NEW STORY

Pinned By Love

Chapter 1, Part 1

Six-year-old Gabriel Sheridan turned off the television and sighed as his mother called him to take a bath yet again. "Coming mom!" he called, rolling his eyes. What was it about mothers that made them think their kids were ALWAYS dirty. He didn't need a bath every night. Did he? Johnny Templeton had told him this story about a kid who took so many baths that his mom had scrubbed his skin right off of his body!

Eyes wide he turned the corner, she stood there beside the tub, hands on her hips. "Gabriel Bryant Sheridan, look at you!" she grabbed his hand and looked at his nails. "How does a child acquire so much dirt in one day?" With one hand she tugged his shirt over his head, with the other she opened the shower curtain.

"Moooom, do I hafta?" he frowned as she finished undressing him and plopped him directly into the water.

"Yes." the simple word brooked no argument, but still he felt his lower lip protruding.

"Do you think that Bryant Everett has to take a bath every night? Do you think HIS mom makes him get a bath sooo much that his skin might just fall off?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at the culprit of his anger.

"I think his mother would make him take a bath every night, yes. And, you need to stop listening to that Johnny Templeton, your skin will NOT fall off. Now scrub." she tossed him a blue washcloth and grabbed up his dirty clothes pushing them into the hamper.

"Mama?" he asked finally, his mind moving faster than his hands at scrubbing the dirt off of his shoulders.

"Yes, Gabe?"

"Does Daddy still watch Bryant?" he still tried to figure out what his daddy was doing in heaven when he obviously needed him right here. Mom's didn't understand anything! Not trucks or wrestling or how his favorite blue shirt was the only one he could wear. Gabe could hear his mom sniffle, and he bent over the tub to touch her back, "I'm sorry, Mama, I didn't want you to cry." he rubbed her back in circles like she did when he was sick.

"Baby, your Daddy can't watch television up in heaven. But, I'm pretty sure he watches over you, me, and definitely Bryant Everett. He probably smiles everytime he wins a game." she turned toward him, and smiled wiping at her tears.

"Match, Mom." he shook his head at her girl-ness.

"Right, match..sorry."

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