Chapter 11: The Ear

Marlene said it again, because her son had asked her to.

"Ellis Barksdale is your father, Floyd."

Floyd didn't shout. He didn't hit the wall or break anything.

He slid down the brick with his back against it until he was sitting in the alley with his knees up.

He looked at his open hands.

"The ear," he said.

"Yes."

"Doc rubs it when he thinks. I used to copy him. I was six."

Marlene made a small sound.

I crouched in front of my husband with our son on my hip.

I had been angry at him for six days, and I was still angry. I didn't know where to put that.

So I put Eli in his arms.

Floyd held him against his chest with both hands, and he bent his head until his forehead touched the top of the baby's hair.

His shoulders shook for a long time.

Marlene stood a few feet away. She did not reach for him.

"I'm not going to say sorry," she said. "It wouldn't cover it."

"I'm going to go home now and tell your father what I told Emme."

"Tonight?" Floyd said into Eli's hair.

"Tonight. Before the panel does it for me."

She walked out of the alley with her back straight. She didn't look at any of us again.

On Saturday evening Floyd sat on my aunt's porch step with his elbows on his knees and watched the road.

I had come out because the screen door had been squeaking for an hour, and it was either go out or oil it.

My aunt had not told him to leave.

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