twins name her.”
Kevin scoffed and then swatted his arms around in the air, mimicking the flying bird. “You’ve got a bird flying around, Marco.”
Marco slowed opened the door and leaned in. “I don’t think he’s scared of it. I think he doesn’t want to hurt it,” commented Sean.
Finally, they got the kids out. It took ten minutes to unbuckle them, tame them, and hold them. Sean put Beck into the stroller. And he held Bailey on the crook of his right arm. Marco walked with one twin in each arm. Brandon walked by Kevin. Kevin was Brandon’s favorite person. Allyson believed it was because they were at the same mental age, but Sean knew it was because Kevin didn’t treat Brandon like a little kid. Brandon felt appreciated, grown up when he was with Kevin. They didn’t always play death video games, but when they played Kevin always invited Brandon to join in. Sean just wished Allyson understood that.
They stood before the family play center. Treetop Family Adventures. Sean knew that once they got inside it would be loud. It would be crazy, and the kids would love it.
“Okay, so here’s the plan.” Kevin’s tone was serious, and he glared at the front door with intensity. His mission tonight wasn’t getting to a new level, so he’d make this place, their fun, his mission. “We take them inside, stamp their hands, and they can’t get out. Like Shawshank Redemption .”
“Love it,” Marco replied.
They all continue to stare, and Sean tightened his fingers around the stroller’s handle. Let’s do this thing.
***
The clang and clatter of bowling pins being knocked over, and of balls clunking down the long wooden lane filled the air.
Sondra offered to go first, and Allyson almost felt bad for swiping her phone away. She could tell that Sondra was trying to get into it. Trying to make the most of Allyson’s flub.
Sondra picked out a ball, careful not to chip her fingernail polish, and she put her fingers inside the holes. She approached the lane with determination, and then a woman’s voice filled the air.
“Oh, hey!” Mattie Mae Lloyd called out. A huge laugh erupted from her lips. Everything was bold and loud about Mattie Mae. Today she wore a bright pink sweater, green skirt, and green headband. She waved to Sondra and looked pleased to see their pastor’s wife having fun, letting loose. Mattie Mae wore a black bowling glove on one hand—the sign of a true bowler. Allyson wouldn’t be surprised if she was on a league.
Sondra appeared shocked by Mattie Mae’s eager wave. “Oh, hey,” Sondra said meekly. “Hey.” Her words were lost in the sound of pins tumbling on other lanes.
And instead of leaning over, exposing her legs any more under her skirt, Sondra sat the purple ball at the end of the lane and gingerly kicked it with her foot. The ball rolled slowly halfway down the lane and then dropped into the gutter. She strode nonchalantly back to where Izzy and Allyson sat with a little hop to her step. Sondra didn’t even look back. Obviously the people around her were more important than if she’d knocked down any pins.
What a balancing beam Sondra was on, Allyson realized. Sondra wanted to have fun for Ally’s sake but not too much fun to make the church women a few lanes over believe that she’d “gone wild” at the bowling alley.
Sondra approached were Izzy was sitting. “Why don’t you go ahead?” She pointed to the lane. Izzy rose and moved to take a turn, her full skirt swishing as she walked.
Sondra eased herself into the hard plastic chair across from Allyson. “That threw me a little bit.”
But then the worried look on Sondra’s face changed to one of feigned excitement as she leaned forward and fixed her eyes on Ally. “Well, this was a good idea, Ally. Fun night after all!”
Allyson was thankful for how easily Sondra let things roll off her back. She wished she was more like that. If Sondra was on a canoe on a raging river, she’d be the one sitting
Kevin scoffed and then swatted his arms around in the air, mimicking the flying bird. “You’ve got a bird flying around, Marco.”
Marco slowed opened the door and leaned in. “I don’t think he’s scared of it. I think he doesn’t want to hurt it,” commented Sean.
Finally, they got the kids out. It took ten minutes to unbuckle them, tame them, and hold them. Sean put Beck into the stroller. And he held Bailey on the crook of his right arm. Marco walked with one twin in each arm. Brandon walked by Kevin. Kevin was Brandon’s favorite person. Allyson believed it was because they were at the same mental age, but Sean knew it was because Kevin didn’t treat Brandon like a little kid. Brandon felt appreciated, grown up when he was with Kevin. They didn’t always play death video games, but when they played Kevin always invited Brandon to join in. Sean just wished Allyson understood that.
They stood before the family play center. Treetop Family Adventures. Sean knew that once they got inside it would be loud. It would be crazy, and the kids would love it.
“Okay, so here’s the plan.” Kevin’s tone was serious, and he glared at the front door with intensity. His mission tonight wasn’t getting to a new level, so he’d make this place, their fun, his mission. “We take them inside, stamp their hands, and they can’t get out. Like Shawshank Redemption .”
“Love it,” Marco replied.
They all continue to stare, and Sean tightened his fingers around the stroller’s handle. Let’s do this thing.
***
The clang and clatter of bowling pins being knocked over, and of balls clunking down the long wooden lane filled the air.
Sondra offered to go first, and Allyson almost felt bad for swiping her phone away. She could tell that Sondra was trying to get into it. Trying to make the most of Allyson’s flub.
Sondra picked out a ball, careful not to chip her fingernail polish, and she put her fingers inside the holes. She approached the lane with determination, and then a woman’s voice filled the air.
“Oh, hey!” Mattie Mae Lloyd called out. A huge laugh erupted from her lips. Everything was bold and loud about Mattie Mae. Today she wore a bright pink sweater, green skirt, and green headband. She waved to Sondra and looked pleased to see their pastor’s wife having fun, letting loose. Mattie Mae wore a black bowling glove on one hand—the sign of a true bowler. Allyson wouldn’t be surprised if she was on a league.
Sondra appeared shocked by Mattie Mae’s eager wave. “Oh, hey,” Sondra said meekly. “Hey.” Her words were lost in the sound of pins tumbling on other lanes.
And instead of leaning over, exposing her legs any more under her skirt, Sondra sat the purple ball at the end of the lane and gingerly kicked it with her foot. The ball rolled slowly halfway down the lane and then dropped into the gutter. She strode nonchalantly back to where Izzy and Allyson sat with a little hop to her step. Sondra didn’t even look back. Obviously the people around her were more important than if she’d knocked down any pins.
What a balancing beam Sondra was on, Allyson realized. Sondra wanted to have fun for Ally’s sake but not too much fun to make the church women a few lanes over believe that she’d “gone wild” at the bowling alley.
Sondra approached were Izzy was sitting. “Why don’t you go ahead?” She pointed to the lane. Izzy rose and moved to take a turn, her full skirt swishing as she walked.
Sondra eased herself into the hard plastic chair across from Allyson. “That threw me a little bit.”
But then the worried look on Sondra’s face changed to one of feigned excitement as she leaned forward and fixed her eyes on Ally. “Well, this was a good idea, Ally. Fun night after all!”
Allyson was thankful for how easily Sondra let things roll off her back. She wished she was more like that. If Sondra was on a canoe on a raging river, she’d be the one sitting
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