Dealing...

This whole thing was so surreal; it didn’t seem as though it was really happening. Karen went back to work a week later and when she returned home one day, she found Jeff sitting at the kitchen table, trying to make sense of his summer reading. The house still had that sickly smell of flowers, flowers from people who couldn’t come, who didn’t really matter. Jeff looked up at her, with his new, older eyes.

In the weeks following Jonny’s death, Jeff had aged considerably, becoming the man of the house.
“Tom’s here.” he said, quietly. Karen nodded. She made her way upstairs, sure she knew where to find him. Opening the door to Jonny’s room, she held her breath. What she saw gave her heart a wrench. Tom was lying face down on Jonny’s bed, crying. Tentatively, she went over to him and touched his back. Startled, Tom jumped up; his face red and watery, resembling a small boy instead of the person she worried about being a bad influence on her son. She looked into his eyes and her maternal instinct taking over, she put her arms around him. He clasped her neck as she rubbed his back.

“I’m sorry.” she said. “Sorry that I didn’t readily accept you. Sorry that he’s gone.” Tom nodded, taking a deep breath.
“I’m sorry too…” he said, though not saying what he was sorry for. Karen held him for a long time before he broke away and went home.