CHAPTER THREE
~ May 2010 ~
Gary shut the lid on the freezer and leaned against it. They had enough casseroles and lasagnes for a couple of months and desserts for longer. In the haze of his shock and grief he was amazed at the kindness of people he barely knew. The funeral was over and he'd shown the last of the mourners out, leaving him alone with his thoughts as he spent half an hour reorganizing the fridge in the kitchen and the freezer in the garage to accommodate all of the gifts of food.
Neither he, Donnie nor Trey wouldn't have to cook for ages which was probably a good thing because he didn't know how he was going to do it. His wife and his dog were gone and it was only the boys keeping him holding on. He had no idea how make a good life for them. Who knew what they thought of him but it probably wasn't good.
The police insisted on an autopsy which confused and annoyed Gary. It meant that her wake had to be delayed nearly a week and he wanted neither the Garners, his boys nor himself to be stuck in waiting-for-the-funeral limbo. It was a disconcerting dichotomy which made no sense: if there was no service maybe he wouldn't have to say goodbye; but he wanted to get the public stuff over with so he could be alone in his misery.
He quickly tired of comforting other people who came to the house expressing shock and grief. That in itself was as confusing as hell. He was blown away and appreciated the effort people made to offer him their heartfelt sympathy, pushing through their awkwardness and discomfort but not quite overcoming their feelings of inadequacy at the clichéd words they spoke. There was nothing they could say to make it better but struggling to say anything touched his heart and he appreciated every word.
He knew he didn't own sole rights to grief and that there were many others grieving as well. What he couldn't bear were the ones who sucked the life out of him with their needy displays. He had more important things to do than suffer the histrionics of the family drama queens. Which reminded him of the boys and how he was going to repair the damage he'd done to them in the last week.
Three days after Kim and Harry died Gary was in the back yard putting away the lawn mower when Officer Sumpter walked through the gate.
"Hi Mr. Fuller, your son said I could find you back here." He said kindly as he removed his hat and held it in his hands.
Gary huffed with the effort of shifting the heavy water barrel closer to the down spout of the garage, "Hello, what can I do for you Officer?"
"Can we sit down a moment? I wanted to bring you up to date on your wife's case."
"Case? What case? I thought it was a traffic accident. When did it become a case?" Gary pulled off his work gloves and tossed them on the picnic table. "Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink? I've got some ice tea."
Officer Sumpter shifted his nightstick and sat down at the picnic table looking awkward and uncomfortable. "We couldn't say much before because of the investigation, and we wanted to make sure there was no room for error or appeal –"
"Appeal? What in the world are you talking about? What appeal?" Gary pulled another bottle of Arizona Ice Tea out of the cooler and handed it to the policeman.
Officer Sumpter patiently waited for Gary to sit comfortably before continuing. "This afternoon we arrested the driver of the truck that hit your wife's car. He's been charged with impaired driving causing death, failing to yield, and a number of other traffic offences. While nothing is ever guaranteed when it goes to court, we're confident the driver is going to be put away for a while.
Gary looked at him, shell shocked. No one said anything about another driver being involved. Her car flipped into a drainage ditch and he thought she'd just lost control and gone off the road. His mind raced as he tried to process all that the cop told him. Kim's death wasn't an accident, it was murder. Any asshole who got behind the wheel after drinking was a damn murderer.
"What happens next?" Gary voice sounded far away to his own ears.
The police officer explained the normal procedures and what he could expect. Gary was warned that he may be called to testify about Kim's state of mind when she left the house and then make a bereaved family member statement at the time of sentencing but otherwise he would not be imposed upon.
Gary snorted at the thought of not being imposed upon. What a ludicrous phrase! Imposed upon, like hell. The whole mess was an imposition against God and man. He shook his head and nodded and tried to appear like he was coherent. Eventually Officer Sumpter left and Gary doubted he'd ever remember even a quarter of what was said.
He went back to putting the lawnmower away and snorted again as the thought of impositions returned. Something snapped within him and he raged out of control. He ripped the double doors off and roared as he smashed the windows of the shed. He grabbed the sledge hammer and wailed against every surface and every object within reach. He crumpled into a mangled lump in the middle of the ruins, sobbing and screaming at the sky.
Completely drained, he stilled and closed his eyes. He tried to remember how to breathe normally, to get his heart to stop jackhammering inside his chest. Every bone and muscle in his body ached and the bitter metallic taste in his mouth sickened him. He wanted to run away; to get in the car and drive to a place where there were no other human beings. No one to love, no one to worry about and no one to kill his family.
