joe hasn’t let me near a kitchen since our first year of marriage. He prepared it. I’m just the messenger.”

My senses were immediately stimulated with the delightful smell of eggs Benedict and spicy hash browns when I lifted the lid off the pan— my favourite breakfast.

I quickly transferred the contents of the pan to a plate and took a seat across from Maria.

“Not that I’m unhappy to see you, Maria, but what brings you by this morning?” I asked after my appetite was assuaged from the first couple of bites of my breakfast.

“I wanted to see you this morning.”

I looked at the oven clock. “How long have you been here?”

“Oh, I would say about an hour, maybe an hour and a half. Rick let me in. I caught him just as he was leaving. I was so surprised to learn you were still asleep, since you are up before the birds usually,” she said, looking at me.

“I know. I haven’t a clue as to the last time I actually slept this late,” I responded.

“You had a draining day yesterday. How did you sleep?”

“Like a rock. I barely remember getting into bed.”

“How do you feel today?”

I thought about this for a moment before answering. “Peaceful. I think I feel peaceful.”

Maria smiled at me.

“I assume Rick filled you in on my adventures of last night?” I asked.

“He did, indeed.” She chuckled.

“It’s not funny!”

“Oh, but my dear Jackie, it is! Stephen would have found it very amusing,” she added.

“Yes. He would have.” My smile faded from my face as I took a sip of coffee. “Maria, I’m really sorry that you got caught up in the drama my sister created yesterday. It was totally unnecessary.”

“She was just worried about you,” she replied.

“No. The only thing Julie was concerned about was how she would look if something had happened and it looked like she didn’t do anything to prevent it.

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