Wings of Love (15 page)

“It was good.  I tried to keep busy
today to keep you off of my mind, but it’s not working to
well.”  He teased then added with urgency in his voice,
“I miss you so much Amy.”

“I had no idea how much I needed you in my
life,” Amy added.  “Just remember our love is strong
Adam, so we’ll make it.”

“That’s right babe, don’t you forget
it.”  Adam said smiling that she had reminded him of his
own words that he used to comfort her. 

Adam closed his eyes and pictured Amy face
and expressions as she told him about her day at work and her plans
to help Mrs. Dunn this weekend with the rummage
sale.  When he opened them he realized there was someone
waiting to use the phone. 

“I have to let you go now,” said Adam as he
wrapped up the conversation.  “I love you Amy.”

“I love you too,” Amy murmured
softly.  “Nite Adam.”

***

Amy stood in front of the open refrigerator
door wondering what to have for dinner when Joey and Bob walked in
the back door.

“Hi guys what’s up?”  She asked
shutting the frig door.

“I hope you’re hungry,” said Bob as he held
up a bag from Burger King.  “We got you something for
dinner.”

“Smells good,” said Amy as she grabbed them
each a pop out of the refrigerator.  She was glad to have
some company.

Amy sat down with Joey and Bob as they
divided up the burgers, fries and onion rings.  She
jumped up out of her chair grabbing the ketchup and put it on the
table.

“Mmmm, onion rings,” said Amy as she took a
bite of one and rolled her eyes.

Amy continued eating her dinner as she
listened to Joey and Bob talk about their next game against the St.
Louis Blues.  The distraction did Amy good as she had not
been looking forward to another night alone with the TV.

The telephone rang but Amy did not jump up to
answer it knowing that Adam had a hockey game
tonight.  Joey reached behind himself grabbing the phone
off the wall.  “Yello?”  He listened for a
minute.  “Hi Angie.  Let me
check.”  He looked at Amy and Bob as he held the phone
between his chin and shoulder.  “Angie wants to know if
you guys want to go bowling tonight.”

“Sure, I’m free tonight.”  Bob
shrugged his shoulders then took a bite of his whopper.

“Sounds like a plan,” Joey told
Angie.  “We’ll be by to pick you up within a hour.”

Before Amy objected Joey had already made the
plans for her evening.  She shrugged her shoulders
figuring it was better than sitting home alone all night.

Amy walked through the doors of the bowling
alley as Bob held them open for her.  She followed as
they all went up to the counter while Joey asked for two
lanes.  The sounds of the bowling balls colliding against
the pins echoed in the background.

“What size shoes do you wear?”  Bob
asked Amy as the attendant handed him his pair.

“Size seven,” said Amy.  Joey and
Angie sat down by lanes nine and ten putting on their
shoes.  She grabbed her shoes and went along with Bob to
find a bowling ball.

Amy watched Joey try to teach Angie how to
hold the ball and release it standing alongside her.  She
smiled noticing the change in him as he put Angie’s needs before
his own.  He bowled next throwing the ball between his
legs and still managing to get a strike.  Amy was up
after him.   She slowly approached releasing the
ball to get a total of eight pins combined.  Amy watched
as Bob threw his ball knocking down eight pins on his first frame
then picking up his spare.

“All right,” said Amy as she gave him a high
five when he walked past.

“Do you want something to
drink?”  Bob asked heading towards the bar.

“Sure,” she answered as she wrote down
Angie’s score.  She was glad she came tonight because she
was actually having a good time.

“Here you go,” Bob handed her a Budweiser as
he took a swig of his own.  He sat down next to her
checking the scores then lit a cigarette and took a long
drag. 

“Thanks for the beer,” Amy took a sip then
set it down in the cup holder.

“No problem,” said Bob as he got up to
bowl.  “Thanks for coming along.”

After they finished bowling they stopped at
the Ubly Corner Market to pick up a twelve pack and went back to
their place to watch Saturday Night Live.  When the show
ended Amy decided to call it a night if she was going to get up and
help at the rummage sale tomorrow. 

“Good night all,” she said as she climbed up
the stairs.

“Good night,” Joey and Angie said in
unison.

