“Well, he’s got a lot to process these days,” Corrie said.
Bryn nodded.
“How’s Maya?”
They stopped at the Dairy Queen and bought ice cream cones dipped in a chocolate shell, then drove to the house they shared.
“Can I watch TV?” Cody plopped down on the couch.
“Okay, but just for a while. Then we’re going back to your house.”
Bryn turned the television to the cartoon channel and followed Corrie into the kitchen.
“God, I’m glad to be home.” Corrie laid her purse on the counter and gazed around the kitchen. “I mean, it was great to see Maya, and I’m so glad I went. But it’s good to be home.”
“So what did you think of the boyfriend?” Bryn put the kettle on the stove for tea.
“Bryan? He’s nice. Quiet and kind of awkward, but really sweet. He set up this whole schedule with Maya’s friends, so they can all help take care of her. She’ll be okay, I think.”
“Have you talked to your mom?”
“No.” Corrie shook her head. “I’ll probably call her later. She’s called me about a million times, but I just haven’t had the strength to answer.”
“I still can’t believe Daniel punched Caerl. I wish I’d been there to see it!” Bryn giggled.
“It was pretty bad, actually.” Corrie sat down at the kitchen table. “Caerl was stoned or high or something. He called me a slut, and Daniel just . . . hit him.”
“It’s about time someone did.” Bryn sat down beside her. “But I’m sure it was awful.”
They sat for a moment, listening to the sounds of SpongeBob SquarePants from the living room. The teakettle whistled and Bryn rose.
“I’ll get it,” she said. “Chamomile or mint?”
“Either,” Corrie said. “Whatever you’re having.”
Bryn returned with steaming mugs and set one before Corrie.
“So, I’ve been patient. This has been me, being patient.”
Corrie smiled at her.
“But now I’m done being patient. How was it with Daniel in San Francisco?”
“Actually, it was great.” Corrie blew on her tea. “He was really helpful, just took charge and did everything that needed to be done, so all I had to do was be with Maya. Honestly, I don’t know what I’d have done without him there.”
Bryn sat quietly, watching her. Finally, she leaned forward. “And?”
“And . . . and that’s how it was. He was helpful. I’m glad he was there. And I was glad when he went home.”
“Really?” Bryn’s eyebrows raised.
“Yes, really.” Corrie stared down at her tea.
“You didn’t miss him after he left?”
“No, not really.”
“You don’t sound sure about that.”
Corrie sighed and set her mug on the table.
“Daniel was great,” she said. “But Daniel lives in California. And I live in Indiana. Just because we’re having a baby together doesn’t mean we should live together or anything.”
“Okay,” Bryn said. “I just wondered. You guys seemed pretty cozy while he was here. And you know I’m not his biggest fan.”
Corrie laughed. “Yes, we’ve established just how much you love Daniel.”
“But it really does seem like he loves you.” Bryn spoke softly, watching Corrie’s face. “Maybe you guys could work it out this time.”
“No,” Corrie said, her eyes still on her mug. “I don’t think so.”
Bryn said nothing for a long minute.
“I don’t want to move to California,” Corrie said. “This is my home. This is my life. I can’t just move to L.A. I don’t want to live there!”
“Okay,” Bryn crooned. “Maybe he could live here?”
Corrie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s never going to happen. And even if he offered to come here, he’d be miserable. No.” She rose and carried her mug into the kitchen. “It won’t work. It’s better this way.”
Bryn simply smiled at her back, then stood and carried her own cup into the kitchen to rinse it out.
“Cody,” she called. “Time to go.”
She hugged Corrie lightly. “Come to Bob’s for dinner, okay?”
Corrie nodded.
“I’m glad you’re back,” Bryn said.
Corrie smiled. “Me too.
57
Bryn sat in her car, watching children pour out of the school building, laughing, shouting, lining up in front of the row of school buses. She spotted Cody in the crowd and honked. He waved at her and ran to the car.
“Hey,” Bryn said as he climbed into the backseat. “How was school?”
