Chapter 10

ALL THE GIRLS thanked him as they filed out of the locker room and headed out for their various dates and evening activities. Dennis and Natalie headed for his house after everything was put away and locked up. They thought they’d just have a quiet afternoon and go for a walk before it was time for dinner and reading to Peg. Knowing they were returning to his bed later that night helped to settle them a bit so they weren’t overly demonstrative. When they reached the house, however, a surprise was waiting for him.

“Dad! You’re home!” Dennis said when he saw his father sitting in front of the TV.

“Hi there!” Will said, standing to greet them. “I live here now. I’m Will. I won’t live here for long, though, because I need to get back out to the farm. Do you two live here, too?”

“I live here with you and Mom and Peg,” Dennis said sadly. “I’m your son, Dennis. This is my girlfriend, Natalie.”

“You really have a pretty girlfriend,” Will said, shaking hands with them. “I have a girlfriend, too. She’s really pretty. I’m going to marry her.”

“She’s very lucky to have you,” Natalie said. “I’m sure you’ll be very happy.”

Dennis saw his mother in the kitchen doorway and went to hug her.

“I’m planning on fried chicken for dinner tonight,” Dot said. “It’s your father’s favorite.”

“I’m glad he’s home,” Dennis said. “Do you want us to stay here instead of going out for a walk? It’s okay.”

“No. Would you see if Peg will go with you to the park? She hasn’t come out of her room since we got home. She doesn’t understand what’s wrong with her father.”

“Of course we will, Mom. We weren’t planning anything but hanging out.”

“You can always depend on us, Mrs. Enders,” Natalie said. “I like Peg and we’ll be happy to take her out.”

“You’re such a good girl, Number One. Thank you, Dennis. I’ll just putter around and maybe watch TV with your father.”

Dennis and Natalie went to Peg’s room and softly knocked on the door.

“Peg? It’s Den. Want to go outside?”

The door flew open and Peg slammed into her brother, hugging him so tightly he lost his breath. He just patted her back and held her until she looked up. Upon seeing Natalie, she broke her hug with Dennis and slammed into his girlfriend with equal exuberance.

“I want to go outside,” Peg said. “Will you take me to the swings?”

“You bet I will,” Dennis said. “I’ll swing you so high your toes will touch the moon,” Dennis said.

“Me, too,” Natalie said. “I want to touch the moon.” The girls did a little happy dance and Peg went to get her jacket on. Peg was cautious going out through the living room. She kept Dennis and Natalie between her and Will.

“See you later, Dad,” Dennis said as they headed out the door. Will looked up from the television and waved, then returned to watching an old movie.

Peg was having fun on the swing and Natalie was standing close to Dennis in the park.

“I take it you didn’t know your dad was coming home today,” she said.

“We talked about it last Sunday, but I didn’t know it was happening today. Peg’s really spooked by him.”

“Why? Doesn’t she recognize him?”

“That’s possible, as thin as he’s become. I think, though, it’s more that he doesn’t recognize her. Or me, for that matter. Hell! He doesn’t even recognize Mom,” Dennis said angrily.

“I think he does someplace deep down inside. He might not remember they are married, but he remembers loving her and wanting to marry her. He still thinks she’s pretty,” Natalie said. “And I think he knows you but remembers you as smaller.”

“Couldn’t have been much smaller,” Dennis snorted.

“Dennis, do you have any idea how incredibly handsome you are? Yes, you are below average height for sixteen-year-old boys, but some famous actors are short, too.”

“Yeah, I’m right on the list of ‘actors who could play a hobbit.’ When I’m independent and have a job, the first thing I want to do when I have the money is get my eyes fixed. I know they can be made better. Even high density contact lenses would be better. We’ve just never been able to afford anything but crash-resistant glasses. Then I can get a driver’s license and pick up my date instead of waiting for her to pick me up. It’s not my parents’ fault. We just never had that kind of money.”

“Don’t give up hope. Remember the things you can see up close without your glasses,” Natalie giggled. Dennis pushed Peg again and the momentum of the swing lifted him off the ground. Peg laughed and shouted.

