walk into this kitchen and open the refrigerator door looking for leftovers, never see him marry, have children. Could it really be true that his death had prompted all the hubbub around her?
Someone brought in a thirty-six-cup percolator and soon the house was filled with the smell of coffee. Someone else brought in a platter of sliced fruit, then a coffee cake appeared. Lee's parents arrived needing more consolation than they were able to give, and she found herself giving the support despite the fact she still needed it so badly herself. But for them the news was fresh. There was a fleeting moment when she was holding her mother, feeling the older woman's sobs quaking them both, that Lee thought, I've got to get out of here! I can't stand this a minute more!
But the door opened and someone else came in. Someone else who needed to shed first tears on Lee's shoulder, and grip her in a desperate embrace. In the midst of the growing gaggle of mourners Christopher found Lee and quietly told her, "Mrs. Reston, I've got Joey on the phone."
Her heart began pounding and her limbs felt suddenly leaden. She went dutifully to the phone and he followed, then stood with his back to her as if shielding her from the others in the room while she faced this next heartrending duty.
"Joey?"
"Hi, Mom, is something wrong? How come Chris called me?"
"Joey, honey, this is the hardest thing I've ever had to tell you.
It's . .."
While she paused to steady herself he said in a panicky voice, "Is somebody hurt, Mom? Is Janice okay?"
"It's not Janice, Joey . . . it's Greg."
"Greg?" His voice cracked into a high falsetto. "What happened?"
"Greg had a motorcycle accident, honey."
He said really softly, "Ohhh."
"Greg is dead, honey."
He said nothing for the longest time. When he spoke, his voice sounded the way it had a year ago when it was first changing.
"Dead? But . . . but how can he be?"
"I know it's hard to believe but it's really true. It happened this morning."
"But . . . but he was gonna take me and the guys to Valley Fair next I week."
"I know, dear, I know."
"Aw Jeez, Mom . .." He was trying not to cry, but the falsetto and the broken phrasing gave him away. "It's not fair."
She whispered, "I know, Joey."
"How we gonna get along without him?"
"We will . . . you'll see. It'll be hard, but we've still got each other. And lots of people who love us. Aunt Sylvia is here with me now, and Grandpa and Grandma and a lot of the neighbors, and Christopher, and Janice is coming home tonight. But I need you here too, okay?"
He barely got out, "Okay."
"I love you. And we're going to be okay. You'll see. We're going to make it through this."
"Okay. Mrs. Whitman wants to talk to you now."
Mrs. Whitman sounded terrified. "Dear God," she said. "We'll leave immediately. We'll have Joey home as soon as we can get him there.
Oh, Lee, I'm so sorry."
Lee hung up the phone and dried her eyes to find Chris still shielding her from the rest of the room. He turned and said quietly, "That was a tough one."
"Yes."
"Does someone need to drive up there and get him?"
"No, they're bringing him back."
"You're sure? Because I'll go. I'd be happy to."
Gratitude flooded her. She laid a hand on his arm. "I know you would, but no. They're leaving immediately. But, Chris, if you meant it when you said you'd go to the airport to get Janice and Kim, I'd really appreciate it."
He covered her hand and squeezed it. "Of course I meant it."
"Because if I went out to get Janice, I might not be here when Joey gets home, and I--" She could feel her emotions cracking again but he forestalled another breakdown.
"Don't say another word. I'll be there when her plane touches down.
Now how about you? You making it okay? Do you want some coffee or something?"
"No thank you, Christopher, but have some yourself."
"No, I couldn't eat a thing. Feel like it'd come back up."
It was late afternoon. The neighbors had begun returning with hot foods, sandwiches, salads.
Someone brought in a thirty-six-cup percolator and soon the house was filled with the smell of coffee. Someone else brought in a platter of sliced fruit, then a coffee cake appeared. Lee's parents arrived needing more consolation than they were able to give, and she found herself giving the support despite the fact she still needed it so badly herself. But for them the news was fresh. There was a fleeting moment when she was holding her mother, feeling the older woman's sobs quaking them both, that Lee thought, I've got to get out of here! I can't stand this a minute more!
But the door opened and someone else came in. Someone else who needed to shed first tears on Lee's shoulder, and grip her in a desperate embrace. In the midst of the growing gaggle of mourners Christopher found Lee and quietly told her, "Mrs. Reston, I've got Joey on the phone."
Her heart began pounding and her limbs felt suddenly leaden. She went dutifully to the phone and he followed, then stood with his back to her as if shielding her from the others in the room while she faced this next heartrending duty.
"Joey?"
"Hi, Mom, is something wrong? How come Chris called me?"
"Joey, honey, this is the hardest thing I've ever had to tell you.
It's . .."
While she paused to steady herself he said in a panicky voice, "Is somebody hurt, Mom? Is Janice okay?"
"It's not Janice, Joey . . . it's Greg."
"Greg?" His voice cracked into a high falsetto. "What happened?"
"Greg had a motorcycle accident, honey."
He said really softly, "Ohhh."
"Greg is dead, honey."
He said nothing for the longest time. When he spoke, his voice sounded the way it had a year ago when it was first changing.
"Dead? But . . . but how can he be?"
"I know it's hard to believe but it's really true. It happened this morning."
"But . . . but he was gonna take me and the guys to Valley Fair next I week."
"I know, dear, I know."
"Aw Jeez, Mom . .." He was trying not to cry, but the falsetto and the broken phrasing gave him away. "It's not fair."
She whispered, "I know, Joey."
"How we gonna get along without him?"
"We will . . . you'll see. It'll be hard, but we've still got each other. And lots of people who love us. Aunt Sylvia is here with me now, and Grandpa and Grandma and a lot of the neighbors, and Christopher, and Janice is coming home tonight. But I need you here too, okay?"
He barely got out, "Okay."
"I love you. And we're going to be okay. You'll see. We're going to make it through this."
"Okay. Mrs. Whitman wants to talk to you now."
Mrs. Whitman sounded terrified. "Dear God," she said. "We'll leave immediately. We'll have Joey home as soon as we can get him there.
Oh, Lee, I'm so sorry."
Lee hung up the phone and dried her eyes to find Chris still shielding her from the rest of the room. He turned and said quietly, "That was a tough one."
"Yes."
"Does someone need to drive up there and get him?"
"No, they're bringing him back."
"You're sure? Because I'll go. I'd be happy to."
Gratitude flooded her. She laid a hand on his arm. "I know you would, but no. They're leaving immediately. But, Chris, if you meant it when you said you'd go to the airport to get Janice and Kim, I'd really appreciate it."
He covered her hand and squeezed it. "Of course I meant it."
"Because if I went out to get Janice, I might not be here when Joey gets home, and I--" She could feel her emotions cracking again but he forestalled another breakdown.
"Don't say another word. I'll be there when her plane touches down.
Now how about you? You making it okay? Do you want some coffee or something?"
"No thank you, Christopher, but have some yourself."
"No, I couldn't eat a thing. Feel like it'd come back up."
It was late afternoon. The neighbors had begun returning with hot foods, sandwiches, salads.
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