8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

F orrest stood with Porter and his children, Edith, and Dr. Hubert outside of the basketball stadium. They had agreed to meet at seven o'clock for the game, and it was now five after.

"It's sort of refreshing having Lucy be late instead of one of us," Edith said as she spun Luke around in a circle for the dozenth time. "Although, if she doesn't get here quickly, I will look drunk walking into the game as dizzy as I'm getting."

"More, Aunt Edie. More."

"Come on, kid." Luke's feet lifted from the ground as he swung around again.

Forrest craned his neck towards the parking lot. A large group of students, a few of whom he recognized, were heading in their direction. In the back, barely discernible except by someone who was searching, Forrest saw a strawberry-blond bun bouncing on top of its wearer's head. Lucy was speed-walking, weaving her way through the horde of students. Eventually, the students turned to go into the stadium, and it was just Lucy walking towards them. As she got closer, the light of the sidewalk lamps gleamed off of her glasses.

Lucy was wearing dark-blue jeans that sculpted to her legs, emphasizing how tall she was. Had she always been this tall? Do women grow in their early 30s? She definitely was not this tall when he met her 10 years ago. She had on a simple PSU t-shirt just barely tucked into the front of her jeans. For the second time in only a week, Forrest noticed how much he enjoyed seeing her out of her work clothes. Forrest shook his head and pulled at the front of his own PSU t-shirt. What he had meant to think was that he enjoyed seeing her in more casual clothes. She looked relaxed and comfortable in her own skin. Her work attire was always so formal and muted, so unlike her personality.

On one shoulder, Lucy lugged a beach bag that looked as though it would burst at any moment. Getting closer to the group, Lucy said, "Who wants face paint?"

Right as the question was spoken, Forrest noticed two small blue paw prints on her cheek, just below the rim of her glasses. Billy and Luke ran up to her.

Billy tugged at her already encumbered arm as he said, "I want some Lucy!" At the same time, Luke was glued to her leg moaning, "Me first, Woosy."

In the excitement, Anne started kicking violently, wanting to join her brothers. Porter tried repositioning her as she flailed in his arms. "I'm already tired," he grumbled into Forrest's ear.

Lucy said, "Alright, boys. Let me get the things out."

She set her bag on a nearby bench and started passing out foam fingers and pom poms until she got to the face paint at the base of the bag. She looked to Billy and asked, "What would you like painted on your face?"

"A pirate ship stranded on a beach with flying whales attacking it."

Lucy looked to Porter.

"You asked."

"Let's edit that a bit, Billy."

"She's good at editing, Billy. Trust her." Forrest winked at Lucy over the boy’s shoulder.

After much debate, Lucy and Billy settled on a whale with an eye-patch. It had nothing to do with the game, but, as Lucy said, "He is the son of an English professor..."

Finishing Billy's blue whale, Lucy moved on to Luke who was perfectly happy to go along with her suggestions. "How about a basketball, Luke? An orange circle is more in line with my artistic ability."

Dr. Hubert walked up to the bench, watching curiously as Lucy began on Luke's basketball. He had on his normal buttoned-up shirt complete with a bow-tie and cuff-links. However, he had pulled a PSU jersey on top. Speaking slowly and deliberately, Dr. Hubert said, "I never did such things in my youth. But now that I'm nearly 80, why the hell not? Lucy, dear, put this bald head of mine to use."

Lucy looked up to him beaming. "Yes, sir."

As soon as she completed the boys', Lucy painted a spread-out paw print across the expanse of Dr. Hubert's bald head. The whole office, including Porter's kids, gathered around. It wasn't everyday Dr. Hubert had a paw print painted on his head.

Holding up a compact mirror from her purse, Edith said, "Here, Dr. Hubert. Take a look."

In his professorial tone, no different from when he was explaining to his students the various schools of literary criticism, Dr. Hubert said, "It is absolutely marvelous, Lucy."

Forrest said, "I don't think we could possibly look more festive. Are we ready to go in?"

Billy and Luke darted towards the door, each jabbing a pom-pom towards the other as if they were swords. Porter said, "This should be interesting," and the group walked in.

People paused as their crew walked by, opening a path for them like the Red Sea for the Israelites. Mouths gawked and eyes bulged, mesmerized by the image of Dr. Hubert. Graduates from the past 50 years had taken English courses from him.

Forrest paced his steps to Lucy's, who was in the back smiling at her handiwork. Leaning over to her, he said, "You out-did yourself. We look like we belong on a mega-tron somewhere."

"Porter told me the kids would be here. I wanted them to have fun. It was nothing, really."

"It was a little more than nothing." As the compliment left his mouth, Forrest noticed Edith was waving a giant foam finger. "Although, who gave her a weapon?"

She'd obviously heard him, because she turned around and, smiling angelically, said, "It would be more fitting for me if it was a different finger pointing up there, wouldn't it?"

