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“Today?” Eli asked.
“Maybe,” I said, unsure. He knew as much as I did.
We didn’t move for hours, scared that we might miss the call. I was just about to give up when the loud noise of the phone rang out.
I snatched it up, fumbled for a couple of seconds then hit the answer call button.
“Corey?” I asked, breathless. Eli sat up straighter, his eyes wide.
We hadn’t talked to Corey in over two months. I hadn’t seen him for four years. Being in the Special Forces meant that he was away a lot, not only that but we wouldn’t hear from him for months at a time.
“Hey, lil sis,” his deep voice came across the line along with crackles.
“Corey,” I sighed. “It’s so good to finally hear your voice.”
“Yours too.” He chuckled.
God I missed that sound. He had an addictive kind of laugh, you couldn’t help but laugh along with him. I could imagine the way his eyes would squint and that weird sniffle he always did afterward.
“Put me on speaker phone,” he said. I nodded even though he couldn’t see me and tapped the button on the screen.
“You’re on,” I said and placed it on the table.
“Eli?”
“Hi, Uncle Corey!”
“You sound so big,” Corey said.
Eli looked at me, a grin spread wide across his face.
“I am big now. I start school Monday,” he said and puffed his chest out.
“You do?” Corey asked.
“Uh huh.”
“Wow.” Corey chuckled. “You looking after mama?”
“Yep.” Eli nodded emphatically.
“Take some photos of your first day and send them to me, yeah?”
“Okay, Uncle Corey”
“I need to talk to mama for a minute, Love you Eli”
“Love you too, Uncle Corey,” Eli said and sat on the couch, turning his attention back to the TV.
“Kay?” I detected a subtle tone in Corey’s voice and picked the cell up.
“Yeah.” I said.
“I’m off speaker?”
“Yeah,” I stood and moved into the kitchen. This was always the part I hated most, after he had talked to Eli came the interrogation.
“You good?” he asked. He always did, but I couldn’t say anything but yes. What would he be able to do if I said no? It wasn’t like he could come home at the drop of a hat.
