Page 55 - Contrast2009

"

of affection. He just felt obligated to do something. Beth '\,

was alwaysnounding him to be more of a father figure, but he {

~asn' t sure what' that even .mean t to a five-year-old. Jackie I,
didn't care about psychobabble; he wanted to eat and play
and get his hands m~ssy.

"Very cooj .« Brady said. "Your ve'ry own. Better not feed

him too much. You know they don't stop eating, not even if
they're full."

"He's not hungry now," Jackie said. "i feed~d him

before."

'''Oh,~ Brady.said, ~estini his chin next to Jackie's.
"That's good.",

"Dagd,y?" Jackie's powder-colored eyebro"(s knotted up his
face. ~How's he drink?"

"Huh?' What're you talking about,' he's got all that wat~ , ,.
in there!"

"But if he's thirsty he can't take a big drink cause he.
might run out of water and die."

Brady laughed. "I aon't think that'll happen~ kiddo.
He's got plenty of water in the~e."

"He drinks his poop," Jackie said matter-of-factl,y: I
·"Same water."
I
"He doesn't care," Brady snorted. "Just a fish. Doesn't j
think about things like you and me."

"No, Daddy," Jackie whined. "He's 'P~trick."
"Yeah, yeah. I know. H~'s Patrick."
"They didn't have a pineapple at the store or we
would've boughted it for him: 'Like the song."

"Like the song," Brady echoed: His son stared into the
tan~, -pressing his'nos~ against the glass.

"Daddy?""

"What, Jack, what is it?"

"You'think he's lonely all by his sel~?"

Brady rubbed'his chin, releasing some grime that was

caught in thl'stubble. "Nope~"he said.

"How come?" ")

"'Cause he doesn't c~re, Jack, he's jJst a fish, he
'doesn't care! He's got a memory of like two minutes before
. it all bl~nks' out again, so even ~f he'was lonely,'he's

screwed 'cause he'll just forget it." Jackie's f ac e puckered
up. He was quiet for a while. Then he propped his elbows on
the. table, dropped his chin on top of them, and mumbled, "If
he was,. he'd tell'r'ne:We're best,friends."

"I know," Brady said, rolling his eyes., "Whatever." He
cLo sed his fingers on the back of Jack's shirt, felt the,
fatness.of his breathing. For the first time he wondered how
Beth would tell the boy,' or if .sher d even let him come 'to
the funeral. It seemed pretty awful for a little kid to' go
through something like that, even if he didn't understand it