snatched up the pancake and threw it in the garbage under the sink as Sam pulled out a chair at the table He glanced at her bags under his eyes as if he’d been up all night his curls as wild as hers were this morning He pulled a plate stacked high with charred pancakes out of the oven then placed it in front of her I’m not much of a cook That’s one thing we’ve got in common Sam thought as she picked up a pancake and nibbled it Crispy Not bad Milk he offered I can get it She found two glasses and filled them up He opened
the freezer and they both grabbed for ice cubes Ice cold milk is the best he said She nodded and he sat down with her slathering butter on his pancakes before piling blueberries on top and then drizzling maple syrup over the whole thing They ate quietly the tinkle of ice cubes breaking the silence as they drank I still couldn’t reach your mom Uncle Mitch finally said He looked different in the daylight and not so grumpy His house looked different too The dark shadows from last night had melted away as the sun shone through clouds of mist f loating outside It made
everything look cozy and soft She’s in Germany Sam said hoping it was true She hadn’t gotten a message from Mom since she’d arrived Uncle Mitch nodded and stood abruptly placing his dishes in the sink I’ll be out back in my boatyard all day working on a job Are those the special projects Mom mentioned Sam wondered Working on boats didn’t seem so important Not important enough to keep him away from his family for all these years anyway Uncle Mitch wiped his hands and turned to her You may go to the beach or into town but stay out of
