Secrets of the Night
Brenna was still cooling off as they loaded groceries into the car with the help of a teenage boy named Evan. Jason was laughing with him like usual, as if he hadn't just given an earful more than necessary to the good church-going citizens of Bath. Brenna slammed a bag of grapes into the back, and looked around hoping no one but Jason was aware of her little tantrum. In the distance she saw a small curly haired boy turn the corner, looking all too like the dream boy from the night before. Brenna abandoned the groceries and walked slowly toward the corner. When she walked around the edge, there were a couple of teenagers smoking cigarettes. Too slowly they hid the cancer sticks behind their backs and coughed to cover the smoke seeping out of their mouths. There was no little boy.
"What's up buttercup?" Jason asked sliding up and wrapping an arm lazily around her waste.
"Nothing," Brenna shrugged him away, and put a smile on for Evan.
"You look like your mom," Evan said slowly then pinched his lips tightly closed.
"You've never met my mom, you are too young." Brenna said staring at the zit-specked teen.
"I've seen pictures." Evan shrugged shyly. "My Pa tried to throw em away, but I pulled em out of the trash."
"How did you get pictures? Who was your Pa?" Brenna asked studying his face for similarities, wondering if his father had been her own.
"Daniel Wyland." Evan shook his head, "You wouldn't have known him well, and he's not well liked. But he married my Ma Amalia Young."
"Amalia Young?" Brenna asked surprised. She had read about Amalia in her mother's diary. Her mother had been in the homecoming court, but Amalia had been queen. Her mother had been the valedictorian, but Amalia had been second. For everything the pair did, one was first and the other was a close second. There had been a picture of the girls together in push up bras with the padding that shows through the fabric, and curlers in their hair. They had been nine or ten, too young to need it, but proud to show it off.
"Yes ma'am," Evan said to his feet. "You look like your Ma."
"What happened to your mother?" Brenna asked quietly hoping to lure him out of the shell he had so easily left for Jason.
"We don't talk about it." Evan said tensely.
"Come on Bren, we don't want things to melt." Jason called to her from the passenger door he was holding open. Then reaching for his pocket as an after thought, he withdrew a $20 bill and slipped it to Evan. The boy's eyes widened, what was nothing to Jason would be a lot to the boy. "Spend it on a pretty girl ok?"
"Spend it on yourself," Brenna clarified as she slipped into her seat. She watched fondly as Jason slipped into his charming big brother mode and tapped the boy on the shoulder. She wondered what they were talking about, but soon Jason was back in his seat starting the car.
"He's going to come by after work and have dinner and help us clean up a bit," Jason announced.
"What's up buttercup?" Jason asked sliding up and wrapping an arm lazily around her waste.
"Nothing," Brenna shrugged him away, and put a smile on for Evan.
"You look like your mom," Evan said slowly then pinched his lips tightly closed.
"You've never met my mom, you are too young." Brenna said staring at the zit-specked teen.
"I've seen pictures." Evan shrugged shyly. "My Pa tried to throw em away, but I pulled em out of the trash."
"How did you get pictures? Who was your Pa?" Brenna asked studying his face for similarities, wondering if his father had been her own.
"Daniel Wyland." Evan shook his head, "You wouldn't have known him well, and he's not well liked. But he married my Ma Amalia Young."
"Amalia Young?" Brenna asked surprised. She had read about Amalia in her mother's diary. Her mother had been in the homecoming court, but Amalia had been queen. Her mother had been the valedictorian, but Amalia had been second. For everything the pair did, one was first and the other was a close second. There had been a picture of the girls together in push up bras with the padding that shows through the fabric, and curlers in their hair. They had been nine or ten, too young to need it, but proud to show it off.
"Yes ma'am," Evan said to his feet. "You look like your Ma."
"What happened to your mother?" Brenna asked quietly hoping to lure him out of the shell he had so easily left for Jason.
"We don't talk about it." Evan said tensely.
"Come on Bren, we don't want things to melt." Jason called to her from the passenger door he was holding open. Then reaching for his pocket as an after thought, he withdrew a $20 bill and slipped it to Evan. The boy's eyes widened, what was nothing to Jason would be a lot to the boy. "Spend it on a pretty girl ok?"
"Spend it on yourself," Brenna clarified as she slipped into her seat. She watched fondly as Jason slipped into his charming big brother mode and tapped the boy on the shoulder. She wondered what they were talking about, but soon Jason was back in his seat starting the car.
"He's going to come by after work and have dinner and help us clean up a bit," Jason announced.