But that's not the way things worked and even if it was, there was no way in hell he'd leave his boys. He was all they had and he'd never orphan them. He'd lay down his life in defense of them but he would never put it at risk for his own sake.
Resigned to finding a way to cope with pain and being the parent his children needed he looked at what he had done. He was mortified by the wanton destruction he'd visited on the shed he'd built with help of The Grands. He looked up to see two pale, terrified faces - the only reasons he'd try and hold things together – staring and revolted by him. Donnie and Trey had witnessed their father go violently berserk.
"Donnie, Trey. I'm sorry. It's alright, I won't hurt you. Boys, it's gonna be okay." He walked to them, to reassure and comfort them but Donnie panicked.
"Get away from me!" Donnie screamed, running into the house and locking the door.
Trey stood staring at his father, mouth agape. At eleven years old he looked like a young, masculine version of Kim and had her way of looking right through Gary to skewer him where he stood. With a shaky voice he said, "Guess you can't complain about my room anymore, huh?"
Gary chuckled awkwardly, "No, no I guess I can't. Trey, I'm really sorry – I didn't mean to scare you and your brother."
"It's okay Dad, I'm pretty mad too. Hey, is there another shed I can wreck?" Trey's teasing tone belied his wan face and darting eyes.
"Maybe we can find something a little less expensive for you to take a whack at." Gary opened his arms and offered Trey a hug, holding his breath to see if it would be accepted.
Trey launched himself into his father's embrace. He needed the safety and security of his father's fiercely protective love to shelter and reassure him. He knew his dad must miss his mom a whole lot to be so upset but he was upset too and needed his dad more than anything he'd ever needed in his life.
"Dad? Can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah little buddy, of course."
"How come I miss her so much when I only saw her on weekends and maybe sometimes for an ice cream or something in the week? How come it hurts so bad?" Trey asked as tears streamed down his cheeks and soaked his dad's shirt.
"I dunno Trey. But it sure does hurt a lot, doesn't it?" He held on tightly to his son, cradling the back of his head in his big hand. "Maybe it's because before we always knew she'd be home soon but now we know she won't be. That hurts me right through to my soul, Trey." Gary said quietly.
"Me too Dad. My soul hurts." Trey sobbed and melted into his dad's familiar hug. "Dad, will it ever stop?"
"I'm no expert but I think we'll get used to it. The missing her will always be there but we'll have room for other things too. She would freak out on our heads if we didn't find a way to love life and live good lives and I think we will. But the sadness will always have a spot too, just not so bad that it ruins things."
They stood quietly, holding each other and trying to imagine a future without Kim where they could feel happiness again.
"Speaking of ruining things. Um, Dad, you kinda ruined the shed. You were kinda like the Hulk or something. For a second I thought you were gonna go all smash on me and Donnie." Trey waffled between being nervous and snickering.
"I was angry but I could never get so mad as to attack you or Donnie like that. You know me, I might yell at you guys but I'd never hurt you." He paused and let Trey think about it for a moment. "Yeah, I really did a number on the shed. Oh boy, Mom would be pissed."
Trey snickered, "Oh yeah. You'd be grounded for a month for that little stunt. Dad, go to your room! No tv, no computer and no ice cream for a month – no, two months."
"Daaaaaaad, puh-leeeeeeez. Don't take away my ice cream!" Gary mocked as he ruffled Trey's hair and kissed the top of his head, a bitter sweet smile on his lips.
"Dad? Can I ask you a question?"
"Always."
"What made you so mad? Did the policeman do something?"
Gary closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had no idea how much was too much to tell an 11 year old boy about a drunk driver killing his mother. His sons had dealt with issues he'd wished they'd not had to and had a level of maturity in some things well beyond their years. Donnie was 13 and probably close to parties with drinking, maybe they'd reached the right time for full disclosure.
"The officer gave me some news that upset me a lot. It's something that I need to explain to you and Donnie. Let's go in and I'll tell you everything, okay?" Gary asked and almost wished Trey would say it wasn't okay and that he didn't want to hear it.
"Good luck with Donnie. He's not into the talking thing lately. He's probably back in his room staring at the wall again." Trey grimaced. Gary and Trey walked arm in arm to the front of the house because Donnie had locked the back door.
