Three of Spades by W. Ferraro Read Free Book Online

doing?”
    “What does it look like I’m doing? Really for such a bright girl, your lack of observation can be a bit annoying,” Gloria responded as she continued to stir her famous homemade tomato sauce. Natalie remembered helping Gloria make the same recipe when she was a little girl. The scent of oregano and garlic evoked the image of a long past day where Gloria would hold Natalie by the waist at the stove stirring the thick red sauce.
    Natalie looked to where her middle brother lounged in one of the cracked vinyl swivel chairs that surrounded the small kitchen table. He looked so out of place sitting there amongst the outdated furnishings in his five hundred dollar suit. Natalie was sure his purple tie cost more than what she made in one day of teaching. He didn’t give anything away as he returned her gaze.
    “Let me rephrase, what made you want to make your Gloria Parker famous sauce?” Natalie said, noting Gloria looked tired and the obvious work to make the sauce was taking a toll.
    “Natalie, Mom wanted to keep busy. Sitting in the chair was getting rather boring, so, this is how she decided to spend her day,” Rose said, sounding cheery as she kept close watch over her patient looking for any sign of distress.
    “Oh Rose, be honest. I said if I croak tonight, I want to make sure Natalie will have enough to eat. So I’m making sauce to stock the freezer. Natalie you haven’t been eating, some pasta and sauce will do you good and put some meat on your bones. How are you supposed to find someone looking like a skeleton?” Gloria bit out, emotionally dying a bit inside as the words left her mouth. Natalie needed to start focusing on herself, rather than taking care of Gloria day after day.
    The verbal arrow hit its target dead on. Natalie pasted a happy smile on her face, kissed her mother’s cheek and said, “It smells fantastic! I can’t wait for dinner. Sam will you be joining us?” Her brother nodded his head and continued to read the paper that was draped out in front of him. Natalie looked back to her mother at the stove and said, “In fact, why don’t I run to the store and pick up some fresh bread and salad fixings. Be right back.” With that, she strived to make her feet not run and flee but rather walk slowly as if nothing was bothering her.
    When Natalie reached her car door, the tears spilled over. She was just about to climb inside when Rose came running after her.
    “Natalie, your mother doesn’t mean to be cruel, she’s just so fearful of dying and leaving you alone that she is lashing out. Everyone deals with their own mortality differently.”
    “I know it isn’t the real her speaking, but nevertheless, it doesn’t take the sting out.”
    “Your mother loves you so very much. She wants to make sure you are taken care of the way you deserve. She holds onto that and that is what gets her to get up in the morning. Only when she feels there will be someone there who’s worthy, will she succumb.”
    “And that Rose, is what breaks my heart.”
    “Natalie.” Sam called out as he too came down the porch steps and headed towards Natalie. Rose, wanting to give the siblings some privacy out of courteousness, back stepped and headed back up to the house and in to her patient.
    Sam walked over to his sister and noticed she seemed upset. Sam hated to admit but he was not very close with Natalie; nor was Reggie. Chalk it up to the age gap; Reggie being ten years older and Sam being eight, they just never bonded and they had never been openly affectionate. Even since Natalie graduated college, and Sam offered her a good entry-level position in his advertising agency. He did not understand why she didn’t jump on board. She would be making five times what she was currently making, minimum. It was Sam’s opinion that Natalie just preferred to be ordinary and not strive for anything better. Teaching was an honorable profession, but let’s face it, she would never be able to swing a