“I kicked the moon!”

“Yay!” Dennis and Natalie both called back.

Dinner had been quiet. Will repeated frequently how good the fried chicken was and how pretty the women were. He included all three in his comments and asked Dennis if he agreed. Of course, he did. After the teens played a game at the kitchen table, Peg got her favorite book and they settled on the couch with the girls on either side of Dennis. Their parents sat in arm chairs facing the TV.

Then all the Merry Little Breezes clapped their hands and shouted: “He did! He did! Spotty wins the race!”

Then they told how Spotty reached the pond by clinging to the tip of Reddy Fox’s tail, and had hidden the other two nuts, and then how he had patiently crawled home while Billy Mink and Reddy Fox and Peter Rabbit were hunting and hunting and hunting for the nuts they could not find.

And so Spotty the Turtle was awarded the race, and to this day Peter Rabbit and Reddy Fox and Billy Mink can’t bear the sight of a hickory nut.

Peg clapped and took the book to the shelf where it lived. Dennis wondered what book she would choose tomorrow night. Peg kissed her Mom and then Dennis and then Natalie. She stood looking at Will and said “‘Night.” Will just smiled at her and she ran down the hall to her room. Dot turned on the TV and began flipping through channels. Dennis went to tuck Peg in and then came back to hold out his hand to Natalie. The two kissed Dot on the cheek and then turned to Will. Natalie immediately kissed him on the cheek and Dennis held out his hand to shake.

“‘Night, Dad.”

“Goodnight ... um ... yeah. Goodnight to both of you. Is it my bedtime, too?” he asked.

“Why don’t you stay up with me for a while?” Dot said. “We can go to bed after the children are asleep.” Will smiled at her happily. Dennis and Natalie went to his room, wondering how his mom was going to know when the children were all asleep.

Dennis and Natalie cuddled in bed after they’d taken care of their nighttime routines. They’d started with pajamas, but as soon as they were in for the night, they ditched them.

“Um ... We can’t ... um ... do it tonight,” Natalie said.

“We don’t have to, Nat. I don’t think I feel much like it either.”

“Yeah, well you don’t have a wad of cotton stuffed up your dick. I hate having my period. Sometimes. Mom always reminds me I should be thankful because getting my period means I’m not pregnant. I’m still blaming it for my poor performance in the three-k.”

“You looked a little run down,” Dennis said.

“The runner from Gloria Catholic almost did run me down. It was all I could do to stay ahead of her and not come in dead last.” Not planning to make love didn’t mean they didn’t enjoy kissing and holding each other.

“I love you so much, Nat,” Dennis said. “I’m so thankful you are here with me tonight. I’m usually fine, but if I’d come to bed alone tonight, I’d have just laid down and cried until I slept. Hopefully, I’d sleep.”

“It’s okay, honey. I can’t imagine how much it hurts to see your dad like that. Or your sister’s reaction to him.”

“It’s ... We grew up mostly having him in and out. Dad drank on and off for the past eight years or so. After we moved to town. He never had a steady full time job but he always brought in enough that we had what we needed. But between jobs, all he could do was think about what he’d be doing on the farm. Mom says he drank to numb the pain. But we always knew that in the morning, or in a day or two, he’d be fine. He’d get sober and shave and go find another job. Now, we know he’s never really coming back to us. He doesn’t even know us.” Dennis had held back tears all evening so his sister would see him being normal, but they began dripping on Natalie’s shoulder and shortly there was a flood of tears as he sobbed against her.

Natalie held him and wondered what she could ever do for her boyfriend that would ease the pain of the loss of his father.

“Randolph, we need to visit the Enders tomorrow,” Elsa said when she walked into the living room. She’d just finished a disturbing call from Dot. The poor woman had just put her husband to bed and needed to talk to someone. Elsa had the distinct impression that her daughter was asleep and her son was somehow unavailable. Nonetheless, Elsa was always happy to talk to her friend and was thankful that Will’s ... mishap had brought them together again after years of estrangement.