Free (Mis)fortune by Melissa Haag

day, I would be babbling and crying.  I needed to get rid of the information.
    Emmitt stood at the bottom of the steps, waiting for us.  He tilted his head slightly as he monitored our slow progress.  The concern from yesterday crept back into his eyes.
    When we reached the bottom, he stepped forward and gently touched my forehead. He pulled his hand back before I could lean into the comfort of it.  His light touch, though brief, lingered on my skin.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing.  Just a headache,” I said clutching the railing.
    Liam stayed beside me, but Aden stepped forward, craning his neck to meet Emmitt’s eyes.
    “I’m hungry,” he said with quiet uncertainty.
    Emmitt smiled down at him.  “Of course you are.  You skipped your supper.  Would you like some pancakes?”
    Aden nodded enthusiastically and reached up to hold Emmitt’s hand.  I looked at their joined hands, and my heart ached for Aden.  He obviously wanted a man in his life who could care about him.  I empathized.
    “Would you like some aspirin or something?” Emmitt asked as Aden tugged him toward Jim’s apartment.
    I shook my head—very gently—and followed them, still holding Liam’s hand.  Jim stood at the stove, cooking.  When he glanced back at us, he caught my eye and winked.  Had my head not hurt, I would have smiled.  Whatever happened after we left yesterday hadn’t changed Jim’s mood.
    The smell of the grilling pancakes turned my stomach, but I sat with the boys at Jim’s kitchen island.  Emmitt nudged Jim to the side while talking to the boys.
    “If you add a big scoop of batter in the middle,” he turned slightly to show Liam, “and add two smaller scoops to the top on each side, do you see what we can make?”  Liam shook his head, and Emmitt’s lips twitched in a smile.  “No?  Well, we’ll see if you can guess it when we’re done.”
    We all watched Emmitt reach into the refrigerator and pull out the can of whipped cream.  He set it on the counter in front of Liam then turned to flip the pancake.  He let it in the pan for another minute before he put it on a plate.
    “Ready, Liam?”
    Liam nodded, and Emmitt uncapped the can.  Within seconds of applying the cream, Liam began giggling.
    “Know what this is, yet?” Emmitt asked tilting his head to look at his creation.
    Aden laughed with Liam.  For a split second, it’d looked like a famous mouse, but then the heat of the pancake had melted the cream so it looked more like a bear with a grimace.
    “Well, that didn’t work so well,” Emmitt said, sliding the plate toward Liam.  “Try a bite and let me know if it tastes better than it looks.  I’ll start another one for your brother and sister.”
    I struggled to swallow down the bile that rose at the thought of eating.  Sliding back, I nudged Aden off my lap and onto the stool then quietly excused myself.
    I escaped outside into the fresh air.  On the porch, I leaned against the column near the stairs and looked out at the yard.  A warm, early morning breeze swept away the smell of cooking food, easing my stomach but not my head.  My eyes watered with the increasing pain.
    Inside, a phone rang.  The sound chipped at my skull.  Thankfully, Nana answered on the second ring.
    Emmitt came out to stand next to me.  “Liam said your head really hurts.  Are you sure I can’t get you something?”
    Liam didn’t understand the cause, only the level of pain I endured.
    “No, I’m fine.”  I didn’t move.
    I could hear Nana’s conversation.  “Sam, I don’t know any better than you do.  I thought all you did was research the trends, read financial reports, and watch for promising growth opportunities.  When I read the paper, I look at the funnies.  Now that I can help you with...”
    My ears perked up.
    Emmitt moved down to the step in front of me, bringing him closer to eye level as he faced me.  “If not aspirin maybe Nana has something that could help.”
    I shushed