Lucy burst into laughter, and Forrest wished he had been the one to make her laugh. Then he chastised himself for such a petty thought. Just as Lucy was collecting herself, they arrived at their seats and started arranging themselves.

Dr. Hubert and Porter, who was holding Anna, were on one end with Billy between them, Dr. Rose sat in the middle, and that left Lucy and Forrest on the other end with Luke separating them by a seat. As they situated themselves, Lucy said, "Edith, I just noticed you are wearing the other team's colors. Why do I have a sinking feeling that was intentional?"

"I'm making a statement, a peaceful protest, if you will. That coach of theirs is always demanding I lighten up on my grading. This is just a reminder that I don't lighten up."

Forrest said, "That'll show him."

"Actually," Edith said, "he likely won't notice, but it makes me feel better."

Lucy said, "I don't know about that. He sure does find a lot of excuses to come see you."

"He just has an obscene number of players who seem unwilling to read basic English. That's all."

"Oh, Edith," was all Lucy needed to say. It would be futile to tell Edith that even though she was a hard-ass, guys still noticed she was stunning.

Just then, Billy yelled in a voice that easily carried across the bleachers, "I've gotta pee. And poop. I've gotta pee and poop."

The chatter around them quieted slightly, and Forrest was both shocked and delighted to see Porter flush. It was rare for Porter to ever be fazed.

Porter leaned forward to speak down the row. "Who wants a baby so I can take Billy? Or you can have Billy? Billy is definitely on the market, as well."

He was clearly expecting Forrest or Lucy to volunteer, but before they had a chance, Edith eagerly said, "I will. Take Anna, that is." She reached for Anna, faced the baby towards her, and started bouncing her on her knee like an expert. Lucy, Forrest, and Porter all gawked.

"What? A feminist can still like babies."

"That's right Edith," Dr. Hubert chimed in. "As you all know, my wife, the venerable Mrs. Hubert..."

"All bow," Forrest whispered across Luke into Lucy's ear.

"...was the original feminist."

"Absolutely, a woman before her time," Edith agreed.

"And she still loved every moment with our babies."

With these words of affirmation, Edith turned to the baby and began cooing, "That's right, Ms. Anna. And one day you're going to grow up to be big and strong and smarter than the vast majority of men, and Aunt Edie is going to buy you a copy of The Awakening , and we're going to have a nice long talk about patriarchal oppression."

Once again, Forrest leaned over to Lucy, almost close enough for her stray hairs to tickle his nose. "Words never before spoken in baby-talk."

Lucy choked on a giggle. Forrest smiled with satisfaction. This time, he had made her laugh.

***

The game proceeded as well as Lucy had hoped. The score was reasonably close, so none of the adults got bored. And with lots of popcorn and candy, they were able to keep Billy and Luke relatively close to the group. Anna was given free rein to crawl over the laps of the adults, passing back and forth between arms that were tired by the final buzzer.

Several times throughout the game, Forrest leaned over to comment on the game or make a joke or tell her which players were good students. It felt normal, like they had made their way back to their equilibrium from whatever strange place they had occupied the previous week. Occasionally, Miriam's words crept into Lucy's thoughts. Was she subconsciously hung up on Forrest Graham? Whatever the case, Lucy was grateful for a return to normalcy, for the reemergence of their easy friendship.

This did not, however, erase her awareness of Forrest. In the decade since she had known him, she had rarely seen him not in a button-up shirt and sports jacket of some sort. But, apparently, he was feeling the school spirit tonight, because he had changed to a PSU t-shirt and jeans. The fabric of the t-shirt clung more than the starched shirts he normally wore. She could see that despite being very slender, his arms and back showed the smooth, defined lines of muscles.

As he watched the game, he would occasionally run his fingers and thumb down each side of his beard. It was a habit he did frequently. For as much time as she had stared at that beard, it seemed odd she didn't know how it felt beneath his fingers. Was it coarse or smooth? Prickly or barely textured?

The buzzer went off, interrupting Lucy's musings. The game was over with a PSU victory, and it was time to arrange how everyone would get home. Lucy volunteered to drive Dr. Hubert home since he was not supposed to drive after dark.

With a petulance not unlike Luke when they had denied him a third candy bar, Dr. Hubert said, "My eyes are fine. I don't need to be given a ride."

"Of course, Dr. Hubert. But do you know what Mrs. Hubert would do to us if we let you drive home this late?"

With only a mild growl, he said, "Oh, all right."

Meanwhile, it was agreed that Forrest would go home with Porter to watch the boys while he put Anna to bed. Lucy and Forrest had both been in the Finches’ house at bedtime enough times to know it was a two-person job. It was good Forrest had volunteered.

Edith said, "I will see you all tomorrow. I'm heading over to the gym to work out."

Lucy knew her eyes were probably comically large as she said, "At 9:30?"

