*Chapter 2*
It was as if sunshine had melted the block of ice that had encased Alicia's heart. She sat on top of the picnic
table with Merrill, eating the umpteenth marshmallow off of a kabob stick.
"OK," she said with a groan, "I can't eat anymore."
Merrill wiped a bit of marshmallow from Alicia's lip and looked in her hazel eyes.
"What do you say about spending the day in Philly tomorrow? Just you and I?"
"I picked up a shift at the diner. If I had known.."
"It's OK. Maybe next weekend."
Alicia looked towards the cornfields and said, "I didn't like the feeling I got when we were out there this morning. I don't know.it didn't feel right. Something's going on."
"Yeah.the Wolfington brothers are being jackasses."
"How could they have done that so perfectly? The stalks weren't even broken- they were bent."
"Come on, Alicia. You're too nice."
He placed his hand on top of her thigh and she wove her fingers between his. Suddenly, they heard a car
towards the front of the house. They got up and went to see who it was.
"Officer Paski," Merrill said, "Graham probably called her. Let's go inside."
They went into the house and as Merrill went to answer the door, Alicia noticed that Graham was on the floor with paper towels.
"What happened?" she asked, "A spill?"
"In a way.Houdini had an accident."
"Houdini? That's odd. Here, I got it. I think Officer Paski is here to see you."
"Thanks."
Alicia finished cleaning up and decided to go back outside with the kids. She approached Morgan, who was poking at the burgers on the grill.
Placing her hands on his shoulders, she said, "They smell good. Are they done yet?"
"I think so."
He placed the large fork down and glared at Alicia.
"Do you love Uncle Merrill?"
"That's a silly question. Of course I do, kiddo. Why do you ask?"
"Cause it doesn't seem like it sometimes. And I heard him talking to Dad one night..he said he tries to love you, but you don't love him back."
Before Alicia could respond, he ran to Bo, who was kneeling in front of Houdini's dish. She bit her lip and ran her hand through her hair. Her trance was broken as she watched Officer Paski and Graham went out into the fields.
"Hey there Alicia!" Paski yelled.
Alicia waved in return and then looked at the kids.
"Whatcha guys doing?" she asked.
"Giving Houdini his water," Bo replied, "But I think it's contaminated."
"I'll be inside with Uncle Merrill if you need me."
Alicia made her way to the house and stepped through the back door. Merrill was in the kitchen, mixing potato salad.
"You're making potato salad? Maybe that's why I'm not hungry."
"Ha ha..such a funny girl. The reason why you're not hungry is because you ate 50 marshmallows."
"You kept forcing them into my mouth, Merrill."
"I'll force something else in your mouth!"
He grabbed her as she squealed with laughter. An impromptu peck turned into a passionate French kiss, the closest thing to intimacy that had experienced in a week. Merrill pulled his lips away from hers and held her face close to his.
"That was amazing," he whispered.
"Eh.not as amazing as you."
"This is the Alicia I like. The happy, romantic, funny, and sexy Alicia."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You've been so moody the past week and a half. I know you've been thinking about the baby and Colleen a lot lately, but.."
"But what, Merrill?"
He stopped what he was doing and leaned against the counter.
"Honey, I think about it every day too. I loved Colleen too; you know I did. And it still hurts me so much to think about the baby. But we need to move on if we want to stay sane. You can't dwell on the negative. I told Graham the same thing."
"Did it really work? Because last time I checked, he's not holding tight to faith anymore. It's not exactly reassuring to see my brother-in-law go from Father to farmer."
"Alicia, you're acting as if only you suffered a loss. We all did! I want to cry and scream and throw something every time I think about that night! But I've learned how to deal with the grief.so have Graham and the kids. If you need to talk, you know that I'm always here and always will be."
Their attention immediately diverted to a scream from outside, then eerie silence.
"Was that Bo?" asked Alicia.
"Sounded like her..and that didn't sound normal."
They hurried outside and froze in their tracks when they came upon the gruesome sight. Houdini had the barbecue fork speared in his neck.
Horrified, Alicia stammered, "Morgan?! Wh-what did you do?"
Before he could answer, Officer Paski and Graham ran up to the kids.
"He tried to kill Bo," Morgan said in a soft, mournful tone.
Bo started to whimper and Alicia picked her up. She felt tiny drops of water on her tanktop.
"It's OK, baby. Let's go inside."
As they walked away, Alicia turned her head around. She cringed as she watched Officer Paski pull the fork from Houdini's neck.
'What the hell is going on?' she thought to herself.
