0120

When Sol and Sabastian arrived back at the house, they found Mary sitting in a wooden folding chair looking through catalogs.

"It took you long enough," she said. "The old woman and the girl have already gone."

"This is all you brought back for us to live with?" Sol joked.

"It's all I could fit into the cab. I've already contacted my man to arrange for a second car. However, there should be a shipment of furniture coming in a week and I brought home these catalogs for the two of you. Just in case."

Sol walked over and took some catalogs, thumbing through them carelessly while leaning against a wall.

Sabastian looked at Mary and said, "Thank you for the thought, but I think I will make do with the furniture I already own."

"I figured as much," she said.

"I, however, am inclined to buy some new things," Sol announced.

At that Mary jumped up and went over to Sol to look through the catalogs.

"Mary," Sabastian began, "you said that Susan and Claudia had gone to the motel for the night."

"Yes, I did say that."

"Then I will take my leave."

"Kiss her goodnight for me, too, Sabastian," Sol said, as Sabastian left the room.

In short order, Sabastian was knocking on the hotel door. Claudia looked at the door with a worried expression. Susan, playing with a doll Mary bought her, didn't look up but said, "Don't worry, it's just Sabastian. He wants to say goodnight."

Despite this information, Claudia went through the precautions of asking who it was. She let him in after he affirmed his identity.

"Claudia, Susan," Sabastian said as he walked in to the motel room. "How was shopping?"

"It was fun," Susan announced, jumping up and running over to him. "Mary bought me a Barbi, see."

"That was very nice of her. You thanked her, I assume."

"Yeah, of course," she said, giving him a funny look while contorting her body.

"Good. Did you find anything you liked?"

"Lots! I got a bed, a dresser, and some other stuff. And she let me pick things for other rooms, too."

"Claudia?" He asked the old woman, who had resumed reading by this point.

"Yes, I find nice things, too. Too expensive, but Mary say she not buy anything less."

"I am glad you were both able to find things you like. Susan, what do think of Mary?" Sabastian asked, as he sat down on the floor to play with her.

"She's nice."

"Anything else?"

"I don't know yet. She's important, but I don't know why."

After that, Sabastian asked her to show him her new doll. They spent an hour playing together before he put her to bed early in the morning.


[Copyright Reuben Gregg Brewer, 2005. All rights reserved.]
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