Otherwise Engaged (1997)
Otherwise Engaged
“Happy, cheerful, dauntless Zander was in tears, crying noisily as if the world were coming to an end.
From the kitchen came the jet-engine sound of a hair dryer.
And Molly stood with the telephone cord stretched as far as it could go from both noises, one finger plugged into her ear as she talked on the phone. Her face was tight, her shoulders tense.
She spotted Pres at the door and waved him inside, but then turned her attention immediately back to the phone call.
Zander was lying facedown on the couch, sobs racking his skinny body. He was wearing only a bathing suit and both it and his hair were wet.
“What happened?” Pres asked.
The boy lifted his head. “I forgot I had my hearing aids on and I jumped into the swimming pool and now they’re ruined and I won’t be able to hear anything at school and I’m supposed to start on Monday because spring vacation’s almost over and Mom didn’t shout at me but I know that she wanted to and—”
As Zander drew in a breath Pres stopped him.
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