The Widow and the Orphan (31 page)

“Come on!”

Gavin stood at the front door with his backpack on. He was shifting from one foot to the other and then bouncing on his toes.

“All right, all right. I’m workin’ on it!”

Pepper came out of the bedroom and down the hallway, one hand pressed to the small of her back. She was only six months along but, so far, pregnancy hadn’t really been all that kind to her. Between the heartburn, the hemorrhoids, and back pain, she felt like she was a mess. No one would ever know it by the look on her face. She was the epitome of every pregnancy cliché. Glowing face, thicker hair, and maternity clothes looked cute and stylish on her burgeoning frame.

Pepper grabbed her keys and followed Gavin out the front door. He ran to the SUV and hopped in, while she followed close behind.

“Hurry up!”

Pepper laughed. “Look, sport, I’ll get you there as fast as I safely can. Cool your jets.”

Gavin grinned and buckled in. He couldn’t stop bouncing up and down in the seat and it made her heart glad. She’d never seen a kid so excited for the first day of school before, except maybe Vivienne. Pepper had not been a fan of school herself, but was certainly glad to see that Gavin was the opposite.

“Did you grab your lunch?”

“Yep.”

“And you have all your first day stuff?”

“Yep.”

“All right. Then let’s be off.”

Pepper put the car in gear and drove the couple blocks to the school. The parking lot was a nightmare of every other parent wanting to drive their kid on the first day, too, but at least most people were exercising patience and being polite.
That probably won’t last
. She chuckled to herself.

Once she found a spot, Pepper put the car in park and sat back. Gavin immediately unbuckled and started to grab the door handle, but she put a hand on his chest to stop him. “Hold up, kid. I want to walk up with you, just this once. Okay?”

Gavin looked at her with that “duh” expression she had learned to recognize. “Of course! Come
on
!”

He jumped out and surprised her by running around to her side of the car. He opened the door for her and took her hand while she slid out. “Well thanks, you’re quite the gentleman.”

“You’re welcome!”

Keeping her hand in his, he didn’t seem embarrassed to be holding hands as they strode up to the walkway of the school. He pressed against her side for a minute and was about to rush off, but once again, Pepper halted him. “That’s no hug!”

Gavin grinned and threw his arms around her neck as she leaned down.

“Sorry,” he said into her neck.

Pulling away, Pepper looked into his eyes. “You have a really good day, okay? I’ll be back for you at three o’clock.”

“You bet!”

With that, he ran off toward the front door. Before he got more than a few feet away, he stopped and turned back. “Bye, Mom!”

The lump in Pepper’s throat was about the size of a hockey puck and she couldn’t swallow it down. Pressing her fingers to her lips, she threw him a kiss before he sprinted for a couple of the friends he’d made in the neighborhood. She folded her arms beneath her ever growing breasts and sighed with a happiness she hadn’t known she was capable of.

“They grow up so fast, don’t they?”

A petite, light brown haired woman stepped up beside her. She was smiling and watching a little girl amble along, carrying her Barbie lunch box and Hello Kitty backpack. “Which one’s yours? That’s my daughter.”

Pepper nodded and pointed. “That’s him. That’s my son.”

THE END

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J. Thomas-Like is a writer born and raised in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. She lives with her darling husband, brilliant son, a passel of cats, and a dog. This is her third novel. She started writing at a very young age, and is
finally
making her dreams come true, one story at a time.

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The Widow and the Orphan
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Cover art by James,
GoOnWrite.com

Author Photo by Chasing Light Photography