It was as if sunshine had melted the block of ice that had encased Alicia's heart. She sat on top of the picnic
table with Merrill, eating the umpteenth marshmallow off of a kabob stick.
"OK," she said with a groan, "I can't eat anymore."
Merrill wiped a bit of marshmallow from Alicia's lip and looked in her hazel eyes.
"What do you say about spending the day in Philly tomorrow? Just you and I?"
"I picked up a shift at the diner. If I had known.."
"It's OK. Maybe next weekend."
Alicia looked towards the cornfields and said, "I didn't like the feeling I got when we were out there this morning. I don't know.it didn't feel right. Something's going on."
"Yeah.the Wolfington brothers are being jackasses."
"How could they have done that so perfectly? The stalks weren't even broken- they were bent."
"Come on, Alicia. You're too nice."
He placed his hand on top of her thigh and she wove her fingers between his. Suddenly, they heard a car
towards the front of the house. They got up and went to see who it was.
"Officer Paski," Merrill said, "Graham probably called her. Let's go inside."
They went into the house and as Merrill went to answer the door, Alicia noticed that Graham was on the floor with paper towels.
"What happened?" she asked, "A spill?"
"In a way.Houdini had an accident."
"Houdini? That's odd. Here, I got it. I think Officer Paski is here to see you."
"Thanks."
Alicia finished cleaning up and decided to go back outside with the kids. She approached Morgan, who was poking at the burgers on the grill.
Placing her hands on his shoulders, she said, "They smell good. Are they done yet?"
"I think so."
He placed the large fork down and glared at Alicia.
"Do you love Uncle Merrill?"
"That's a silly question. Of course I do, kiddo. Why do you ask?"
"Cause it doesn't seem like it sometimes. And I heard him talking to Dad one night..he said he tries to love you, but you don't love him back."
Before Alicia could respond, he ran to Bo, who was kneeling in front of Houdini's dish. She bit her lip and ran her hand through her hair. Her trance was broken as she watched Officer Paski and Graham went out into the fields.
"Hey there Alicia!" Paski yelled.
Alicia waved in return and then looked at the kids.
"Whatcha guys doing?" she asked.
"Giving Houdini his water," Bo replied, "But I think it's contaminated."
"I'll be inside with Uncle Merrill if you need me."
Alicia made her way to the house and stepped through the back door. Merrill was in the kitchen, mixing potato salad.
"You're making potato salad? Maybe that's why I'm not hungry."
"Ha ha..such a funny girl. The reason why you're not hungry is because you ate 50 marshmallows."
"You kept forcing them into my mouth, Merrill."
"I'll force something else in your mouth!"
He grabbed her as she squealed with laughter. An impromptu peck turned into a passionate French kiss, the closest thing to intimacy that had experienced in a week. Merrill pulled his lips away from hers and held her face close to his.
"That was amazing," he whispered.
"Eh.not as amazing as you."
"This is the Alicia I like. The happy, romantic, funny, and sexy Alicia."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You've been so moody the past week and a half. I know you've been thinking about the baby and Colleen a lot lately, but.."
"But what, Merrill?"
He stopped what he was doing and leaned against the counter.
"Honey, I think about it every day too. I loved Colleen too; you know I did. And it still hurts me so much to think about the baby. But we need to move on if we want to stay sane. You can't dwell on the negative. I told Graham the same thing."
"Did it really work? Because last time I checked, he's not holding tight to faith anymore. It's not exactly reassuring to see my brother-in-law go from Father to farmer."
"Alicia, you're acting as if only you suffered a loss. We all did! I want to cry and scream and throw something every time I think about that night! But I've learned how to deal with the grief.so have Graham and the kids. If you need to talk, you know that I'm always here and always will be."
Their attention immediately diverted to a scream from outside, then eerie silence.
"Was that Bo?" asked Alicia.
"Sounded like her..and that didn't sound normal."
They hurried outside and froze in their tracks when they came upon the gruesome sight. Houdini had the barbecue fork speared in his neck.
Horrified, Alicia stammered, "Morgan?! Wh-what did you do?"
Before he could answer, Officer Paski and Graham ran up to the kids.
"He tried to kill Bo," Morgan said in a soft, mournful tone.
Bo started to whimper and Alicia picked her up. She felt tiny drops of water on her tanktop.
"It's OK, baby. Let's go inside."
As they walked away, Alicia turned her head around. She cringed as she watched Officer Paski pull the fork from Houdini's neck.
'What the hell is going on?' she thought to herself.