Free Acts of God by Ellen Gilchrist Page B

finished the sentence, hit send and turned around to her, in all his thirteen-year-old-covered-with-victory glory he looked at her and it was as though he already knew what she was going to say.
    â€œCould you come in the living room a minute and let Grady talk to you about something?” she said. “Something about us, about you and me and him.”
    â€œSure,” he said and he got up from the chair and stood beside her. “So are you guys in love or what? Is that it?”
    â€œYes. Do you mind?”
    â€œI don’t know. It depends on what you do about it.”
    He followed her down the hall to the living room and stood beside the sofa. Grady got up and faced him. “I’m leaving,” Carly said. “I’m going to run around the block a couple of times.” She went out the door and left them to it. She went down her sidewalk and out onto the deserted street and started running. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, she counted. It’s all right. It’s whatever it is. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
    â€œI WANT TO marry your mother,” Grady said. They were both still standing. “I think she’s the nicest lady I’ve ever met in my life. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to share her or live with us and Jesse or have to help us plan where we want to live. I would build us a big house or live here and add on to this house to make it bigger. I’ll do whatever you want to do. I won’t change your life, but I’d love to be your father to any extent you want that to happen. I think I’m a good one. I think Jesse will tell you that I’m fair and if I get committed I stay committed.
    â€œWhat do you think, Daniel? It’s up to you. Your mother said it’s going to be up to you and you don’t have to decide on this tonight or this month. I love Carly. That’s not going to change. I waited all my life for her. I’m here on whatever terms I can get.”
    He stood there waiting and the thirteen-year-old boy, still wearing his football jersey but with pajama bottoms on beneath it moved nearer to him and put out his hand. “You can marry her if she wants to,” Daniel said. “I love a girl. I know how hard it is. As long as you are always good to her and know she is the best. She’s the best. I know that every day.”
    â€œYou’ve made me a happy man, Daniel. I’ll pay you back for your trust in me. I’ll be the best stepfather I can learn how to be and you’ll have to help me with that. So where do you think we should live?”
    â€œWherever she wants. I’d like a new house. Or we can fix up this one. I don’t care. Houses aren’t all that much to me.”
    Carly came in the front door and saw them laughing and went to her son and put her arm around him. “You said yes?” she asked. She was sweaty from running and her hair was curled around her head and her face was glowing. “You’d let me marry this guy?”
    â€œI’d like to have a dad,” he said, getting serious. “And I’d like to have a little brother as fine as Jesse. And I don’t care where I live. Live anyplace you want as long as it’s in Fayetteville.”
    They stood in a circle for a moment, no one knowing what to do next and then they moved into the kitchen and Grady started eating cookies and Daniel got out ice cream and started making chocolate milkshakes and Carly kept saying I have to comb my hair. Finally she went into her bedroom and put on a robe and combed her hair and Daniel poured the milkshakes into the glasses and handed one to Grady and they started talking about the ball game and the tight spot in the fourth quarter when Bentonville had the ball on the Fayetteville fourteen-yard line and Waylon intercepted a pass and Jesse kicked his tenth successful field goal of the season from the nineteen-yard line twenty feet