"Here." He says pulling open the door next to his room revealing a small staircase. I give him one last look before going up.
Everything I have ever owned is in Bosco's attic. I can hear him on the stairs, he shifts his weight from one leg to another.
"You're clothes are over there and in the closet." He points towards my old dresser. "If I get it cleaned up a little, fix some things. You could probably sleep up here."
"Boz.." He kept everything. "How..?"
"Come on, get some clothes on." He huffs starting down the stairs. I open my dresser and everything is right where I left it. I fumble with a pair of jeans that don't fit before opening the closet. I grab a belt and run my fingers across my shirts until I find one that I think won't hang off of me. I pull it out, my fingers touching a plastic garment bag. Knowing what's in there stops me cold.
"Faith come on!" Bosco shouts I pull my hand away before pulling my shirt over my head and meet him on the landing. "Geez you just needed to toss on some-."
He stops and stares at me until I pull my eyes back to the ground.
"What?" He squints his eyes at me.
"Nothing." I lie.
"Faith.." He raises an eyebrow at me before rolling his eyes.
"It's just weird. " I give him a quick smile. "Seeing all the stuff I haven't seen in years."
"I guess it would be." He mutters trying to believe me.
"I thought you were in a hurry?" I remind him and he nods grabbing his keys as he walks through the kitchen.
I watch him while we drive.
"What?" He finally sighs, his eyes never leaving the road.
"Nothing."
"You are full of nothings today." He shakes his head.
"I was just thinking about being in the car with you."
"What about it?" He chances a quick look at me. I automatically watch the road while he does, years of rythm returning more naturally than I would have thought possible.
"It's just.." I shake my head. "Familiar."
He stops at the light, turning to face me again before nodding. We turn into a parking lot and I grin.
"You wanted to show me a strip mall?" I roll my eyes at him and he smiles at me before looking at his watch.
"Come on we still have some time." He opens my door before I have a chance and it makes me laugh.
"That's not so familiar." I laugh. His embarrassed smile makes me smile too, as he takes my hand and pulls me along with him.
He leads me down a stair case and onto the sand.
"So this is South Beach?"
"Yup." He pulls me to the water, and I watch the water lap onto the shore in slow strokes.
"It's pretty."
"It is." He runs his free hand over his hair. "It's not as exciting as Manhattan, but the views are better."
"I can't believe you left the city." I feel him tense beside me, and I'm waiting for his sniping comeback.
"Once you make a move it gets easier and easier to live with it." He says softly, his thumb moving across my knuckles. "You know that."
It's not accusing, not angry, it's just fact when he says it. I turn my head, watching him look out into the water towards the city. He glances at his wrist before looking up at me.
"We can probably go now." He whispers before tugging me back up the steps into the parking lot.
"Is that Emily's car?" I ask tentatively as we pass the tiny red hatchback. "Boz I don't think this is a good-."
"Will you just trust me?" He asks in irritation, spinning around to face me.
I look down at the ground, moving through the door he's holding open.
"Mr. Boscorelli!"
"Hi Jenni." Bosco gives her a quick grin, before her eyes drift to me. "This is Faith, Em's mom. She surprised us with a visit."
I bite down on my lip to keep from laughing. Surprise! He winks at me.
"That's great."
"I was hoping we could get another ticket for next week."
"Only for you Mr. B." She says in a way that Bosco might have thought was seductive five years ago. "I'll get another one."
"Thanks Jenni." He grins before turning to me. "I'll be right back."
"Your ex-husband is great." Jenni tells me watching Bosco walk away. "He's such a good Dad."
"He is." I whisper.
"We put in that two way mirror three years ago so the parents could come and watch." She gestures to one of the walls. "The pre-school parents use it all the time, but he's the only parent of a teenager who ever does."
I'm looking at her when Bosco comes up behind me.
"Come on." He tugs at my hand, bringing me over to the window.
My daughter's sitting on the floor putting her toe shoes on with a woman in sweat shorts and a t-shirt.
"Grace has been working with her on point." He tells me proudly, grinning into the mirror. "It's apparently a really big deal."
Charlie's sitting on a stool in the other corner playing one of those hand held video games that he wasn't allowed to have before.
