Her Guardian Angel

5. BEAU

I sit across from Emma. She looks so intent with Taylor on one side and Dylan, Eddie’s baby brother, in her lap. This is the first time I have seen Emma dressed in something other than oversized shirts. She looks beautiful without that baggy stuff. I never thought that she was heavy but in this dress, she is thinner than I ever imagined.

Eddie sits beside me. We talk about music class for a while until our dinner arrives. We are silent for a while. Every chance I get, I look over at Emma and admire her. It is so strange looking at her and thinking she is the same girl I sit next to in Latin. I don’t know why her ex, Ben, broke it off.

I take a bite of my steak when I notice Eddie’s mom Connie is looking at me. I chew and swallow. “This is the first time I’ve met you Beau. Where does your family live?” I swallow my saliva. I didn’t want to break the news about my living situation at Eddie’s mom’s birthday dinner.

“My mom actually asked me to move out. So I don’t live with my family anymore.” I watch Emma to see her reaction. She is watching me just as closely it seems. She doesn’t look shocked or mad even. Then I look at Eddie. He didn’t seem to mind either. “My junior year I got with the wrong crowd. My mom couldn’t handle it so she asked me to move out when I turned eighteen. So here I am.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Connie says. I shrug.

“I’ve been talking to my baby sister for the past few nights. I’m hoping my mom will come around next.” Connie gets distracted by something her husband said.

“How old is your sister,” Emma asks. This is the first time she has talked to me in what seems like forever.

“She is eleven,” I say. Emma smiles. She seems to love kids. “For the past few days I’ve been calling home just to read her a bedtime story.”

“She seems to really love her big brother,” Emma comments. I nod my head.

“I love her back. She is one of the reasons I fought my mom to stay. My mom is a nurse and she works the night shift. Without me there, my sister is getting a babysitter.”

“What would your mom do if you asked to start babysitting her on the weekends? You would be spending time with your sister and maybe even winning your mom’s trust back,” she says.

I look at her in amazement. “That is a good idea,” Eddie comments. I nod agreeing with him.

“Why didn’t I think of that,” I ask myself. Emma giggles. She actually giggled. It was the most amazing sound in the world. I was going to ask her to laugh again but Connie turns to Emma.

“Sweetie how is your dad doing,” Connie asks. I watch as Emma’s mood turns sour all over again.

“He is doing fine,” she says.

EMMA

“He is doing fine,” I lie. How can a man who beats on his own daughter be fine?

Connie nods her head oblivious to the turn of my mood. I see out of the corner of my eye that Beau is watching me. “Have you heard from David,” she asks.

My mood again lifts. The conversation I had with him last night becomes clear in my mind. “I talked to him last night actually. He is getting transferred to a base around here,” I say smiling widely.

I look over at Beau and see that he has a hurt look in his eyes. It confuses me so I ignore it. Connie has already brought up another subject. “Emma, are you coming to the church picnic next weekend?”