“Good!” Cody grinned at her. “We had macaroni and cheese for lunch!”
“Sounds good.” Bryn was scanning the crowd of children for Micah.
Slowly, the crowd on the sidewalk thinned as children boarded buses and buses pulled away. Where was Micah?
Finally, Bryn sighed heavily. “Okay,” she said, turning to Cody, “I guess he’s still inside. Let’s go find him.”
She took Cody’s hand and they walked into the empty entryway.
“Which way is his classroom?” Bryn asked, looking down the long hallways.
“It’s this way. Come on, I’ll show you.” Cody pulled her along by the hand, stopping in front of a closed door. “This is his room.”
Bryn knocked on the door, then opened it to look inside. The room was empty, the lights were out.
“Where could he be?”
“Maybe he’s at the principal’s office,” Cody said. “I’ll take you.”
They walked back down the hall to the office. A young woman looked up as they arrived.
“I’m looking for Micah Carter,” Bryn said.
“We have a dentist appointment,” Cody chimed in.
“Did you check his classroom?” the woman asked.
Bryn nodded. “He’s not there.”
“Well, let me make an announcement.” The woman rose and walked into another room. Soon her voice carried over the sound system throughout the school.
“Micah Carter, Micah Carter, please come to the front desk. Your . . . your ride is here.”
She returned and sat down.
“Thank you,” Bryn said. They waited several long minutes. Micah did not appear.
“Maybe he went home on the bus,” Cody said.
“I guess we’ll go see.” Bryn walked briskly back to her car, still holding Cody’s hand. They’d be late for their appointment now.
She drove to Bob’s and went inside.
“Micah? Micah, are you here?”
The house was empty.
A cold fear gripped Bryn. Calm down, she told herself. Just calm down and think. Where would he go?
She turned to Cody. “Do you know how to get to Matt’s house?”
Cody nodded.
“Let’s go see if he’s there.”
They walked up the street a block and knocked on a door. A woman a few years older than Bryn opened the door and smiled.
“Hi, Cody,” she said. “What’s up?”
“Is Micah here?” Bryn asked.
“No,” the woman said. “You must be Bryn?”
“Yes,” Bryn said. “I’m Bryn and I was supposed to pick the boys up from school for a dentist appointment, but Micah wasn’t there and he’s not at home.” She could hear the panic in her own voice. Calm down, calm down, just calm down.
“I’m Christy. Come in,” the woman said, holding open the door. “Let me ask Matt if he knows where Micah’s gone. Matt!”
“What?”
“Please come in here.”
Matt appeared in the doorway. He smiled at Bryn. “Hey, Bryn. Hey, Cody.”
“Matt, do you know where Micah is? Bryn was supposed to pick him up from school, but he wasn’t there.”
Matt shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know,” he said.
Bryn’s stomach turned upside down. Christy touched her hand and smiled reass
uringly. “Let me just call around,” she said.
She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and began dialing.
“Mandy, this is Christy. Is Micah Carter at your house? . . . Oh, okay. Well, thanks anyway.”
Bryn stood frozen in the kitchen as Christy dialed three more times. Finally, on the fourth call, she breathed.
“Okay, good,” Christy was saying. “Keep him there, okay? His babysitter is on her way to pick him up.”
She closed the phone and smiled at Bryn. “He’s at Dillon Murphy’s,” she said. “It’s around the block on Highland Street.”
“I know where it is,” Cody said. “I’ll show you.”
Bryn’s knees were shaking and for a minute she couldn’t move.
“It’s okay,” Christy said, patting her hand. “It happened to me last year with my older son, Keith. I went to get him at school and he’d left with a friend. Scared me half to death.”
“Thank you so much,” Bryn said. “Really, thank you so much.”
She followed Cody another block and around the corner to knock on another door.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m Bryn, and I’m here for Micah.”
The woman who answered simply looked at her.
“I’m Bryn Baxter,” Bryn began again. “I was supposed to pick up Micah from school for a dentist appointment.”