“Well I guess I’ll be taking
off.”  Bob got up from the couch, walking towards the
door.  “Goodnight Amy.  That was fun
tonight.”

“Yeah it was.”  Amy reached the top
of the stairs and turned around as she heard the door shut.

Chapter 13

Amy heard someone knocking on the front door.
She peeked through the curtains and saw Bob was standing there so
she opened the door to let him inside.

“Is Joey here?” He asked.

“No, he went out with Angie.”  Amy
noticed he was as white as a ghost.  “What’s wrong?”

“My mom was in a car
accident.”  Bob entered the living room and collapsed on
the couch, placing his head in his hands as he broke
down.  “She swerved to avoid hitting a deer and she
crashed head on into a tree.”  He looked up at Amy with
grief in his eyes.  “They said she died instantly.”

“Oh my God,” Amy cried out in
disbelief.  She watched this strong bulk of a man crumble
right before her eyes.  She never had seen him look so
small and weak.

“It’s just not fair,” Bob
sobbed.  “Why did this have to happen to my mom?”

Amy felt deep sympathy for Bob as she sat
down and hugged him.  He sobbed uncontrollably in her
arms as she tried to comfort him.  She knew nothing she
could say would make Bob feel any better so she listened to him for
as long as he needed.

Bob had fallen asleep about an hour
ago.  She covered him up with a blanket and shut off the
living room light.  She promised him she would go with
him in the morning to help him with all the funeral
arrangements.

Amy went up to her room and called the front
desk at Adam’s dorm.  She explained the situation and the
night clerk went to get him.

“What’s wrong Amy?”  Adam
asked.

“I have some terrible news,” said Amy as she
sat down on her bed.  “Bob’s mother was in an accident
today.”

“Is she alright?”  Adam could hear
Amy crying.

“She died Adam.”

“Oh no, poor Bob.”  Adam
said.  “I’m sorry I’m not there for him.”

“He’s pretty broken up. He fell asleep on the
couch.”  Amy shared with Adam.  “I didn’t have
the heart to ask him to leave.  He has nobody else.”

“I understand Amy.  He just lost
his mother.”  Adam reassured her.  “He needs a
friend.”

“He asked me to go with him tomorrow to make
arrangements.”  Amy felt so bad for Bob. 

“Let me know as soon as you find out,” Adam
insisted.  “I would like to fly in for the funeral.”

“I will.”  Amy stared at the
picture of her and Adam on her nightstand.  “I miss
you.”

“I miss you too, Amy.  I miss
home.  I miss my family and friends.  I wish I
could be there right now to help.”

“I love you, Adam.”  Amy
whispered.  “I’m glad you’ll be home to help Bob through
this.”

“I’ll be home as soon as I can,” promised
Adam.  “I love you babe.  See you then.”

Amy sat and listened to the silence from the
phone after he hung up.  She couldn’t believe that Mrs.
Prusinski was gone.

***

The sound of the rain could be heard
splattering on top of the black umbrella as they stood by the grave
of Bob’s mother on this cold September morning.  The wind
had picked up as the preacher spoke kind words about the life of
Mrs. Roberta Prusinski and her final resting place.

A small group of people gathered to pay their
final respects.  Many neighbors and friends of hers and
Bob’s teammates solemnly offered him there
condolences.  Adam and Amy stood on his right hand
side.  Joey, Angie and Janet were on his
left.  Amy placed her hand on Bob’s back softly rubbing
it as the preacher continued his prayers.  Her other hand
held Adam’s tightly with all her might not wanting to let him
go.

When the preacher was finished the funeral
director thanked everyone on Bob’s behalf for attending and invited
them to a luncheon at the Ubly Heights Country Club.

Amy and Adam followed Bob as he walked to the
limousine and climbed in next to him.  Angie, Joey, and
Janet joined them also for the ride to the luncheon.  She
stared out the window noticing the few leaves left that clung to
the trees underneath the cold dark sky.  
Life was
like that.  You better hold on tight before it’s
gone
.  It broke her heart to see Bob suffer such a
terrible loss which had been so sudden and tragic. 

Bob insisted that the six of them sit at his
table at the funeral luncheon.  They stayed and helped
him with as much as they could.  All of them being there
for him seemed to be of the most importance to Bob. After the
guests all left he invited them to stop back at his
place.  Amy could see he did not want to be alone so they
all agreed to make a night of it.

