What a father should be, chapter 7
Mike sat with Zach, dealing cards for each of them to play snap with. Zach watched, transfixed on the cards, as they were flicked out one by one. Hypnotized, he thought of Billie with every card that tapped onto his pile. The last card gave a sharp flick and Zach watched the pile with silent awe, contemplating Billie and his father, comparing the two, imagining his life with Billie and trying to forget the life he had left behind.
He felt Mike's finger lifting up his chin slowly to look him in the eye. Zach slowly and difficultly managed to draw gaze from the pile of cards to Mike's own concerned eyes. He immediately saw Mike had been thinking the exact thing he had. Zach looked into Mike's eyes knowingly, and Mike stared back, also knowing they both had the same question in their minds.
"Is he going to lose?" asked Zach quietly, looking intently at Mike. Mike's icy blue eyes didn't move from Zach's as they both knew there was no answer. Not yet. But Zach looked up to Mike, and wanted him to say something... anything.
"I don't think so." Mike replied. Zach continued to look him in the eye, as did Mike.
"All we can do is hope Zach." Mike said, picking up his pile and looking away from Zach's eyes. They seemed to evoke every doubt he had for Billie Joe while at the same time stir up something inside him, an incredible power that he was going to win. Zach looked at the card pile again.
"Do you believe in God?" he asked Mike, as Mike pulled out a card.
King of hearts.
Mike and Zach looked at each other. Mike nodded.
"Do you pray?" Mike said, as Zach took his turn to pull out a card.
Ace of hearts.
"Yes." he replied. He had been praying all the time for Billie to be his father, every chance he got.
"Me too. I've been praying for Billie, just like you have." Mike replied, and looked Zach in the eye once again.
"I feel that God wants him to be with me. All you can do hope... " Zach said, looking hardly at the pile of cards. He reached for one, and held it turned over in his hand. Zach closed his eyes and prayed hard. Mike watched, as the little boy whispered:
"God, is Billie Joe going to lose this? Is he not going to be my father?" Zach asked. Keeping his eyes closed, he turned the card and put it on the bed. Zach's stomach leapt as he opened his eyes and removed his hand.
Joker.
Zach stared. Mike gaped in disbelief.
"Zach... Zach I took those cards out... " he said, looking at the card. Zach looked at him and smiled.
"You can't take the odds out of a playing field. It's a joke to think Billie's not meant for me."
Both of them looked into each others eyes and smiled, as a new faith swept through their now lightened stares.
He felt Mike's finger lifting up his chin slowly to look him in the eye. Zach slowly and difficultly managed to draw gaze from the pile of cards to Mike's own concerned eyes. He immediately saw Mike had been thinking the exact thing he had. Zach looked into Mike's eyes knowingly, and Mike stared back, also knowing they both had the same question in their minds.
"Is he going to lose?" asked Zach quietly, looking intently at Mike. Mike's icy blue eyes didn't move from Zach's as they both knew there was no answer. Not yet. But Zach looked up to Mike, and wanted him to say something... anything.
"I don't think so." Mike replied. Zach continued to look him in the eye, as did Mike.
"All we can do is hope Zach." Mike said, picking up his pile and looking away from Zach's eyes. They seemed to evoke every doubt he had for Billie Joe while at the same time stir up something inside him, an incredible power that he was going to win. Zach looked at the card pile again.
"Do you believe in God?" he asked Mike, as Mike pulled out a card.
King of hearts.
Mike and Zach looked at each other. Mike nodded.
"Do you pray?" Mike said, as Zach took his turn to pull out a card.
Ace of hearts.
"Yes." he replied. He had been praying all the time for Billie to be his father, every chance he got.
"Me too. I've been praying for Billie, just like you have." Mike replied, and looked Zach in the eye once again.
"I feel that God wants him to be with me. All you can do hope... " Zach said, looking hardly at the pile of cards. He reached for one, and held it turned over in his hand. Zach closed his eyes and prayed hard. Mike watched, as the little boy whispered:
"God, is Billie Joe going to lose this? Is he not going to be my father?" Zach asked. Keeping his eyes closed, he turned the card and put it on the bed. Zach's stomach leapt as he opened his eyes and removed his hand.
Joker.
Zach stared. Mike gaped in disbelief.
"Zach... Zach I took those cards out... " he said, looking at the card. Zach looked at him and smiled.
"You can't take the odds out of a playing field. It's a joke to think Billie's not meant for me."
Both of them looked into each others eyes and smiled, as a new faith swept through their now lightened stares.
