Page 32 (1/2)

"I'o rest a while on the sofa in the sitting room"

"No rest for the wary" he said-- instead of the weary "Get it?" He laughed and left the kitchen

He's getting drunk I thought It's not good Suddenly, my mother's worries had become my own

When I returned to the dining roo roo beer I cleaned the table, put everything away and in the dishwasher and then went to look for him He was sprawled on the sofa, shoes off, eyes closed and a soft, contented smile on his lips For a fewaware

I reine what it was like to be a boy I was about seven or eight at the ti at Roy just the way I was now looking at Brady Roy was asleep on the sofa in the living room I sat across froht flutter in his lower lip as he exhaled All of his features seemed to settle into a mold formed by his facial bones

Boys have to look harder I thought Their bones have to be thicker so all their features are wider longer That's why he looks so different from me If I were a boy, I'd look like that too

It was different gazing on Brody When I saw a reseue and slight, to myself Of course, he had inherited many of his father's features, too, and they seemed to overpower my mother's and mine There was no mystery as to why Brody didn't look at me and think, could she be my mother's child, too?

He stirred, the corner of his lips dipping Then he opened his eyes and looked at ht he was drea to see if I would remain there or pop like a bubble when he blinked

"Hi," he said

"Hi"

"Maybe I drank too much," he confessed "Maybe you did"

"My head started spinning so I lay down"

"I see youyour beer however"

"If you'd had some I wouldn't have drunk so much"

"Just like everyfor a way to pass the blame onto a woman"