He picked up his football and slammed it from one hand to the other, and smiled a half smile.
“A life gone but not forgotten.”
He pulled his jeans and a tee shirt from one of the boxes and put them on and headed down stairs.
On his way through the kitchen he winked at his mom and Melanie, grabbed a hand full of fries .
Evan stopped at the back door, just to watch.
There he was dad, brew in one hand, spatula in the other and that ridiculous “kiss the cook” apron,
sun gleaming off the top of his shiny bald head,
and smoke boiling out of the bbq.
Evan popped the screen door open,
“hey old man, what cha know” ?
Not much, he turned around, Evan!
Come on out here, we weren’t expecting you home for the fourth.
He rushed over to usher him to the metal lawn chairs,
“sit boy get your self-a beer”.
How’s army life,seen any action as he turned the burgers? Fine, yeah. “Yeah just came out of a pretty bad one” .
Evans eyes drifted to the kids playing in the yard,” where’s my brother”?