Grace helps Em up before walking over to the stereo system and turns it on.
And then my daughter starts to dance.
Images of her in frilly costumes as an elementary school-er cross my mind as she moves fluidly around the room. She's amazing. Her face softens as she gazes at herself in the mirror as she flawlessly follows her routine before spinning away.
I take a moment to look at Bosco. His eyes follow her with a look that I can only describe as paternal pride. I watch her end her dance, spiraling carefully down to the floor before coming to a stop.
Grace is clapping wildly as Emily lifts her head and grins almost as big as Bosco.
"Ready?" He asks me, watching Em take off her toe shoes.
"We're not going to wait?"
"He never does." Jenni shakes her head, handing Bosco a blue ticket.
"Thanks." He takes my hand again and I wonder if it's to pull me out the door, or if he actually wants the contact. I stare at him when he leads me back to the car.
"She'd be mortified if she knew I was watching through the pre-school window." He shakes his head. I cup his face with my hand, pressing my lips against his cheek. He blinks at me before looking down at our entwined hands.
"Thank you."
"For what?" He whispers, his eyes meeting mine again.
"Everything." I tell him with a grin, slipping back into the car.
"No." Bosco's shoving things in a duffel bag at record speed. Charlie looks on in mild annoyance, tugging at his boyscout uniform. "I can't believe I forgot about this stupid-."
"Come on." My daughter stomps her foot.
"No Emily. You know the rules." He rubs his face.
"The rules are ridiculous. I'm seventeen."
"Yes you are, which is why you can't stay here alone all night." She sucks in a deep breath a s he finishes the thought. "You're going to my mothers."
"She'll be here." She tells Bosco, chucking her thumb towards the table where I'm sitting.
"Emily." He sighs wearily before finding my eyes. I shrug my shoulder at his silent question. "What's here that isn't at my Ma's?"
"Julie's supposed to come over to work on our history report."
"Perfect, you can go to Julie's. I'll call Sandy from the car." He decides zipping up his duffel bag.
"We're meeting here!" She balks. "I'm supposed to change my plans because you forgot about Charlie's camp out?"
"I was a little preoccupied." Bosco looks back at me, pursing his lips.
"So let her watch me." She growls.
"Emily she's your mother. Stop saying her."
"Whatever."
"Faith?" He looks over at me.
"It's your call." I say softly. Emily looks at him pleadingly.
"Fine." A car horn honks from the driveway. "The Miller's are here." He looks back at me. "Phone numbers are on the fridge. Julie has to be gone by eleven. Ten if Emily picks her up." He points at my daughter before maneuvering Charlie towards the door. "I mean it."
"Fine." She smiles, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you."
"Call your grandmother." He shoves Charlie out onto the porch. I hold the door for them while he turns to look at me. "Sorry."
"It's okay. Have fun Charlie." My son raises his eyes to me before trudging off towards the car.
"He'll come around." Bosco whispers giving me a reassuring grin before sprinting to the driveway.
Emily closes herself in her room when he leaves, so I make my way upstairs. The garment bag feels heavier than I remember it. I lay it against my dresser, unzipping the zipper until the dark blue appears.
I run my fingers over the gold fives and down the buttons. The coarse fabric feels like silk under my fingertips. I leave it open on the dresser before pulling out a dark black box from the bottom of the closet, wiping off the dust.
It's the only thing unfamiliar to me. I sit on the floor and unlatch it. My heart stills at the contents.
I fish out the triangular box that holds the folded flag, setting it reverently next to me on the floor. My commendations are in another smaller box. In the last one I find a shiny badge with my number on it.
"He didn't want it." My daughter's voice makes me jump. She stands silently in the doorway. "He said they could shove it up their asses. He went on and on about how you never touched it. It wasn't yours."
"Sounds like him."
"Julie's mom won't let her come here, since Bosco's gone. She doesn't know you so.." Her eyes bounce from the wall to the floor. "I'm going over there."
"Did you call him?" She nods. "You'll be home by ten?" Another nod. "Emily.. I know you can't forgive me right now-."
"I've got to go meet Julie." She blurts turning on her heals and starting back down the stairs.
I go back to starring at the evidence of my funeral.