“Do you have a note from his father?” The woman stood squarely in the doorway, blocking Bryn’s view of the inside.
“What? No, I don’t have a note. But look, I have Cody and I’m supposed to take him and Micah to the dentist.”
The woman didn’t move. “I’m sorry,” she said firmly. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t know you and I don’t know anything about a dentist appointment. And I can’t let you take Micah until I talk to Bob or Wendy.”
“Fine,” Bryn snapped, pulling her cell phone from her purse. “Let me call Bob.”
The phone rang several times before going to voice mail.
“Bob, it’s Bryn. I’m at one of Micah’s friend’s houses, and his mother won’t let me take Micah to the dentist. Call me back.”
She ended the call and glared at the woman in the doorway.
“Look,” she said, “I’m not a child molester or a kidnapper or anything like that. I’m just a friend who’s helping Bob out.”
The woman took a step back.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Until I talk to Bob, Micah is my responsibility. Cody, do you want to come in and play?”
Cody looked from the woman to Bryn. “No,” he said slowly. “I’m going to the dentist with Bryn.”
Bryn stood a minute more, staring at the woman in the doorway. Finally, she sighed.
“Fine, I’ll tell Bob to pick Micah up on his way home from work.”
The woman closed the door and Bryn stood a minute longer, holding Cody’s hand.
“Come on, buddy,” she said finally. “Let’s go home.”
“But what about the dentist?” Cody gazed up at her. “You said we were going to the dentist and then to get ice cream.”
“Well, we’re too late for the dentist now,” Bryn snapped. She immediately regretted it.
“But how about this, we’ll still get ice cream. Okay?”
Cody grinned at her. “Okay!”
When Bob arrived three hours later with Micah in tow, Bryn didn’t look up from the chicken-and-noodles casserole she was stirring.
“Hey,” Bob said softly, kissing her cheek. “I’m so sorry about today.”
“It’s okay,” she said, still not looking up.
“Micah, do you have something to say to Bryn?”
“Sorry.”
“I beg your pardon?” Bryn turned from the stove to look down at him.
“I said sorry.” Micah’s eyes stayed firmly on the floor.
“Okay,” Bob said. “Now go clean up for dinner.”
Micah ran from the room, Bryn staring after him, her mouth slightly open.
“Are you all right?” Bob looked at her, a puzzled expression on his face.
“Are you kidding?” Bryn threw the wooden spoon she’d been holding into the sink.
“It’s all right, Bryn.” Bob put his hands on her shoulders. “It was just a mix-up, but it’s no problem. I’ll just reschedule the appointment.”
“You don’t get it!” Bryn stepped away from him. “I was scared to death. I didn’t know where he was! I went to the school and the secretary looked at me like I was an idiot. And then Matt’s mom had to call all the other moms, so they all know I lost your kid. And then, that woman wouldn’t let me take him! She stared at me like I was a kidnapper or something and refused to let me take Micah with me. It’s not okay!”
“Look, I’m sorry you got scared.” Bob’s voice was soft and he glanced back into the dining room to make sure they were alone. “But honestly, it was just a mix-up. And Karen just did what she was supposed to do. I mean, think about it, a strange woman shows up to pick up a child. She didn’t know who you were. She was just trying to take care of Micah.”
“Who was inside the house and who I’m sure heard the entire conversation and could have come out and explained to Karen that he had a dentist appointment. Instead, he let me stand out there and make a complete idiot of myself!”
She turned from him to pick up the casserole dish and shoved it into the oven.
“That will be ready in thirty minutes,” she said, taking off the apron she wore and stalking out of the kitchen.
“Wait!” Bob followed her into the living room, where Cody sat on the floor in front of the television, his eyes glued on Bryn.
“Cody, I’ll see you later, okay?” Bryn smiled at Cody, hating that he had to hear and see the entire scene. She grabbed her coat and walked out.
“Bryn!” Bob stood on the porch. “Wait! Come on, don’t be this way. It was a mix-up, it happens.”
