Free The Secret Life of Owen Skye by Alan Cumyn

that he couldn’t be in love with Sadie, because he was already in love with Sylvia and that was bad enough.
    He wanted to say all these things. But he couldn’t.
    Instead he got down from the tree and went inside where the girls were playing medical emergency in the living room.
    â€œYou’re looking a bit peaked,” Eleanor said to him.
    Owen didn’t know what she meant, but he nodded anyway.
    â€œYou might be in need of scientific attention,” Eleanor said. “Take off your shirt.”
    Eleanor had a certain way of giving an order, and Owen did as he was told.
    â€œLie down. Close your eyes,” she said. “Nurse, pass the instruments.”
    Owen felt something cold against his skin. Sometime later Eleanor said to Sadie, “I’m going to hand you his liver. You hold it while I stitch down the new esophagus. Don’t drop it!”
    Owen opened his eyes to see Eleanor kneeling over him with a butter knife.
    Just then Andy and Leonard ran into the room to save him.
    â€œWhy are you cutting out his liver?” Andy yelled.
    â€œIt’s just a minor operation,” Eleanor said coolly. “We’ve already replaced his heart with a perfect aluminum one.” Then she told Andy to step away because he was getting germs in the patient’s body cavity.
    Owen thought Andy would push her aside but he didn’t. He took a step back just like he was told. Eleanor had very steady hands and her brow furrowed in concentration like a real surgeon’s on TV.
    â€œYou must remain utterly still,” she said to Owen. “If you move even an inch then your replacement spinal cord will be ruined.” Owen nodded his head, which made Eleanor throw down her butter knife in anger.
    â€œWhat did I just tell you? Do you want to be a paraplegic the rest of your life?”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter,” Sadie said. “I’ll nurse you
forever
.” She mopped his forehead with a damp piece of tissue paper. Then she leaned down and kissed Owen on the cheek.
    Owen sat up as if he’d been bitten by a snake and ran away, shirtless.
    But he didn’t escape for long. A few days later his mother told him that at the wedding he would be walking up the aisle in the church beside Sadie.
    â€œShe’s going to be the flower girl, and you’re going to be her escort,” Margaret said.
    â€œHer
escort,
” Owen said. It sounded like he’d have to spend the rest of his life following her around.
    Another day Sadie asked Owen what kind of house he wanted to live in.
    â€œI hate houses!” Owen said. “I’d rather go live in a cave!”
    Then she asked him about furniture, and whether he preferred blinds or drapes, and what pattern he wanted on their dishes.
    â€œWe aren’t going to have any dishes!” Owen said.
    â€œWe have to have dishes,” Sadie said quietly. And she reached out to pat Owen’s hair, which made him jump back and run to his mother, who said he had to play with her, no matter how gushy she got.
    Lorne was also in a bad way. He needed new shoes. But his feet were too big and he’d waited too long to order a pair from the only store that would have his size for sure, the tall man’s store in New York City. Margaret said he should try the shoe store in town anyway. And she said Owen needed shoes too so they could go together.
    They drove off in Lorne’s truck. Spring-green growth clothed the lawns, trees and unplowed fields. The plowed ones were brown and black with mud, and the sky was so blue it hurt the eyes. Lorne had trouble shifting gears, and the old car lurched badly.
    â€œThey say that you have to speak and such,” Lorne said, his eyes intent on the road.
    â€œI don’t want to be her escort,” Owen muttered.
    â€œYou have to make toasts,” Lorne grumbled. He looked across at Owen for a second, then back at the road. “They make you stand up.