, big boy. He loves his little mother and
jollies her and laughs at her, he is just like a good pal to both her
and Jack, and they simply worship the ground he walks on, and I don't
blame them, Kate, because--put your head down close--dear, I do too. It
is the first time I dared say it out loud even to myself. I didn't know
what was the matter with me, I used to be so anxious to get up in the
morning to see him at the breakfast table, and I liked to pour his
coffee, and fasten his stick in his belt and go to the gate with him. It
seemed like the day would never go by until he got back. Sometimes he
would call me up on the telephone. Why, Kate, I couldn't hardly talk to
him and he would notice it and his voice would get worried and he would
ask me if I was sick. When he would come home at night, we would all
have supper, and set around and josh and laugh and talk, him and Jack
half quarreling in a good natured way over their vegetables, or we would
dance, or just set out on the front porch with some of the neighbors
who'd come in. I didn't know I was loving him cause I wanted to be close
to him, but when he was a setting by me, I didn't want to talk or
nothing, I was happy just being near him. One night everybody went in
and left us on the porch together. He was quiet for a long while, then
he moved over closer to me and put his arm around me and he said soft
and quiet-like, "Nan, are you happy here with us?" And I said, "Why, I
ain't never been so happy in my life," and he said, "Do you think you
could stand it to stay always," and I kinda edged away from him and
said, "I can't stay always, I must go to work next week," and he said,
"No, you ain't going to work no more, Nan, except for Tom Cassidy. You
have got a life-long job teaching him to tango." I laughed kinda
nervous-like. "That ain't no lie. It would take more than one life to
teach you to tango." Tom took hold of my face and leaned my head back,
and said, "Nannie, little girl, I just want you. Won't you marry me?"
"Oh, Tom," I said, and I couldn't say no more, and he said, "I don't
know how to make love much, but I do love you, Nan. From the first minit
I laid eyes on you I wanted to take you up in my big arms and take care
of you, you seemed so little and alone--and you crept right inside of
my uniform and stuck around my heart till there ain't room for nothing
else. Why everything I hear says your name, and your face goes dancing
before me as I walk up and down