“I brought all the leftovers home,” said
Bob.  “And there’s plenty to drink in the
refrigerator.”

They all made themselves at home and gathered
together in the living room reminiscing about all of the good times
they had growing up together. 

“I remember the time your mom had us all over
for a Halloween party,” said Joey.  “She had bobbing for
apples and all the creepy body parts inside the pumpkins to
feel.”

“Oh, I remember that.  She made
that cool haunted house in the basement.”  Adam
said.  “I think Amy pissed her pants.”

“I did not,” she laughed as she slapped
him.  “I believe you’re the one that was afraid to go
trick or tricking that year.”

“Yeah, she was the best mom a kid could have
asked for,” said Bob.  “Too bad my old man was such an
asshole.  The son of a bitch didn’t even have the decency
to pay his respects today.”

Amy glanced at Bob from across the room
knowing the hardships he suffered at the hands of his
father. 

“
Come on Bobby, let’s go.”  Amy
waited for him as all the other kids were heading to Annie’s pond
to go swimming.

Bobby ignored her as she stood there waiting
for him.  She looked towards the other kids than back at
Bobby sitting upon a rock under a large shade tree.  She
glanced at the kids one more time than ran back to Bobby climbing
up on the rock with him.

“
Why aren’t you coming
Bobby?”  Amy looked puzzled at him with her big innocent
eyes.  “You love to go swimming.”

“
I can’t,” he mumbled under his
breath.

“
Your mom won’t let you
go?”  Amy asked as she placed her hand gently on his
back.

Amy noticed Bobby flinched when she touched
his back.

“
What’s wrong, Bobby,” she asked
him.

“
Nothing,” he turned away but not before
Amy saw a tear rolled down his cheek.

Amy knew something was wrong with
Bobby.  She doesn’t know why she did it, call it instinct
or curiosity but she lifted his shirt.  She saw crimson
welt marks as well as bruises upon his back. 

“
Leave me alone.”  Bobby pulled
his shirt back down to cover his shame.

“
What happened?”  Amy asked but
before he could answer she figured it out. “I’m sorry Bobby,” her
hazel eyes looked right into his.

Bobby looked over at Amy as he whispered into
her ear his secret.  “I don’t want to go swimming because
I don’t want to take my shirt off.”

“
Just tell everybody you’ll get
sunburned,” Amy offered her idea to Bobby.  “I promise I
won’t ever say anything to nobody.  Pinkie
swear.”

“
Pinkie swear.” Bobby said as he jumped
down from the rock and lifted her down.  “Come on
Amy!  Let’s go swimming.”

At that specific moment a bond had been made
between the two.  Amy became Bob’s guardian angel and he
became her protector.  Whenever he needed someone to talk
she was always there for him and she never ever told a single
soul.

***

Adam woke up the next morning in his room
with Amy snuggled behind him, her arms wrapped around
him.  
This must be the closest thing to
heaven
.  He missed the touch and warmth of her body.
He missed the way her eyes sparkled when she looked at
him.  He missed the way she said his name when she made
sweet love to him.  But most of all he had missed the way
they talked and shared everything with each other. He knew he
had to get back to school tonight, but for today he was happy to be
here with Amy in their own little world. 

“Good morning,” She kissed the back of his
neck then rested her head upon his back.  “It’s so nice
to have you back where you belong.”

“I was just thinking the same thing,” Adam
admitted as he rolled over and took her into his
arms.  “What do you want to do today?  You name
it and we’ll do it.”

“Outside of the obvious?”  She
teased as she caressed his chest.  “Let’s go get a
pumpkin and make a jack-o-lantern!”

“Are you serious?”  Adam searched
her eyes then smiled.  “Well if that’s what you really
want to do.  But first we’ll take care of the
obvious.”  He lifted her on top of him massaging her hips
with his hands as he pulled her closer to him.  He made
love to her with urgency, knowing that tomorrow he would be
hundreds of miles away.

Adam took a drive with Amy to his folks to
pick out their first official pumpkin.  He watched as she
searched through hundreds of them to find just the right one to
carve.  When she found a large perfectly round one he
carried it back to his truck.