Brown, Sandra-Friction

the curl between his fingers. Her lips made a sucking motion, then she swiped her cheek with the back
of her hand and opened her eyes.
Sleepily she blinked him into focus. “Daddy!”
“Shh, don’t wake up your friend.”
She sat up to receive his hug and return it. “Have you come to get me? Is it tomorrow yet?”
“Not yet. I just wanted to stop in and see how you were doing.”
“Good.” Yawning broadly, she lay back down and nestled the back of her head into the pillow.
“You like your new playmate? Amy.”
“Um-huh. She’s nice. We had a tea party and got to dress up in Miss Susan’s hats. I wore beads,
too.”
“Yeah? How’d the cookies turn out?”
“We sprinkled sugar on top. Mine were pink.” She yawned again. “Do you want to sleep with
me?”
“I don’t think we would fit on this bed.”
“You’re too big.”
“Me? You and Mr. Bunny are taking up all the space.” He poked her lightly in the belly, and she
giggled. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Go back to sleep, but give me a kiss first.” He leaned down. She
wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.
“Good night, Daddy. I love you.”
“’Night, sweetheart. I love you, too.”
She rolled onto her side and closed her eyes. He waited until she was softly snoring again before
reluctantly tiptoeing from the room.
Five minutes later, he joined his father-in-law in the Gilroys’ kitchen. Even at this late hour, Joe was
fully dressed and spit-polished. He had served three tours in Viet Nam flying F4s. At the end of the
war, he’d left the air force. But the air force had never completely left him.
He motioned toward the coffeemaker on the counter. “Help yourself.”
“No thanks.”
“Since I know I won’t sleep anyhow, I thought I had just as well have some.”
They sat down across from each other at the dining table. Crawford said, “Grace went to bed?”
“Finally. I had to slip her a mickey. I ground up a pain pill she had left over from that ear infection.
Spiked her chamomile tea with it.”
“Can’t hurt.”
“Knocked her out.”
“That’s what she needed.”
“Did you go by the Ambersons’ house?”
“Just left there. Georgia woke up only long enough to kiss me good night. I’m not sure she’ll
remember that I was there. But it did me good to see her.”
“You meet Frank?”
“Just Susan. Nice lady.”
“They’re good people.”
The conversation stalled there. This was the way it had been since Beth had first introduced him to