First Class Farewell by Aj Harmon Read Free Book Online

He finished his bowl of cereal and took
the bowl to the sink. “Gotta go. Ray will be here any second.”
    “Have a good day,” Ben smiled as Alex grabbed his backpack
and left the apartment.
    Miraculously, Lisa was still asleep. Charlie was in his room
playing with Legos. “Whatcha making?” Ben asked when he went to check on him.
    “A boat.”
    “Can I make one, too?”
    “Okay,” Charlie nodded.
    Ben sank to the floor and leaned against Charlie’s bed and
began pulling pieces from the bucket while Charlie chattered away about his
boat and the car he’d already built. While Lisa was a perfect miniature Sophia,
Charlie was all Ben, right down to the little cowlick in his hair. Ben was
absent-mindedly connecting blocks while gazing at his happy little boy. He
pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed his in-laws. Fortunately, now
mostly retired, they were happy to come over and watch the children so Sophia
could rest. They doted on their grandchildren and were very grateful that they
lived across the street. Aldo and Gloria were welcome in their home anytime,
day or night, and while Sundays were spent with the Lathem side of the family,
many weekdays were spent with the Mannings. Ben was indebted to them for the
care they took of Sophia and his family while he was working.
    Each morning when Ben headed off to work, he understood why
his brother had retired. Matt had worked extremely hard to build his company to
what it was, and Ben had continued that work when he’d taken over. But as he
left his family each day, he longed to be with them. He counted down the hours
‘til he could return to them. And today was no different. He kissed Sophia
tenderly on the cheek, told her that her parents had just arrived to watch
Charlie and Lisa, and left the apartment, already missing them.
    *****
    By ten o’clock, Sophia had managed to crawl out of bed and
stagger through to the living room. Sipping on some ginger tea and some dry
toast, her spirits were lifted by the antics of Lisa, dressed in her princess
skirt and tiara.
    “Sing!” she commanded to her mother as Sleeping Beauty sang
to the animals on the television.
    “I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream…” Sophia
began. “I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam.”
    “You sing so pretty, mommy,” Lisa said as she leaned on the
seat cushion of the sofa where Sophia lay and fiddled with her hair.
    “Thank you,” smiled Sophia. “So do you.”
    “But if I know you, I know what you do,” Lisa sang with
heart. “You wuv me at once, the way you did once upon a dweam.”
    Sophia couldn’t help but smile with joy as Lisa danced
around the room waving her wand she gripped tightly in her chubby little hands.
    “I see the next American Idol,” Gloria chuckled as she came
into the room. Sophia scooted her feet up and Gloria sat at the end of the
sofa. “How are you feeling?” she asked her daughter.
    “Better,” Sophia smiled. “This helps,” she said and nodded
at Lisa still dancing and singing.
    “She is adorable,” Gloria agreed.
    “What’s Charlie up to?”
    “He and your father are still playing with Legos. I think
he’s having more fun than Charlie,” she chuckled. “Can I get you anything?”
    Sophia shook her head.
    “You need to try and eat something,” Gloria said as she
looked at the half-eaten piece of toast on the coffee table. “You’re all skin
and bone. That baby needs some fat!”
    “Whatever I eat just comes back up. I go back to the doctor
on Monday. I’ll talk to him about it again.”
    The phone rang and saved Sophia from the same old
conversation with her mom.
    “It’s Ben,” Gloria smiled and handed her the phone.
    Sophia stood up and wandered down the hall to her bedroom.
Once inside, she shut the door behind her and fell into the armchair by the
window. They talked for a few minutes. He wanted to know how she was doing and
if her parents were still there, to which she answered “fine”