Bryn got into her car and pulled out of the driveway fast, then sped down the quiet street, cursing at the top of her lungs.
58
“Okay, calm down.” Corrie handed Bryn a tall glass of milk.
“Sit down and relax. This isn’t good for the baby.”
Bryn glowered at her over her milk and sat down at the dining room table.
“This Dillon is the same kid who told Micah that Wendy was a whore,” she spat. “Where do you suppose he heard that? From his mother! So what do you suppose she thinks of me? She just looked at me like I was trash!”
“I don’t know, honey. Maybe she was just—”
“Just nothing! She was enjoying it, watching me stand there like an idiot. God!”
Bryn took a long drink of milk.
“And Bob!” She slammed the glass down on the table. “He acted like it was nothing! Like she was just fricking Suzy Homemaker, being a good mom!”
Corrie said nothing.
“I know it wasn’t just a mix-up, either! Micah never just goes to a friend’s house after school without calling Bob. Never!”
“Maybe he forgot.” Corrie’s voice was soft.
“No.” Bryn shook her head fiercely. “Honestly, Corrie, I love the kid. You know I do. I’m trying so hard to understand and be patient, because God knows he’s going through so much. But lately . . .” Her voice trailed away.
“Lately what?” Corrie took a napkin from the holder and wiped up milk that had sloshed onto the table.
“I think he hates me.” Bryn said it quietly, her voice quivering slightly. “I mean, he’s just hateful most of the time. Last week when I asked him to help clear the table, he looked me right in my face and told me he didn’t have to do what I said, because I’m not his mother.”
“What did Bob do?” Corrie asked.
“He talked to Micah, made him come and apologize. But Micah didn’t mean it. Anyone could see he meant what he said before. I’m not his mom and he just hates me being there while she’s not.”
“It’s got to be hard,” Corrie said. “I mean, Micah and Cody are b
oth missing their mom, and Bob’s trying to make everything okay, and maybe it’s just really hard for him to see Micah in that much pain.”
“I know.” Bryn slumped in her chair. “I really do know, and I really do love Micah. I’m just so tired of him taking out his anger on me.”
Her phone rang.
“Is it Bob?” Corrie asked.
Bryn nodded.
“You should take it.”
Bryn considered for a second then sighed and answered the phone. She retreated to her room upstairs, leaving Corrie at the table, worrying. Why did everything have to be so hard? Why couldn’t Bob and Bryn just be happy together? Why couldn’t Mark forgive her for sleeping with Daniel? How did everything get so messed up?
She rose and rinsed Bryn’s cup, then flopped onto the couch to watch television. An hour or so later, Bryn came back downstairs, her eyes red, her skin splotchy.
“Are you okay?” Corrie asked.
Bryn shook her head.
“We decided to slow things down,” she said, her voice shaky.
“Micah needs some time to deal with the divorce, and I don’t want to make it worse for him.”
“Oh, Bryn.” Corrie opened her arms and Bryn sank onto the couch beside her. “Don’t worry, honey. It’ll be all right. You’re both just upset, but you’ll work it out.”
Bryn cried for a while, Corrie crooning to her the way she’d done with Maya in the hospital. Finally, she handed Bryn a box of tissues and Bryn blew her nose hard, shook her head, and sat up.
“I’m okay,” she said. “It’s fine. Bob needs to focus on the boys. They need to be his priority right now. And I need to just focus on me and my baby.” She patted her stomach softly. “All I need is this baby.”
She turned to Corrie and hugged her again.
“And you,” she said. “I will always need you.”
59
“Corrie!” Bryn called from the front porch. “Help!”
Corrie ran to the front door and burst into laughter. Bryn sat on the porch step, groceries spilling from a bag beside her, an ice cream cone upside down on her hugely rounded stomach.
“It’s not funny!” Bryn said, trying not to smile. “I can’t get up!”
Corrie pulled at Bryn’s hands until she stood, then surveyed the mess on the porch.
The Weight of Small Things Page 31
