The First Boy I Loved by Cheryl Reavis

Author:Cheryl Reavis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BelleBooks Inc.
Published: 2014-01-09T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

GILLIAN SAT STARING at the still unopened box on the patio table, but she wasn’t thinking about Tucker. She was thinking about Donegan, who had all but disappeared from June’s townhouse and from the orphanage. At first she thought it might be because he’d taken it upon himself to talk to Mae without consulting her—until she realized that avoiding a confrontation was hardly his style. In the end, she could only conclude that he had better things to do than dally with one of his “guilt trip” clients. She’d said it herself. Saigon must be full of “kind women.”

She could hear Mae coming back from the orphanage, her progress through the house to the refrigerator for some bottled water and then to the television to turn it on, purely for the company. After a few moments, she turned the television off again.

Gillian looked around as Mae came out on the patio.

“So how was your day?” she asked, careful to keep—she hoped—from sounding as if she were alluding to anything other than Mae’s afternoon of bathing small children. She was relieved that Mae was getting out more. It was just possible that her talk with Donegan had actually been helpful, whatever his credentials might be.

“It was good,” Mae said with a brightness that was perhaps a little less forced today than it had been yesterday. “Another toilet broke, though. Mr. Donegan wasn’t there to fix it.”

“Where’s June?” Gillian asked to keep from trying to uncover the details of his absence. She had opted not to go to the orphanage today precisely because of how much she hoped he would be there—clearly a wasted gesture on her part.

“She’s going to do... something... meet a gallery owner her daughter knows at... somewhere,” Mae said. “Maybe it’s like a drink or a semi-date or something.”

Gillian gave her a look, and Mae smiled.

“I wasn’t paying attention.”

“No kidding,” Gillian said.

Mae looked at the box on the table. “I saw that before. It’s really... old, isn’t it?”

“Yes. I brought it along with me from home.”

“Why?”

“Because I need to start dealing with some things.”

“You mean the getting your heart ripped out stuff?”

“Yes. I thought now was as good a time as any.”

“So... what’s in it?”

“I don’t know exactly. I’ve never really looked.”

“Never?”

“I opened it the day I got it, but I didn’t get very far.”

“Why not?”

“I was too young. And too sad. The only way I knew to handle what I was feeling was to try to close the door on it and pretend it wasn’t there.”

“But you didn’t stay sad. Because I never thought you acted sad.”

“Actually, I think I’ve just been rattling along sort of... unfinished.”

“I know what that feels like,” Mae said.

Mae pulled up a chair, and they sat for a time in silence.

“I’m ready to open the door now,” Gillian said because she had finally made up her mind.

“Oh. Well, I’ve got a bunch of homework to do...”

“No, I’d like you to stay. Moral support,” she said, working hard to make her voice sound normal.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.