Just the two of us

Frankie guessed he was the most patience man on earth. Or so he tried to be. Yet, most still thought of him as a boy.

Frankie remembered his grandmother saying, "You'll just have to be patience, boy."

Naturally, it made him so mad because he didn't like waiting. He got nervous when he waited. And now after all this time, here he was waiting, again.

Of course, Vada would be with her adopted brother, not him.

Finally, she returned.

"Mom and Dad are taking Henry to the hospital. We can still have dinner. My boyfriend Alo will pick us up." Vada told him.

He didn't like this, suddenly. Having to wait on a stranger. He only knew Rhys. It wasn't easy for him meeting new people.

"Well..OK." He felt his heartbeat tense, but he didn't want Vada to know he could come undone, so easily. Sometimes, he'd hit his head against things or just the palm of his hand. It wasn't much different from Henry's seizure. Maybe Vada wouldn't make a big deal out of it. But still, he needed to let her know. "Some..sometimes..I ..I stut..stutter when..when when..when..I..." He took a breath. "I get nervous."

"Its OK." She smiled and put out her hand. "We can have your favorite." She told him she was glad it was just the two them. They would have more time to talk.

He smiled. Maybe he faked it. He didn't mean too.

"I..I like cheese pizza." Honestly, he did like to keep it simple. He didn't like his foods touching each other.

"I like cheese pizza too." Vada smiled.

He studied her mouth. Her nose. Her eyes. They were so dark. He thought, darker than his.

"So what are you studying?"

"I don't think it matters." He muttered.

"Well, of course, it matters." She smiled.

Finally, their drinks arrived. He liked his tea without ice.

She pushed the box of sugar packets near him.

"Can't have sugar." He shook his head. "It..it makes me hyper."

Vada nodded and put it away.

"Look." He calmed himself by putting his hand on the back of his neck. Just as he remembered his grandfather doing when he was little. "I don't want to talk about me."

He reached for his messenger bag then and got out the old envelope. He pulled out an old photo. It was of a man not much older than him.

"Do you know, who this is?" He showed the photo to her.

He could see Vada knew very well who it was.

"Where did you get that?" She looked as if she didn't like this person.

"It was in an old suit case of Mom's things." Frankie told her.

Her nose wrinkled slightly as if this was all a bad smell she could not take.

"Its Dad. And I think he's alive."

"No. No..He can't be." Vada shook her head, no. She cupped her hand over her mouth. Frankie thought she might be shaking. He put the picture away. It wasn't long until the pizza arrived.