Happy Meals
Sandy looked around at his son and wife. They both looked so sad. Seth hadn't spoken since they had entered the car and for Seth that always meant there was something up.
There was something up and Sandy couldn't deny it. Kirsten had been crying herself to sleep every night since they had got the phone call.
They had all known that Kirsten's mom had been sick for some time. It just wasn't until she collapsed in the street that anyone really realised that something was seriously wrong. Kirsten had been beside herself when Caleb had phoned, letting them know what was really wrong with her.
None of them had expected that she would have any form of cancer and the news had rattled them all up. Seth was only 5 and he could sense the tense atmosphere surrounding the three of them. He'd responded by clinging onto both of them as much as he could. He'd follow Sandy around the house and wouldn't be distracted by videos or comics.
He didn't understand what ovarian cancer was. Neither word meant anything to him but he understood that mommy was sad.
Sandy looked up at the sign above the freeway, signalling a nearby McDonalds. He felt his stomach begin to grumble.
"Who's hungry?" he asked. When he got no reply, he signalled for the exit. "Well I'm famished. What do you say Seth?" He turned around to face him.
Seth nodded, a smile creeping onto his lips when he saw the sign. "Can I get a happy meal?" he asked and Sandy could see his eyes lighting up at the request.
"Sure, how about you sweetie?" He turned to Kirsten.
She gave him a brief nod, giving a small smile to her son's enthusiasm.
Seth began busying himself with what the free toy would be, his mind already drifting from his depression.
As they were parking, Sandy noticed a woman shrieking at her son to be quiet. Her other son leaned against the car, looking utterly bored. The boy she was shrieking at had tears glowing at the corner of his eyes and he looked completely humiliated by his mother. He glanced quickly at Sandy before looking away again.
"Poor kid," Sandy muttered as he helped Seth out of the car.
Seth began leaping down the sidewalk to McDonalds.
Sandy slipped a couple of coins into his wife's hand. He knew how much she wanted to know what was going on.
"Go call your dad, Seth and I will get you something." He pushed her gently towards a vacant phone box.
She nodded and gave him a wane smile. He kissed her gently on the forehead and put his arms around her. She melted into the touch, her blonder hair falling in front of her face.
"Eww, you two are so gross. Come on daddy, I need to get my toy." Small hands pushed them apart and Kirsten gave a little laugh as Sandy was dragged off. It was nice to hear that sound again.
Seth pulled him over to the fast food restaurant and Sandy felt his nose being assaulted by cheap grease. Seth stood by the poster advertising the toys that were available in the happy meals. He was trying hard to work out which toy would be the best to receive.
Sandy chuckled at the sight of his thoughtful face. He led Seth through the doors and made his way to an open till.
"One happy meal with chicken nuggets and two cheese burgers please." Sandy looked away from Seth as he ordered. When he turned back he did a double take. He was gone. He looked wildly around, his heart starting to beat faster.
"Hey, did you see where my kid went?" He asked the man waiting in the queue behind him.
The man looked him up and down before pointing at a point a couple of feet away. "Is that him?" he asked.
It was that family again, the eldest son still stood several feet away from his mother who held a death grip on her blonde son's arm. He cringed at the sight of Seth talking animatedly to the three of them. The little blonde boy looked intrigued by this new child. The mother looked downright pissed at the disruption.
"Yep that's him," he murmured. He looked worriedly at the woman and the way she was glaring at Seth.
Suddenly the food couldn't get here fast enough. Call this "fast food," it was more like "slow food." He tapped his finger impatiently and thanked the server half heartedly once it was finally ready.
He held the tray in one hand, ignoring the fact that he'd forgotten to ask for fries for he and Kirsten. He always seemed to do that and Seth was very strict over who got to eat his.
"Hey Seth, who's your new friend," The blonde boy had managed to get away from his mother and the two boys were now sitting at a table together. Seth was obviously doing much of the talking but the other boy watched him with big blue eyes.
The little boy froze as Sandy came near and put the tray on the table. His eyes watched Sandy, wide and innocent. Sandy couldn't help seeing the darkening bruise on his arm from where his mother had been holding him so tightly.
He started to get up but Sandy stopped him. "Hey, no it's okay. You can come and sit with us."
He sat back down and looked at his hands. He didn't seem bothered at all by the bruise and Sandy began to feel a little sick to the stomach.
"This is Ryan," Seth stated. He grabbed his food off the tray and began stuffing fries into his mouth.
"Hi Ryan," The boy barely looked up at him and Sandy could see him shaking slightly.
"Ryan, come on," Sandy turned to see the boy's brother coming over to him.
The little boy looked sadly at Seth for a split second before standing up.
"Bye Ryan," Seth called out to him and he got a brief smile in return.
"Yes, bye Ryan." Sandy added.
Inside he felt worry gnawing at him. He was worried about how little that bruise had bothered him. He was worried about how scared the boy had looked when he'd gone over to sit with him and Seth. He didn't want to think what had happened to that little boy.
He heard the woman's high pitched voice sailing over the room. He turned and noticed the boy, Ryan, being scolded once again.
Ryan looked at him for a split second before staring at his feet. Sandy felt a pang in his chest. The boy couldn't have been much older than Seth.
He listened half heartedly to Seth's imaginative games with his new plastic toy. He could hear snatches of what the woman was shouting.
"You father…jail…can't…every second…"
He was about to go over, try and help the kid but just as he was getting up, he noticed Kirsten coming in.
She was frantically running her fingers through her hair.
Sandy got up quietly and went over to her. Seth was still preoccupied with his toy.
"Honey, what is it?"
He could see fresh tears forming and he pulled her into his arms.
"She collapsed again. The ambulance just took her to the hospital."
In that moment, the little blonde boy was cast to the back of his mind and in his place were Kirsten and Seth.
He saw Seth look up and pale at the sight of his mother's tears. Sandy sighed when he saw tears forming in his eyes now.
He gestured for Seth to come over and he gently steered Kirsten out of the restaurant and back into the passenger seat of the car.
xxx
The plastic toy lay forgotten on the table. The little blonde boy went over and picked it up, holding it in one hand. His mom hadn't bought him a "happy meal." He and Trey had had only a box of fries between them. He pocketed the toy and followed his mom and brother out of the restaurant.
The End.