"Stay here while I go get Donnie." Gary slowly climbed the stairs, worried about his son and unsure how to reach him. Donnie hadn't spoken since they learned Kim died other than to yell at him about the shed a few minutes earlier. He knocked on Donnie's door and waited, to no avail. He knocked again and again there was no answer.
"I'm coming in Donnie." He paused and slowly opened the door. His heart broke as he caught sight of Donnie's face before he turned his back to his father. Tear stains streaked his cheeks and his eyes were deep, dark circles of baleful misery. "You okay, Bud?"
Donnie snorted but didn't turn back to face his father or indicate any intention of speaking.
Gary sucked in a breath and dove in, "The police officer came to tell us something important this afternoon. Come downstairs so I can tell you and Trey about it. There's … ah … there's a tray of those black and white brownies you like. Mrs. McGee dropped them off this morning." He gave Donnie a brief small smile and turned to leave. He hung onto the door and hesitated, "Donnie, you know you can talk to me about anything … whatever you're thinking about or if you have any questions … I'll do my best for you." He tapped his thumb silently on the door and hoped Donnie would at least acknowledge him. He waited until the awkwardness was so thick he could cut with a knife. "Okay … come on down. It's … it's important Donnie."
Before the accident Donnie was angry most of the time. After the accident he was vacant. He wouldn't respond to anything when Gary was near but he saw the evidence of heavy emotion when no one was looking. It didn't take a Ph.D. in psychology to imagine the weight of the last time his son saw his mother. Donnie had been ornery with his Mom for weeks, pushing her away and refusing her affection. Gary couldn't imagine how his eldest son must have felt; well, he could imagine it and it broke his heart.
Gary waited for over an hour for Donnie to emerge from his room. He finished cleaning the kitchen, emptied the recycling collector and did a load of laundry. He had been debating whether or not to go back up to Donnie's room when he shuffled into the kitchen and plunked down on a chair. Donnie wouldn't make eye contact with anyone and gave the impression he wasn't listening but Gary saw tiny expressions which let him know Donnie was paying attention after all.
It seemed impossible to comprehend, but Donnie appeared to be relieved by the news of the drunk driver, multiplying Gary's concern for him by a thousand. After the wake he would devote all his efforts to getting his kids through the nightmare their lives had become.
If there was such a thing as a convenient time of year to have a family tragedy, they found it. Kim died five weeks before summer break and with the timing of his bereavement leave, Gary's was off work to the end of the school year. There were a truckload of details and paperwork needed to settle Kim's affairs and it was small mercies that he didn't have to teach on top of everything else.
The funeral behind them and the most urgent paperwork filed, Gary turned his attention to his sons. Trey was open with his feelings, able to express himself better than the average eleven year old and seek comfort when he needed it. Years of family therapy for coping with Kim's illness had given him emotional awareness and vocabulary that any adult would be proud of.
Donnie, however, was not so easily reached. He had the same years of family therapy plus his own private therapy to deal with attachment issues which occasionally resurfaced. However, he turned inward, not letting his father or his therapist in. He occasionally talked to Trey but not for long and never in any real depth. He stayed in his room watching old movies and playing with his camera. The only time Gary could get him out of the house during the summer of 2010 was when he went to visit his Grandparents'. It was a long, sad summer and Gary worried for Donnie's school year. Would he hang out with friends or stay locked in his own head? Would he even bother with school work or would he let his grades go down the toilet?
~ Fall 2010 ~
Gary needn't have worried about Donnie and school. His interest in movies and cameras led him to the Visual Arts Club and he maintained his place on the honor roll. It was a relief for Gary to see his son take interest in things and participate in his own life. Gary did his best to encourage him, giving him a new computer with video editing software and tried to talk to him without pushing.
Donnie wasn't interested in being pals with his dad. Dad never should have let Mom leave; he should have helped Mom get better at home. Even if she needed a little break, she would have been able to come home way sooner if Dad had've been a better husband. If she lived at home she never would have been driving to the apartment that night. If she lived at home he wouldn't have been so frustrated with her and turned away when she tried to tell him she loved him. If she lived at home she'd know that her oldest son loved her instead of thinking he hated her when she died.
On parent-teacher night Gary couldn't believe Donnie's teachers were talking about his son. He was a quiet boy always willing to help; had a wicked, dry sense of humour; was immensely creative and talented; and was a valued student. At school there was no trace of the sullen, sarcastic, snappish, withdrawn kid he knew at home. At least that was something positive.
