For the Rest of Our Lives
One (1999)
Sally leans close to me, the baby toad she'd found earlier held between us. I peer over at her closed hands, watching in anticipation.
"Don't tell anyone!" she says. One of her front teeth is missing, which is very noticeable as she speaks. I'm still waiting for that to happen with mine. "His name is Mr. Rodgers. I found him at the edge of our pond the other day."
"Why Mr. Rodgers?" I ask, twisting my face in disgust and shifting so that my legs are crossed in front of me. Sally kneels in front of me, leaning high up so that she's a head taller than me. "What if it's a girl?"
"Well- then it's Mrs. Rodgers," she answers with a small pout of thought. "I like that name."
"But- but that's my last name," I say. "Can't we pick a different name?"
"No way!" Sally says. "Here. I'll show you. You'll change your mind and like the name when you see him."
She opens her hands, and the toad immediately hops free from her. With a couple of shrieks the both of us are stumbling over each other in the grass, trying to get up and chase after the toad. We both shout and giggle as we move to grab for it. But the toad disappears in the taller grass and we can no longer see where it's headed.
"Dang it!" Sally says loudly. I put my fingers to my lips and shush her.
"My daddy says that's a bad word and I shouldn't say it," I tell her with eyes wide. Sally purses her lips and shakes her head.
"My daddy doesn't care what I say," she shrugs. "He's not around much to hear it anyway."
I start to say something in response, but Sally's dad calls for her then.
"Sally Marie Danver! You get your ass back in this house this instant!" His voice is loud and makes the both of us shiver.
A silent conversation rolls between mine and Sally's eyes. She doesn't want to go, she's scared; and I don't want her to go, either. She never tells me why she's always avoiding being at home when her father is home. I never think to ask; there's a pain in her eyes that prevents me from asking. I squeeze Sally's hands, and she squeezes mine back.
"Sally!" he yells again. "I swear to god, I'm going to whoop your ass if you don't get it back here in ten seconds! Ten! Nine! Eight-"
With that I squeeze Sally's hands one last time before she turns and runs. Luckily her house is right next door to mine. It won't take her very long to move from my back yard to her front porch.
"Coming, daddy!" she yells, her shoulder length blonde hair trailing behind her.
My heart drops to my stomach, though I have no idea why.
"Don't tell anyone!" she says. One of her front teeth is missing, which is very noticeable as she speaks. I'm still waiting for that to happen with mine. "His name is Mr. Rodgers. I found him at the edge of our pond the other day."
"Why Mr. Rodgers?" I ask, twisting my face in disgust and shifting so that my legs are crossed in front of me. Sally kneels in front of me, leaning high up so that she's a head taller than me. "What if it's a girl?"
"Well- then it's Mrs. Rodgers," she answers with a small pout of thought. "I like that name."
"But- but that's my last name," I say. "Can't we pick a different name?"
"No way!" Sally says. "Here. I'll show you. You'll change your mind and like the name when you see him."
She opens her hands, and the toad immediately hops free from her. With a couple of shrieks the both of us are stumbling over each other in the grass, trying to get up and chase after the toad. We both shout and giggle as we move to grab for it. But the toad disappears in the taller grass and we can no longer see where it's headed.
"Dang it!" Sally says loudly. I put my fingers to my lips and shush her.
"My daddy says that's a bad word and I shouldn't say it," I tell her with eyes wide. Sally purses her lips and shakes her head.
"My daddy doesn't care what I say," she shrugs. "He's not around much to hear it anyway."
I start to say something in response, but Sally's dad calls for her then.
"Sally Marie Danver! You get your ass back in this house this instant!" His voice is loud and makes the both of us shiver.
A silent conversation rolls between mine and Sally's eyes. She doesn't want to go, she's scared; and I don't want her to go, either. She never tells me why she's always avoiding being at home when her father is home. I never think to ask; there's a pain in her eyes that prevents me from asking. I squeeze Sally's hands, and she squeezes mine back.
"Sally!" he yells again. "I swear to god, I'm going to whoop your ass if you don't get it back here in ten seconds! Ten! Nine! Eight-"
With that I squeeze Sally's hands one last time before she turns and runs. Luckily her house is right next door to mine. It won't take her very long to move from my back yard to her front porch.
"Coming, daddy!" she yells, her shoulder length blonde hair trailing behind her.
My heart drops to my stomach, though I have no idea why.