Gus Brings Her Back

Miriam cleared her throat. "Could we not talk about me as if I'm not here?"

She motioned for Gus to sit at the well-worn table and she crossed to the refrigerator. "Milk, juice, tea, lemonade, soda?"

"Soda's fine."

"Mama?"

"Nothing, honey. I'm fine."

Florence put a bowl by Miriam's place and after wiping her hands on a towel, left them alone in the kitchen.

Miriam sat on the chair across from Gus and placed a glass of soda in front of him.

"Your mother's stealthy," Gus whispered.

Miriam glanced at the door her mother recently left by, then back at Gus. She placed a finger to her lips and rose.

Tiptoeing to the door, she pushed it opened and felt the door stop.

"Mother?"

"Just going on my way," her mother said.

Sitting down again, Miriam smiled at Gus. "With five kids, she needed to be stealthy."

"I guess so. My mother only had to keep her eyes on me."

"Sounds easy. Were you a bad kid?"

"No, I don't think so."