Trey was in his glory at school. He loved being the most senior grade in his elementary school and able to do older kid stuff without the kindergarteners cramping his style. His priorities were as plain as the nose on his face with first progress report showing A's in music and art but C's and a B or two in his other subjects. Trey loved music and revolved his life around it, thankfully with instruments which didn't try Gary's sanity. Trey had times of immense grief, usually seeking out Gary for solace and in general he was a creative boy who expressed himself freely, keeping nothing bottled up. There were times Gary thought a little bottling might not go amiss because Trey could say outrageous things at inopportune times. He grinned and grimaced recollecting Trey's latest outbursts with the neighbours.
Thanksgiving marked six months since Kim died and caught Gary by surprise. It was overwhelming to consider the holidays without her. Even when she'd been in the apartment she organized Christmas. Gary had no idea how he was going to pull it off and wasn't sure he even wanted to. He called a family meeting and received agreement from Trey and an under the breath "whatever" from Donnie that they should keep things quiet and simple.
Christmas Eve Gary found Donnie in his room watching movies as per usual. But this time Gary looked a little closer to see what Donnie was watching and noticed it was old family movies. It tugged at his heart, he dearly wanted to sit and share those memories with Donnie but he was neither invited nor welcome. He slipped out of the doorway of his son's room and quietly made his way downstairs.
Trey decided to tuck in early but Gary saw flickering light spilling out from under his door. Ebullient Trey was subdued and solitary on Christmas, piercing Gary's heart and leaving him wishing for a time machine.
Three fingers of his favourite scotch and White Christmas on tv rounded out his Christmas Eve. Alone with a drink watching the movie Kim always put on to assemble and wrap presents was a terrible way to spend the evening. He wished he'd taken up one of the many offers he'd received to spend Christmas with family or friends. He dozed off on the couch and slept fitfully, his dreams frustrating and angst filled.
Trey woke him up by poking him in the shoulder and softly asking "Did Santa come?" His eyes were glassy with unshed tears.
"Yeah, Santa was here Trey. Let's wait for Donnie before we start looking though, okay?" Gary gave him a small smile and held out his arm for Trey to snuggle in.
"You know I'm going to be 12 soon, right?" He looked up to see Gary nod. "Well, I don't think 12 year old boys snuggle with their dads anymore." He sighed heavily and wiggled in closer to Gary's side.
"Hmm. I have heard something about that. I guess you're going to have to make a choice, huh?" Gary asked.
"A choice? 'bout what?" Trey was confused.
"Well the way I see it, you've got a couple of options. You could go along with that rule; you could grab all the extra hugs now before your birthday; or you could be your own man and have as many damn hugs as often as you damn well want to."
"DAAAAAD! You're not supposed to swear! You're gonna have to hit the swear jar … AGAIN." Trey snickered.
"I prefer to think of it as my retirement fund jar. There's gonna be more money in that damn thing than my damn pension." Gary poked Trey in the side.
"Dad, you're doing that on purpose!" He tilted back and shook his head at his naughty father. He laid back down against Gary and heaved several heavy, dramatic breaths. "Dad?"
"Mmm?"
"Do you really think I can just kinda have hugs if I want them even when I'm 12?" His voice was a uniquely Trey combination of doubt and hope.
"Oh, absolutely. I guess I've never told about … no, you don't want to know that. You wouldn't be interested." Gary hummed and grinned as he felt Trey fidget.
"Aw, you can tell me. I'm here for you Dad." Trey's curiosity wiggled its way through him.
"Well, you'll have to swear to secrecy. This is a big one and you've got to keep it for the rest of your life. Well, the one exception is that you can tell your sons." Gary's voice was dramatically conspiratorial.
"I promise. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye. I won't tell anybody Dad. Honest. You can tell me." Trey sat up and stared at his father expectantly.
"Fuller men have a code. If you look your father or brother in the eye and wink twice with your left eye you can have a hug for as long as you need as soon as no one else is looking, no questions asked." Gary whispered.
Trey stared at him for a minute and burst out laughing. "You're joking me Dad! You're crazy!"
"Well … maybe. The thing is, there's no age limit on hugs Trey. I don't care if you're 13 or 300, we hug in this family. Got it?" Gary smiled down at his son and squeezed him in bear hug.
They were giggling and wouldn't have stopped but Donnie interrupted. "Anything for breakfast? I'm kind of hungry."
Gary saw a variety of emotions flicker across his son's face but couldn't figure out their meaning. Whatever was going on in Donnie, it didn't look like it was good for him.
