Tender Graces by Kathryn Magendie

there, waited for what would come next. Aunt Ruby was mean when she boozed herself into stupidity. Any little thing fired her off. She cussed and screamed at Pooter-Boy. If she was extra mad, she’d backhand him a good one.
    Momma went on, “Mrs. Mendel said she’d take Andy for a week so we could go on a proper vacation. After that, she’ll keep him a few hours a week for the summer, so we can spend some time together while the two older ones are gone.”
    “I don’t like it.”
    “We need to work on our marriage, Frederick. Don’t you want me anymore?” Momma stood up in front of Daddy.
    He held out his hand, dropped it, shook his head, and then turned away. “I’m going out.”
    “Don’t you walk out that door, Frederick Hale!”
    “Try and stop me, Katie Ivene.”
    She threw her empty glass at him, just missing his head by a dog’s flea as he hightailed it out the door. The glass pieces flew all over the room where it left slivers that I knew would find a way to my feet many a time.
    I scooted away from the door, sneaked back to my room, shut my door, and lay under Grandma’s quilt to read Grimm’s Fairy Tales . I waited for what would come next.
    When Micah came home, he went to his room. I heard him talking to Andy, sounding all happy about playing at the creek with Buster and his dog Pokie. I wanted to, but I didn’t go in and tell him what Momma told Daddy.
    After a supper of scrambled eggs and cinnamon toast, and after I had my bath and put on my yellow gown, Momma sat on the side of my bed wearing her prettiest red nightgown and smelling clean and sweet. She touched my chin. “Isn’t that something how your daddy nicknamed you Baby Bug?”
    I breathed in Momma, and hoped she’d stay a while. “What do you call me, Momma?”
    “Virginia Kate. That’s your name and a good one.” She picked up the Easter picture and stared at it. “Lord, church is stupid. That preacher was a ugly liar.” She made a sour face, then it went away as she said, “So, summer’s here, I reckon. No school.”
    My stomach tumbled around.
    “And your daddy and I want to take a proper vacation.” She smoothed the quilt. “I expect it’ll help our nuptials.”
    I stared at her.
    “You know, our marriage?” She kissed my forehead and her hair fell over me in a dark waterfall. Her breath tickled when she asked, “Don’t you?”
    I shrugged.
    “You bet it will! Grown-ups need time alone. They don’t fuss so much after they have grown-up vacations. Right?” She nodded her head until I nodded mine. “See! We think on it the same way. You’re a good girl. Never give me a speck of trouble.”
    “Momma?”
    “Hush now. Time to sleep.” She tucked the covers around me and stood to leave. “You’re the bestest daughter in the wide-world.” At the door, she blew me a kiss, turned out my light, and moved down the hall to Micah and Andy’s room to talk to them. She next went to the kitchen and ice rattled cold. Then soft music floated into my room and a woman sang deep and rusty, like summertime.
    I sneaked to watch around the doorjamb. Momma twirled with her arms out and her nightgown swirled. She was lit up from behind by the lamp and her body showed through the gown. She didn’t look like a momma who had three babies. She was like a momma with no kids at all. She rose up on her toes and bent backwards a bit. I wanted to be her then, grown up and beautiful, dancing. I thought most everything Momma did was as mysterious as the moon and as bright as the sun. I went back to bed, snuggled under Grandma’s quilt, and fell asleep listening to the music.
    Daddy’s clomping shoes woke me up. I waited for the fussing to start up again. Instead, I heard Momma talking soft to him, more ice tinkling in the kitchen, and then the Naugahyde made that crinkly sound. I smiled in the dark and was almost asleep again when I heard Daddy make a growly noise. Soft steps headed to their bedroom. The bed squeaked and Momma giggled.