Free Romance for Matthew by Nancy Fornataro Page B

spirit back."
    With that, he left, rubbing his eyes and shaking his head.
    She didn't know what to do next. It just didn't seem at all like the Matthew she knew, just to sit around and feel sorry for himself.
    But, he didn't come downstairs that day, or the next. Her only links to him were Nat and Sarah.
    Mutty was back from the vets office , but confined to the downstairs, so she coddled him with doggie treats and lots of petting.
    The third day, she thought she should go upstairs and see Matthew, against Nat's advice.
    She hadn't been in the upstairs of the house, and had to search for a while until she found his bedroom, the master suite.
    She knocked on the open door, but he didn't respond. He was unshaven, and lay against the pillows with a grim look on his face. The curtain was drawn closed against the light of the sun.
    "I came to say hello," she said in a light tone, "since you won't come downstairs."
    But he said nothing, just stared straight ahead. His mouth was slightly smiling, but it wasn't a happy smile, she thought. She could see the black eye, now a purple shade, and while his eyes moved with her, she knew he couldn't see anything.
    "Nat told me what happened. I don't understand why you don't come downstairs. Just put on your robe and slippers and join me as I toil away down there," she said, in the same light tone, trying to joke with him. "You could listen to your music."
    "You shouldn't be here," he said finally, "it's not proper."
    "I've been known to throw my fate to the winds at times," she said. "I've just missed you, is all. Don't you get bored up here?"
    "No. I don't."
    She sighed, and came around his bedside. "How can you just give up like this? It's not like you," she told him honestly.
    "You don't really know me," he said softly, "I'm better off by myself."
    "Why that's ridiculous. How can you even say that? You have lots and lots of friends, even that Catherine woman."
    One side of his mouth quirked up at that.
    "And I bring you greetings from Mutty also. Everyone except you has signed his little cast. He misses you."
    "He's better off without me. Look what happened."
    "For heaven sake, Matthew. It was an accident. It could have happened to anyone. Dogs break legs every day. And, Nat said those stairs were bad to begin with."
    But he was still sullen and uncommunicative, giving her one word replies.
    "Well," she said finally, "I'll be back tomorrow to see you."
    "Don't bother. Please."
     
     
    When she was home at the end of the day, she broke down and cried to her mother and Kate about it.
    "How awful for him," her mother said, handing her a tissue, as they sat on the sofa. "I guess the only way for us to know his pain is just to put ourselves in the same boat, and just imagine. What can we ever do to bring him around? Or, maybe it will just take time. It reminds me of a Psalm I read today, 55 I think it was, where a woman is trying to hide from the storm and questioning the love of God."
    They discussed it for a good hour, but could come up with no plan.
    "Well, listen you two," her mother said, "can you come and help me at the battered women's shelter tonight? It's just folding blankets and distributing supplies. Would you mind? And in the mean time, maybe we can think of something for our Matthew."
     
    Bethany and Jacob were an instant hit at the women's shelter, as she brought him in with his little helmet on, then sat entertaining the women with his cooing, while they taught him to say "Mama" and "Papa" which, with Jacob's voice, came out more like "Maaaa" and "Paaaa" in a light screaming pitch.
    And Bethany was surprised to see Alicia, Nat's girlfriend, c o me in to work at t he shelter a few minutes later.
    "I didn't know you worked here," Bethany told her, as they made supply bags for the women and children, filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, combs and even some toys.
    "It's court-ordered," Alicia said, as Kate joined them in the back room.
    "Oh," Bethany replied, not sure