Tender Graces by Kathryn Magendie Read Free Book Online

looked at Momma like little boys look at their mommas. Sometimes she just did that to us, made us forget how things were before and go straight to what was happening then. Later, Momma tucked us in bed like a dream.
    The wind blew cool in my window and my good mountain was strong and black against the sky, like it was watching out for me. When Daddy’s shoes finally hit the floor, my body let go of the tight I’d been holding. He passed my door; I called out to him real soft so nobody else could hear, especially Momma.
    He came in and sat on the side of my bed. “What are you doing awake, Bitty Bug?”
    I sniffed him, missing the Old Spice and warm cotton. His white shirt had blood on it and that made me sad.
    He tucked the quilt around me. “Remember who made this quilt?” He smoothed down the squares.
    “Grandma Faith?”
    “That’s right. She made it with her own two hands. She’d be so proud of how you’ve grown.”
    “Momma said . . . ”
    “It doesn’t matter what Momma said about Grandma. She was a good woman. One of the best.” Daddy’s voice was soft, same as his face.
    “How come she was good?”
    “Your grandma worked hard every day and she loved her children, and you grandchildren. She loved Shakespeare’s words, like me.”
    “She did?”
    “Yep.” Daddy touched the tip of my nose.
    “What else about Grandma?”
    “Well, she knew all about plants, trees, and birds. She could sew and make the best apple butter.”
    “Why’d she burn herself up?”
    “Oh Bug, that’s a grown-up question.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “It was an accident, or something. She wouldn’t ever do that to her children. Now, no more questions.”
    I snuggled under the quilt, wishing Grandma were around so I could show her to Daddy.
    “Go to sleep or you’ll turn into a warty toady-frog, froggy croaking the rest of your life so that nobody understands a word you say.”
    “That’s silly.”
    He laughed warm as fuzzy socks, then said, “I’ll read Romeo and Juliet to you tomorrow night, okay?”
    It didn’t matter if he didn’t remember, right then it was like only the two of us lived there.
    He stared out of my window. “I don’t want you to feel afraid, no matter what happens.”
    I snuggled deeper.
    “Your momma and I, we just . . . ” His whole face turned down in a frown. “I promise to do better so you won’t have to hear the arguing, okay?”
    I nodded.
    He stood up. “Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite.”
    I fell asleep and dreamed I was a princess and Daddy a king. I didn’t know where Momma went off to.
    A week later he broke his promise when he said he’d be home early so we could eat together. Momma fixed herself a drink while we kids ate our macaroni and cheese with hot dogs. She had another while we ate ice cream. She sipped another when his headlights finally glowed down the road.
    When he came into the kitchen, Momma said, “I’m glad you finally made it home, Frederick.”
    “I’m sure you are, Katie.”
    “You promised the kids you’d be early.”
    “I was stuck with a problem.”
    “Oh, sure, I get it.”
    “No, you don’t, because you don’t work, now do you?”
    Momma’s lips pressed so when she talked, they hardly moved. “Kids, go on to your rooms and play.”
    My brothers did as they were told, but I ran to watch television. Lassie barked at Timmy, trying to tell him another collie killed some chickens and a cat, not her. I loved Lassie. I had a want the size of West Virginia to put my arms around her furry neck and hug the soft while Lassie sat beside me all proud and sweet. In television, everything worked out dandy. I felt warm goodies in my stomach while Timmy’s mother hugged Lassie, and then Timmy.
    She was telling Timmy something sweet, but what came out of her mouth was Momma’s voice hollering, “ . . . then why do you smell like a woman?”
    “You’re imagining things.”
    “Uh huh. And am I imagining you