Chapter 3
I heard Ned’s voice as if through the rain. “Pryor? What are you doing out here? Pryor?”
“Huh?” I said, feeling the wetness on my cheeks and sniffling loudly. “Nothing, I’m not doing anything.”
“Happy Father’s Day,” he said, offering me a hot cup of coffee.
We went inside and I watched as Ned pushed a bowl of cereal toward me.
“You gonna be alright by yourself today?” he asked through a mouthful of cereal.
He eats like an ape.
I pushed the dead voice of my mother from my mind. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. You’ll come home right after the store closes?”
He nodded. “Yup.” He slurped his coffee. “Right home to you.” He winked at me and I smiled.
“She’ll come back, Pryor. She said she’ll come back on Father’s Day. She told you.” He looked at me over the bowl.
“Will she?” I managed
