"Until you find something bigger."
"Right now I can't imagine wanting anything bigger. The biggest home I've lived in was the house we had when I was a little girl. Quarters on a naval base were never that elaborate. The nicest home we ever had since we were married was the one we just left."
Dallas nodded, biting down on her lower lip. "Well, let me help you guys unload the car."
"Oh, you've done so much. You should probably get back to the restaurant."
"Are you kidding? Warren will have me working twice as hard back there. Please." she said. "let me take advantage of your arrival."
Mommy laughed, and we all seemed to relax. I was amused by them anyway, especially when they started to unload the car and talk about their early days. Every once in a while they would both stop and develop a reminiscence, wondering what had happened to this girlfriend or that bay. They took a break, opened a bottle of white wine, and continued chatting. Listening to them. hearing Mommy's laugh, was fin for me. I felt as if I was watching a movie replayed. It was all light and playful until their rendering of history brought them to Mommy's first meeting Daddy.
"I just can't believe he's not coming home. Dallas." Mommy said.
They hugged. and Mommy let herself cry, let those pent-up tears loose.
I left them because watching her being comforted by her old friend made my heart ache too much. Instead I slipped out the patio door and walked down to the pond. A pair of ducks were so still in the water I thought they were fake, until one ruffled its feathers and the two started across the pond toward me. It brought a smile to my face.
"They're expecting you to feed them
something." I heard, and turned to see a tall, lanky boy with a shock of reddish brown hair, the long strands down over his eyes, coming slowly toward me. He wore a T-shirt with a cartoon on it. It showed a fish holding a fishing pole. A hairy, potbellied man looked as if he had taken the hook and was being pulled from the sea. Underneath it read, "How do you like it?"
"I throw them pieces of bread sometimes,' he said as he continued toward m
e. When he swiped his hair to the side. I saw he had aqua blue eyes and a lean face with a very distinct jaw line. He wasn't handsome, but he had an interesting face. As he drew closer, his eyes were penetrating, his gaze so fixed I felt a little uncomfortable. I noticed he was barefoot.
"Here," he said, pulling his right hand out of his jeans pocket and opening it before me. There were bread crumbs in his palm. "It's their favorite." he added. 'Rye bread, You give it to them, and they'll be your friends forever. Go on, take it." he practically ordered.
I plucked some from his hand and cast the pieces into the water. The ducks hurried to them and began to bob. When they were finished they looked to me again.
"Best friends already." the boy said. "Quackie and Queenie, meet... tell them your name. Go on, they understand more than you think."
I shook my head and smiled. "I'm Grace Houston," I told the ducks. They looked as if they bobbed their heads,
"You might as well give them the rest." the boy said, taking my hand forcefully, turning it palm up, and depositing the remaining pieces of bread in it. "Go on, don't tease them." he urged when I looked at him, a bit annoyed. I didn't like being ordered about so much, especially by a stranger.
I turned and tossed the pieces, and the ducks went for them again,
"Great. You're now an official duck feeder."
"Who are you?" I asked.
"On a summer day not unlike this one." he said, gazing around. "my parents decided in their infinite wisdom to name me Augustus Brewster. Anyone who wants to be friends with me calls me Auggie. My mother hates that and never fails to correct anyone. Fortunately, few listen. Now here's the funniest part. My dad calls me Gusty unless he is angry at me, which is quite often. Then he calls me Augustus. even Augustus Brewster, as in 'Augustus Brewster, what were you thinking when von put a firecracker in Miss Wilson's garbage pail last night?'
"I was, of course, thinking it would make a large boom and scare the panties off her. which I believe it did. I didn't tell my dad that. I just don't answer when he asks me why I do things, and he eventually gives up trying to understand me, saving something like 'Talking to you is like talking to the wall,'
"So, hi," he said. "Visiting someone?"
It took me a moment to digest everything.
'Close your mouth." he whispered. "There are tiny bugs that will think it's a place to sleep and propagate."
"Huh? Oh. No. I'm not visiting anyone. We just moved in." I said, still amazed at how he spoke about himself and his parents to someone he had never before met.
"Moved in?" His eyebrows were hoisted. He considered a moment and then asked. "Unit fourteen?"
"Yes."
He nodded. "I knew she was trying to rent it. About a month ago she moved in with her lover, a recently divorced accountant. My mother is very good friends with Mrs. Darahush, who knows everyone else's business even before they do. So don't try to hide anything from me. I'll know it soon anyway."