"I know it's late, but I've got to wind down. You know. The crowds and all."

"Have you ever tried a glass of wine?"

Edith turned toward the gym, waving a hand in their direction as if dismissing Lucy's question. "Goodnight."

Lucy and Dr. Hubert walked to her car. "It was good to be out tonight. You young people keep me fresh."

Lucy decided to not mention that most of them were solidly middle-aged. She supposed that from Dr. Hubert's perspective, the thirties were basically adolescence. "I'm glad you had fun tonight. Your face paint will make this year's department picture truly epic."

"Yes. Like Beowulf."

Lucy laughed. She'd forgotten to be careful about the use of the word “epic” around an English professor. "I confess to hyperbole."

As they approached Lucy's car, Dr. Hubert's eyes widened.

"Lucy, your car does not look as though it will fit me."

Lucy drove the most compact of cars. Unfortunately, Dr. Hubert needed a significant amount of room. With a bit of grunting and Lucy shouting instructions slowly and deliberately, they were finally able to get his seat back as far as it would go and buckle his seatbelt.

Once they were on the road, Dr. Hubert said, "Now that it is just the two of us, I'll give you ten dollars to pull into the Dairy Mart and get me a cone without telling Mrs. Hubert."

Lucy thought for a moment. "Where is this idea coming from?"

His bushy eyebrows came together, erasing the small gap between them. "Extreme deprivation, my child. Extreme deprivation."

Resistance was moot. "How about you keep the ten and just buy me a cone, too."

By the time the two had their ice cream, turned on the interior car lights to ensure no evidence lingered...

"Oops, you dripped a bit."

...and dropped him off at his house, a half-hour had passed since the game ended. Lucy calculated that Forrest and Porter were likely reaching wit's end. Two men against two children and a baby were not good odds. She parked at her apartment, but went to the Finches’ back door and let herself in as she called out, "Yoo-hoo. How's it going?"

Just then, Billy ran into the room in his pajamas. He immediately placed a finger over his lips, which Lucy mimicked to confirm her silence, and he crouched behind the family room sofa.

Within a few seconds, Forrest walked in and winked at her. His dimples were on full display as he said, "Lucy, you have arrived just in time. I keep losing track of the Great McFarty Face. And I, Evil Poopy Pants, must find him." His shoulder lifted imperceptibly, and his face clearly conveyed without speaking a word that these names were not of his choosing and he was still not sure how he had become part of this game.

As seriously as she could, Lucy said, "I'm so sorry, but I don't help evil villains, and certainly not ones with poopy pants. Nothing personal. Just a policy I have."

No longer able to contain himself, Billy burst into a fit of giggles, and Forrest ran behind the couch and scooped him up.

"It's time for bed Great McFarty Face."

Barely able to catch his breath, Billy said between giggles, "I want you and Lucy to read my bedtime stories."

"Of course," Lucy said. "What are we reading tonight? Crime and Punishment ?"

Billy screamed, "No!"

" Great Expectations ?"

"No!"

Forrest chimed in, " Moby Dick is more my style?"

"Guys, no!"

Lucy and Forrest listed off several more classics much to Billy's consternation until they made it to his room, where Billy stacked a small tower of books for them to read. Lucy and Forrest each squeezed on one side of Billy's pillow on his twin-sized bed, and Billy propped between them. They took turns reading the books, neither eager to tell the boy no.

The last book in the stack was the classic, To the Moon and Back . It was Forrest's turn, so it was his deep voice that spoke the father's words of love to his young bunny. Billy felt warm between them, and his eyes began to look heavy as the book proceeded. Lucy felt a small lump form in her throat. She swallowed it down quickly. Where had that feeling come from? That momentary sensation that she was looking through a window into a possibility that was so remote it felt hopeless, and yet just possible enough it hurt.

As Forrest read the final words, he looked at Lucy, and for a brief moment, their eyes met without immediately darting away. He swallowed, and then smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"Goodnight, Forrest and Lucy."

The groggy whisper broke their moment of eye contact, and they each gingerly stood up so as not to disturb Billy, whose eyes were already shut. In silence, Lucy followed Forrest down the stairs and into the kitchen where Porter was opening a can of beer, the hiss of the can loud in the sleeping house.

"We did it," Porter said with a satisfied grin. "All three asleep at the same time. So, you two are pretty much my favorite people right now."

Forrest shrugged. "Well, we only had to take care of the Great McFarty Face, so really it was nothing."

"Be that as it may, I'm still grateful."

There was a momentary pause, Lucy and Forrest a bit abashed at Porter's gratitude. Then, Forrest said, "Oh, I've been meaning to ask, Porter, if you still have that Whitman biography I loaned you a while back?"

Immediately, the image of Miriam holding the tome up in the air Saturday night flashed to Lucy's mind. "Actually, I borrowed it from Porter. It’s at my place."