Three Saturdays

How many times do I have to tell you this? I never saw Jeffrey that day. My husband, Taylor, and I got up at nine o’clock like we do every Saturday. Evelyn, our daughter... Oh she’s nine. She was already awake, eating a Poptart, and watching some cartoon when I walked into the living room. I made breakfast. What? Why would you need to know that? Okay. Okay. I made waffles, bacon, and scrambled eggs. After breakfast, Taylor suggested we spend the day lounging around and go out as a family that night. There was some family movie about pets playing that Evelyn had been bugging us about. So we spent the day doing basically nothing. Evelyn played with some toys, watched some more cartoons, and took a bubble bath. Taylor and I caught up on The Walking Dead, and I made grilled cheese for lunch. Yes, that’s all we did. Well, we may have piddled on our phones and stuff here and there. Pinterest. Sometimes Facebook. I texted my sister. Yes, I’m sure. That’s all we did. Oh! Wait! Evelyn did paint me a picture of rainbow flowers. Well, after that we all got showered and ready for dinner. We ate at that new Italian place on Center Street. I had manicotti. Taylor had some sort of multi-pasta platter. Evelyn had a mini pizza. We went to the movie but we didn’t get any popcorn. We were all too full. By the time the movie was over, it was about ten or so. We drove home and I tucked Evelyn into bed. Taylor and I watched one more episode of The Walking Dead and drank some wine before we turned in around eleven thirty.

Oh yeah, I think I mighta seen Jeffrey a time or two that Saturday. Alison and I had just gotten out of bed and I wanted the paper. I saw Jeffrey at his house across the street. We talked for a minute or two in the street. We’re both big hockey fans. Considered buying season tickets together. Nah, I don’t know him too well. He’s just a nice neighbor. Hosted good cook-outs. Had a teenage daughter that occasionally babysat Evelyn for six bucks an hour. Sorry I’m a rambler. I went back inside and read the paper for a while. Alison was making those quick mix pancakes and she looked pretty tired. Thought maybe we should do something to help her relax. Said we should go to dinner and a movie that night. Oh hell, I dunno what Evelyn did. She spent most the time in her bedroom. Even when she ate her lunch. Alison talked me into watching The Walking Dead together. Couldn’t tell you what any of it was about. Spent most of it talking to some buddies in a Facebook hockey group. We went to dinner and the movie. Man, I couldn’t even tell you what I ate there. Some kind of pasta. Italian isn’t really my thing, but Alison and Evelyn love it. I can’t remember if it was when we left or came back, but that evening I saw Jeffrey sitting on his front porch. He waved as we drove by. When we got home we watched some more tv and went to bed.

Mr. Jeff stayed at our house almost all day. I was up before Mom and Dad and he knocked on the front door. I woke them up and told them. Dad answered the door and asked Mr. Jeff what was going on. Mr. Jeff came inside. He was crying a lot and his face was all red and puffy. Mom poured me a bowl of cereal and told me to go play in my room while the grown ups talked. I listened through a crack in the door though. Something had happened with Mr. Jeff’s daughter, Lisa. He kept saying it was an accident and he didn’t mean to. Dad asked to see and followed Mr. Jeff back to his house. They came back a while later and Mom and Dad whispered a lot. Mom told Mr. Jeff they would help him take care of it. Dad got some stuff out of the garage and went back to Mr. Jeff’s house with him. They were gone for a few hours. Mom asked me to paint her a picture of some flowers. When Dad and Mr. Jeff came back, all the grown ups sat on the couch and talked some more. After a while, Mr. Jeff said he felt better and left. Dad said we should go out to eat and see a movie. I ate pizza. I really liked the movie. When we got home, Mr. Jeff was waiting in our yard. Dad stayed out to talk to him and Mom made me go inside and get ready for bed.