TWO
* * *
And here I am. He's living at their house, that big house that belongs to their church. They've converted the space above their garage into an apartment and Kevin pays them rent to stay there. I know it's because of Lucy, because he wants to be near her. He needs her, like he needed Mom when he lived with her.
Mrs. Camden answers the front door. She seems nice enough, though I can see the strain in her face, like she's worried all the time. I've heard from my brothers that the Minister and Mrs. Camden like to be really involved in their children's lives.
Are you why Lucy is a ditz, Annie Camden?
I say nothing, save for pleasantries. She pours me some tea in the kitchen.
"It's so good to have your brother here, Patty Mary," she says. "Since Matt went off to medical school Kevin's been like a big brother to Ruthie and the twins."
I nod and say nothing. He's my big brother, Annie. You have no idea what kind of a big brother he really is.
She smiles and we make idle chitchat. I'm good at idle chitchat.
Nice lady. No clue.
And she won't get one from me.
#
He's surprised to see me, Kevin is, though he tries to hide it. Lucy is with him; she met him as they got off work and just now she's giggling like a twelve year old. He is like he always is; featureless, stiff.
"Patty Mary?" he asks.
I rise.
"Yeah."
"We've been having a nice little chat," Annie pipes in.
Lucy looks at her mother, her gaze an accusation.
"What are you doing here?" Kevin asks me.
"We need to talk," I tell him.
Lucy's glare shifts to me.
"About what?" she asks.
I return the glare. Don't cross me, little girl. I will melt you down.
"Family things," I say.
She's holding his arm. She puts on her irritating smile.
"Well, I don't know if you've heard, but Kevin is going to ask me to marry him. That means I'm family."
"Not in this case," I tell her.
Her glare turns to sudden rage. Has no one ever said "no" to this girl?
"Patty Mary --" Kevin begins.
I give him the face he knows. He knows why, too. He knows why I'm here and he doesn't like it. But I think he's known all along that this time would come.
"I've got my car outside," I tell him. "Let's go."
"He's not going anywhere without me," Lucy insists.
Now Kevin sighs. He takes her hand from his arm and pats it affectionately. "I guess I have to," he says. "We won't be long."
I've seen a lot in my time, a lot more than you might think. But I've never seen a girl get so mad so fast as Lucy Camden does.
"This is about another woman, isn't it? Some woman you won't tell me about!"
His face does not change. It never changes. Sometimes I wish it would, for all our sakes. He leans forward, kisses her on the forehead.
"No," he says. "It's not."
"Then what? What am I supposed to believe? You won't tell me anything! Well, then you can just get out! Go! Move out!"
He puts on that smile he has, the smile I know that no one else knows. People think it's because he doesn't feel, that it's because he doesn't care, that he puts on that smile, but I know better.
"Just relax," he says to her. "We'll be back in a little while. It's nothing you need to worry about."
I want to call him a liar now, because he is. If she does marry him, God help us, she'll find out.
And I'll lay money down that she won't be able to handle it.
After all, have we?
* * *
And here I am. He's living at their house, that big house that belongs to their church. They've converted the space above their garage into an apartment and Kevin pays them rent to stay there. I know it's because of Lucy, because he wants to be near her. He needs her, like he needed Mom when he lived with her.
Mrs. Camden answers the front door. She seems nice enough, though I can see the strain in her face, like she's worried all the time. I've heard from my brothers that the Minister and Mrs. Camden like to be really involved in their children's lives.
Are you why Lucy is a ditz, Annie Camden?
I say nothing, save for pleasantries. She pours me some tea in the kitchen.
"It's so good to have your brother here, Patty Mary," she says. "Since Matt went off to medical school Kevin's been like a big brother to Ruthie and the twins."
I nod and say nothing. He's my big brother, Annie. You have no idea what kind of a big brother he really is.
She smiles and we make idle chitchat. I'm good at idle chitchat.
Nice lady. No clue.
And she won't get one from me.
#
He's surprised to see me, Kevin is, though he tries to hide it. Lucy is with him; she met him as they got off work and just now she's giggling like a twelve year old. He is like he always is; featureless, stiff.
"Patty Mary?" he asks.
I rise.
"Yeah."
"We've been having a nice little chat," Annie pipes in.
Lucy looks at her mother, her gaze an accusation.
"What are you doing here?" Kevin asks me.
"We need to talk," I tell him.
Lucy's glare shifts to me.
"About what?" she asks.
I return the glare. Don't cross me, little girl. I will melt you down.
"Family things," I say.
She's holding his arm. She puts on her irritating smile.
"Well, I don't know if you've heard, but Kevin is going to ask me to marry him. That means I'm family."
"Not in this case," I tell her.
Her glare turns to sudden rage. Has no one ever said "no" to this girl?
"Patty Mary --" Kevin begins.
I give him the face he knows. He knows why, too. He knows why I'm here and he doesn't like it. But I think he's known all along that this time would come.
"I've got my car outside," I tell him. "Let's go."
"He's not going anywhere without me," Lucy insists.
Now Kevin sighs. He takes her hand from his arm and pats it affectionately. "I guess I have to," he says. "We won't be long."
I've seen a lot in my time, a lot more than you might think. But I've never seen a girl get so mad so fast as Lucy Camden does.
"This is about another woman, isn't it? Some woman you won't tell me about!"
His face does not change. It never changes. Sometimes I wish it would, for all our sakes. He leans forward, kisses her on the forehead.
"No," he says. "It's not."
"Then what? What am I supposed to believe? You won't tell me anything! Well, then you can just get out! Go! Move out!"
He puts on that smile he has, the smile I know that no one else knows. People think it's because he doesn't feel, that it's because he doesn't care, that he puts on that smile, but I know better.
"Just relax," he says to her. "We'll be back in a little while. It's nothing you need to worry about."
I want to call him a liar now, because he is. If she does marry him, God help us, she'll find out.
And I'll lay money down that she won't be able to handle it.
After all, have we?