"Why yes, sir. We have, for your dining pleasure, breakfast wraps, orange juice and candy canes." Gary grinned, hoping to cheer Donnie up.
"Good. Do you want to do presents now or after breakfast? Mom always –" His eyes widened and his lips snapped shut. A deep flush rolled up his face as he stammered, "Just lemme know when it's ready." He turned around and flew up the stairs to his room.
They survived Christmas. It wasn't as horrible as any of them had dreaded and only a few tears were shed. Kim had loved the holidays and it felt wrong to make it a terrible one so, in her honor, they did their best. Gary's heart was warmed by Donnie's gift to Trey. All those hours locked in his room looking at old home movies hadn't been simple sentimentality. Donnie had made a 'best of' dvd for Trey which gave him a wonderful video account of their mother's love and humor, with as many clips of her and Trey as he could find. He'd made one for Grampa Garner too, bringing tears to everyone's eyes.
On Christmas night Gary braved the Indianapolis cold and sat out in the back yard. He stared up at the overcast sky wishing there was at least a few stars to talk to.
"Kim, we made it through. We didn't mangle Christmas too badly. You'd be proud of Donnie and Trey. It was hard on them but they wanted to make you proud. Donnie made these amazing movies of you for Trey and your Dad, I wish you could see them Kim, he loves you so much and it was so clear in the videos. Our boy is hurting Kimmy, and I don't know what to do. He's mad at me which is fine, he needs something to focus that anger on and it's better that it's me instead of himself or, heaven forbid, Trey. Sometimes it hurts though, sometimes I just want him to stop pushing me away. He doesn't like doing it Kim, I can tell. He gave me this old tarnished tie clip that he either found or got in a pawn shop and looked pleased at my confusion when I opened it but I saw him, Kim, I saw the mask drop and regret flashed through him before he could get it back up. He meant to hurt me and when he realized he did, he felt bad. I know he's still in there, somewhere. Watch out for him Kim, nudge him a little if you can. He's so consumed with guilt, help him understand you knew he loved you. Kids don't get that, they feel bad but have no idea how important it is for their love to be accepted … he thinks you think he hated you and it's tearing him up. Aww Kim, I wish you were here. I wish you could do that thing where you rubbed my temples and took all the worry away. I wish you were here so we could all just hug it out. I wish you were here so we could sneak upstairs and get warm, if you know what I mean. I miss you Kimmy, I miss you so much." Gary sat staring blankly up at the formless sky, watching his breath swirl and rise. The world was still and calm but his heart was moaning and writhing in pain – pain for his sons and for himself. He sat until his fingers and toes ached from the cold and trudged back into the house, relieved to have made it through Christmas and wondered how he was going to make it through the rest of his life.
The Fullers struggled through the rest of the school year, awkwardly forging ahead. Trey immersed himself in his music, excelling at it and basking in the praise he received. Donnie reluctantly emerged from his self-imposed exile in his bedroom but hadn't softened towards Gary. He was hyper-sensitive to everything Gary said and did, assuming criticism where none existed, and impatience when it was only comfort which was offered. Donnie hid behind a well-crafted "nothing I ever do is good enough for you" façade with his father, rarely giving an inch towards reconciling their relationship.
Gary dove into work, keeping himself as busy as possible so that he didn't have time on his hands to think or to feel. He could go on auto-pilot with his hectic schedule, knowing where he was supposed to be and what he was supposed to be doing every hour of every day. He hoped that after the one year anniversary of Kim's passing that there might be chinks in Donnie's armor. That first year was a bastard; first Thanksgiving, first birthdays, first Easter, first Mother's Day, all of those firsts without Kim. Maybe after those firsts were successfully navigated, Donnie would see … maybe.
~ Summer 2011 ~
But Donnie didn't let up, he didn't – couldn't – see his father doing everything he could to reach out to him. His guilt and pain were knotted up tightly and encased in a Gary shaped weight around his heart.
Gary took the boys camping in The Alleghenies over summer break and for most of the trip contempt rippled off Donnie in waves. There were times Gary was certain he saw a flicker of need in Donnie's eyes, a glimpse at the boy who had always relied on his Dad to keep his world safe, a peek at the boy Donnie had been before Kim had to move out. But it was fleeting and Donnie's contemptuous martyr attitude was beginning to wear on Gary.
