"Eric! Where were you! Why didn't you go to church? Did you see a detective?" She sternly reprimanded him while folding her arms.
"I went to see a detective who wanted my help but I had declined to do so, then I went to see a high school friend and we shot pool then went to his house to talk about things that have happened since we graduated."
"I thought you were going to meet us for lunch but you never showed up." She told him.
"Sorry."
The next morning—
"Eric! What is wrong with you? I'm not doing this!" She said angrily as she stormed upstairs as he came into the kitchen looking baffled then made some cereal.
Things didn't get better after that, Eric got angry at Annie because she picked up the kids when he was going to, a week later at the church services, Eric said a nice thing about a female parishioner that Annie didn't like what he said since she felt he was flirting with that parishioner. She got angry at Eric because he was being bossy when he wasn't as to the breakfast and the kids but the miscommunications continued. Then finally one night Eric had enough after he tried to make a move on Annie, as she turned to her side to prevent him from unbuttoning her shirt, she accidentally kneed him in the groin. He didn't talk to her after that for quite some time unless it was about the kids.
One day while Eric was working on his sermon in the den, Annie went to get the phone since it rang.
"What! Okay we will be right there." He ran in the kitchen just as she was hanging up since he heard her yell.
"What's wrong?"
"You were supposed to pick up your youngest sons!" She chastised him.
"No, you were!" he defended himself as she got the keys and they both left the house.
Later that night, they sat and spoke to each other.
"Look, I don't like all these miscommunications and fights we've been having. I've never meant to be bossing you around; I've wanted to take you out to breakfast when you cooked it. I wanted to sleep in when you cooked breakfast and I wanted to make love the night you hurt me and I thought you indicated that you would pick up the twins."
"Oh. I'm sorry that I hurt you the night you wanted to make love to me. I guess we need to speak what we mean." She replied then she kissed him.
Simon's ribs no longer hurt him so he was allowed to practice but only did light tosses to his teammates for a few weeks but he had realized he was not going to play until the last few weeks of school. He supported his teammates and didn't know what he wanted to do when he got out of high school. He realized he would not want to play baseball since most kids who go to college don't make it to the minors or even if they did go to the minors, it takes them years to get to the majors. Simon had not talked to his parents about what his decision was as to baseball but he had some ideas what he wanted to do with his life.
At Walter Reed Middle School on April 16—
Ruthie was walking to her class when she saw the boy she fell in love with back in January, while she got excited and nervous as he walked by. She had always felt that way and really wanted to meet him. Some friends of Ruthie had told her that she should meet him and that he has talked about her as to wanting to meet with her but she was too nervous. Later that night she went to bed thinking about him….
"Hi, Eric." Eric had on blue polo shirt, black pants, dress shoes and had a slick back hairstyle that made it look more dark red. Ruthie was wearing a pink dress, low heeled shoes and had her hair was curled up with her bangs to the side.
"Hi. Wow, you are so beautiful Ruthie."
"Why thanks. You are handsome yourself." She said to him with a big smile.
"Gosh, why did it take me so long to meet you but I got bad news…."
"What?" She asked in apprehension as she bit her lower lip.
"I have to go now, Ruthie. Good Bye."
"No, wait! We just met, Eric wait! I want to talk, where are you going!" She screamed as he floated away while the youngest daughter tossed in her sleep then woke up.
She sat up, wondering about that dream or was it? It wasn't as dark as it usually is in her room since the moon was out.
Why do I get a bad feeling about him?" Ruthie wondered. "Why do I feel scared and I'm not afraid of the dark. I wonder if he's ok but if he isn't, what am I going to do? I really want to meet him and get to know him. Suddenly she got goosebumps on her arms and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
Ruthie tossed and turned but finally got to sleep. She woke up the next morning still feeling tired but strangely sad which she tried to figure out. But no matter what she did that day and into Sunday the feeling never went away but while her brothers were in the living room playing with their action figures, it hit.
"No!"
