Page 107 (1/1)

"Look at it this way," Shannie toldcoffee in the Ortolan's kitchen "You can't lose If your et you a car just to shut you up I knoould"

"Thanks" I stirredfor you," she whispered - I peered up from the cyclone in my coffee cup "Anywho, if she loses She's out of your hair for a week or two If you're lucky, her plane will crash"

I laid awake into the wordless clatter of breakfast I savored every chime of silverware, every clink of a coffee cup With the silencing of the silverware ca of the inner kitchen door, followed by the outer door, and car doors in quick succession My father's car briefly struggled before turning over in the bitter ine whined as they pulled out of the driveway I listened to the car disappear down Cemetery Street The silence pressedsnow

Over the following days, I thought nothing that my mother didn't call She was in the h I ht - she was out of our hair It was vacation like The air inside our hoer worked late He was talkative During that first e talkedto Pennsylvania

The Saturday beforeat used cars For ; a lad to see his sense of humor resurface

On my birthday, Diane invited my father and me to dinner "What if Mom calls?" I asked

"We have an answering machine," my father quipped

"It's my birthday, I want to talk to her," I plopped into a kitchen chair, aret to eat at Diane's?"

"But?" I whiet hed He pulled a chair around the table and sat next toI bolted from my seat and raced across the kitchen "Hello!" I cried into the mouthpiece