School couldn't start soon enough. Gary didn't know how much more of Donnie's attitude he could take without snapping back; he'd bit his tongue so many times he had a permanent canker. He loved his son dearly but was beginning to think he didn't like him very much; Donnie's corrosive attitude was wearing him down.
~ Fall 2001 ~
Gary sighed with relief as he pulled his office chair closer to the desk so that he could review the staff assigned to his English department. To be back at work was just what the doctor ordered! The Fuller family dove right into the school year, each in their own worlds which occasionally orbited each other's.
Gary enjoyed the return of his staff and welcomed one new full time teacher and one long term substitute. They had a good mix of personalities and experience which made for interesting department meetings. The young woman who was subbing for Nancy Callies' disability leave was a lot of fun. Leah had a quick mind and a biting wit which Gary found difficult to keep from laughing at in many meetings. Her students loved her and it was clear she loved teaching. Nancy had big shoes to fill when she got back, no doubt the class would be loath to part with Leah. When it crossed his mind, he thought he'd miss Leah when she moved on too. Perhaps he could put in a word for her with the admin office and she could pick up other sub openings in the school once Nancy returned.
As the fall moved on, Gary spent an increasing amount of time at school. He was ashamed to admit that it was easier to be a workaholic than to face constant censure from Donnie and occasionally from Trey too. He hired a housekeeper who took care of the cleaning, laundry, shopping and made dinner for them each week night. It was a perfect arrangement as far as Gary was concerned: less complaining from the boys and less stress for Gary. Mavis left each night at 6:00, the boys having had eaten, the dishes washed and a plate for Gary warming in the oven. It wasn't a great family life, but it made things easier for the time being.
Gary told himself that with time, the hostilities would end and his sons would allow him to be part of their lives again. He told himself that he was doing them a favour by not smothering them with his forced presence. He told himself that he had to provide for his boys and to do that he had to work hard for a promotion. He told himself that they needed a little independence. He told himself that they didn't miss him anyway. He told himself it didn't matter that he laughed at work far more than he did at home.
Leah recently moved from Oklahoma to Indianapolis for the substitute teaching position. She figured that once she got her foot in the door, it would be easier to find a job and even if all she did was sub, at least she'd have that on her resume when applying for full time positions. Without family or friends in Indianapolis Leah tended to work late, often being the second last person to leave. Gary always gave her a friendly smile and wave as she left each day.
By Thanksgiving Gary and Leah had fallen into a comfortable pattern of eating lunch together and checking in with each other before they left at the end of the day. Gary mentored Leah in finding a permanent teaching position and gave her tips for enjoying their city. Leah told him anecdotes of her brothers back home and her literary vacations. Each year she took a trip somewhere in the world based on a story or author and had funny little snippets to share about each one.
At the Thanksgiving staff party spirits were high and inhibitions slightly loosened by a little bit of wine.
"Hey Gary. There's a production of The Old Man and the Sea at the Indiana Rep Theatre. You wouldn't want to go would you?" Leah asked and quickly looked down at her shoes. No amount of wine could mask the nervous tapping of her fingernails on the glass or the way she chewed on her lip.
Gary's brows knit together as he opened and closed his mouth twice before any words came out. "Um, yeah … I'd love to see that. You know my weakness for Hemingway." He chuckled and the lightheaded whirring in his head which was making him dizzy had nothing to do with the wine. If he wasn't mistaken, and he wasn't, he'd just been asked out on a date. His chuckle turned into a huge grin and he spent the rest of the evening trying to play it cool, as if he wasn't nervous, excited and flattered.
Leah's eyes sparkled with relief and excitement when Gary not only accepted her invitation but made it crystal clear he was happy about it. Her crush on him started somewhere around the second week of school but he was so reserved she could never get a sense of whether or not he might find her interesting. She was pretty sure he did, but figured out he'd never ask her out. After several failed attempts, she screwed up her courage and risked it all, with happy results.
At the end of the staff party Gary walked her to her car and they stood looking awkwardly at each other. Gary raked his hand through his hair and his lips quirked up on one side, he wanted to say something but words escaped him. Him, the English teacher and writer wanna-be! He couldn't think of a single thing to say.
Leah grinned and quickly rested her hand on his arm as she went up on tip toe to kiss him on the cheek. "G'night Gary. See you on Monday?"
"Yeah. Monday. G'night Leah." He stood there grinning at her like a fool.
"Bless your heart! See you then." She giggled and got in her car to drive away.
Before the Storm
Page 9 of 9
