Excerpt #26 - They See a Family

From the author:

I used to be able to say I never based a character on a real person. When I was writing this book, however, I wanted to give William and Annie a brother who was mentally disabled. In trying to decide which direction to go with that, I was nervous that I might accidentally veer into stereotypes. I decided that the best way to avoid that would be to loosely model the character, Michael, on my uncle. I intended to change his big interest from cowboys to trains as one of the ways to fictionalize him. Sadly, just before I wrote this first scene with Michael in it, my uncle passed away. It suddenly felt wrong to have Michael obsessed with trains. I just really wanted to put him in a cowboy hat, to remember my uncle that way. I hope I managed to write this character in a way that honors his memory.

From the book:

    Then a young man stepped out of the kitchen wearing what appeared to be a brand new cowboy hat. Michael took medication that sometimes affected his balance. Anyone who didn’t know that might have thought he was practicing his mosey. Then again, he might have been practicing his mosey.
    “Merry Christmas, Michael,” William said. “It’s good to see you.”
    “Christmas?” Michael said. “I got so many presents I can’t get into my room.”
    “That could be a problem.” William smiled, only because he knew it wasn’t a problem.
    Bailey waved a package with blue snowman paper in front of her uncle to remind him she was waiting for permission to pass them out. “This one’s for Michael,” she said.
    “All right. Let’s all—”
    “Ohh!” His mother’s excitement preceded her into the room. “I knew I heard your voice. Come on.” She motioned William forward. “Let’s get all those gifts put down so I can get a hug.”
    Bailey was the first to follow her Gamma Di, with her sisters close on her heels, because Gamma Di now seemed to be in charge of when the presents would be opened. William nodded for Kay to go ahead of him. She gave him a brief wide-eyed look that said she was somewhat overwhelmed but not yet regretting her choice to come.
    William quickly deposited the gifts in the middle of the room, and in the middle of a curious group of girls, so that his mom could give him a good hug. Annie and his dad had crowded into the room by the time she let go. William got a hug and a thump on the back from his dad and even a short hug from Annie “because it’s Christmas.”
    Kay arranged her share of the presents more carefully than necessary. William was sure she was hedging to avoid the hug brigade. He figured opening the presents would be enough of a distraction to get her off the hook.
    “The kids want to open the presents we brought, Mom.”
    “Of course they do.” She smiled indulgently at her grandkids while waving off William’s hint. “I haven’t welcomed your friend yet. We’re so glad you joined us, Kay.”
    “Thank you, Mrs. Dakley.” Kay turned to Annie. “I do appreciate the invitation.”
    “Call me Diana.”
    Annie said, “I’m just sorry you couldn’t bring those adorable babies this time.”
    “We heard you’re letting the other grandparents have a turn with them and that makes us like you even more,” Diana said.
    William wondered if Kay noticed the inflection when his mom called her his friend and the suggestion of “other” grandparents. She wasn’t exactly being subtle about her hopes for the future.
    Kay smiled shyly at Diana. She gave up the show of organizing the gifts to stand and face everyone.
    William’s dad took the opportunity to swoop her into a bear hug while Annie said, “Are you missing the boys terribly or trying to enjoy the reprieve from diapers?”
    “Can we open the presents?” Ariana asked. She was holding one. Bailey had stopped waiting for permission to hand them out.
    “Am I allowed to say both?” Kay moved towards Annie as she answered and away from William’s parents.
    His mom saw the hint and settled for patting Kay’s arm.
    “Of course,” Annie said. “That’s probably the only right answer.”
    “How’s the job going at the church?” Diana asked.
    “Great so far. I only put in two weeks before we closed up for Christmas.”
    The sound of tearing paper filled the room as Taylor got her hands on a present.
    “I guess we’re doing presents now,” William said.
    When no one stopped Taylor, the older girls began to rip into their presents.
    Bailey had given Michael one. He was trying to open it while leaning against a wall. William judged that his brother was within five seconds of dropping the present, and he’d likely fall trying to pick it up. “That’s going to be a lot easier sitting down.” He took hold of Michael’s elbow and guided him to a chair.
    Michael allowed himself to be led, but he said, “I can do it.”
    “I know,” William said. “I suspect you’ve been getting some practice. Did you get that hat today?”
    The hat in question got knocked a bit sideways as Michael hit the chair. He dropped the present into his lap to straighten the hat. “I always wear this hat,” he said.
    “I see.” William looked at his dad, who pointed to Jake and Annie to indicate they had given Michael the hat.
    “Your presents are on the sofa.” Bailey was looking at William and pointing to a stack. She wasn’t actually pointing at it so much as gesturing wildly for him to hurry up and get them open.
    William made his way to the only seat left in the room, next to his mom. Jake was leaning against a wall and Kay, presumably having noticed that there were more people than chairs, was sitting on the floor in a corner with two presents on the carpet in front of her.
    Diana Dakley tried to stop her son. “Be a gentleman and let Kay have the sofa. William can sit on the floor,” she added to Kay.
    “I’m fine here,” Kay said. She seemed reluctant to give up her corner for the more comfortable place in the middle of the fray.
    William got a look from his mom that said he’d be risking some serious disapproval if he took that seat after she warned him away from it. “Go on now,” she said.
    Kay wanted to stay where she was though. This was one time when not offering his seat felt like the more chivalrous choice, no matter how his mom saw it. He shifted the presents to draw attention to them as he sat. “The girls have already assigned me this place,” he said, offering his mom a grandkid-related excuse.
    She raised her eyebrows at him somewhat threateningly. She couldn’t take away her 25-year-old’s TV privileges, but it sure looked as though she wanted to.
    “So what did you get there, Michael?” William asked, hoping to turn his mom’s attention.
    Michael was still fumbling with the package though. He hadn’t even gotten the paper off. His coordination was about on par with his ability to distinguish truth from fantasy.
    “Do you need a hand, son?” Cliff Dakley leaned forward in his chair.
    Michael didn’t appear to even hear the offer. He was enjoying – and completely engrossed in – the struggle in front of him.
    Cliff sat back. “Have you opened the one from us yet, Kay?” he called. “I’ll take credit for picking it out if you like it.”
    Kay took the gift from the floor and peeled back the paper. William couldn’t see what it was from where he sat. It seemed to be an article of clothing.
    “Oh, it’s pretty,” Kay said.
    “Don’t you dare take credit for picking that out.”
    “I believe I offered an opinion.”
    “Thank you, Mrs. Dakley and Mr. Dakley,” Kay said, using a neutral tone.
    “Diana.”
    Cliff said, “I’ll correct you when you can call me Dad.” He gave a tiny guffaw, then looked at Jake, who still didn’t call him Dad.
    Kay winced as though the older man had just embarrassed himself. Jake might have been hoping for a place to hide. Diana sent her husband a look that suggested he might be about to be grounded, too. Annie couldn’t contain her smirk even though all three girls were competing to show their mom what had been in their presents. And Michael kept trying to unwrap his present as though he was the only person in the room.
    “How long did it take Michael to open that hat?” William said, because someone had to say something.
    Annie apparently took pity on him. She moved the subject along. “I wrapped it special,” she said with a wink. “No tape. Mom and Dad got him new gloves. He immediately put them on, and I was glad he’d already opened ours.”

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