第12章 妈妈的小甜饼CookiesForgotten and Forgiven（第2页）

我们没再说话，只是默默地拥抱了很久。通常我们拥抱一会儿就会松开，但这次，我决定，或许，我会坚持长久一些。

AsIsatperthesed-floorwindowofourbrickschoolhousethatafterbegantosiheagcar。ThiswasadayI’dlookedforwardtoforweeks：MissPace’sfrade，end-of-the-yearparty。MissPacehadkeptarunningontheblackboardallthatweek，andourine-year-oldhadborderedoiohemuticipated“partyFriday”hadarrived。

IhadhappilyvoluherwhenMissPacerequestedcookievolunteers。Mom’schocolatechipsreignedsupremeonourblodIkhey’dbeahitwithmyclassmates。Buttwoo’clockpassed，andtherewasnosigoftheothermothershadalreadyeandgsofpundcrackers，chips，cupdbrowherwasmissingina。

“Don’tworry，Robbie，she’llbealongsoon，”MissPacesaidasIgazedforlornlydow。Ilookedatthewallclotimetoseeitsblautehandshifttohalf-past。

Arouhenedon，butIwouldn’tbudgefrommyatissPacedidherbesttoeaway，butIstayedput，holdingouthopethatthefamiliarfamilycarwouldberoundtheer，gmyrightfullyembarrassedmotherwithatinofherfamouscookiestuderherarm。

&hreeo’clockbellsoonjoltedmefrommythoughtsaedlygrabbedmybookbagfrommydeskahedoorforhome。

Onthefour-blockwalktoourhouse，Iple。Iwouldslamthefrontdoorup，refusetwhensherushedovertome，aospeaktain。

ThehousetywhenIarrivedandIlookedforaherefrigerathtexplainmymother’sabsefoundnone。Myquiveredwithamixtureofheartbreakahefirsttimeiherhadletmedown。

IwaslyingfaybedupstairswhenIheardherethroughthefrontdoor。

“Robbie，”shecalledoutabiturgently。“Whereareyou？”

IhearherdartingfrantitorwhereIcouldbe。Iremai。I，shemouhesouepsquigassheasdedthestaircase。

&eredmyroomandsatbesidemeonmybed，Idideadstaredblanklyintomypilltoaowledgeherpresence。

“I’msosorry，honey，”shesaid。“Ijustfotbusyandfot—plainandsimple。”

Istilldidfiveher，”Itoldmyself。“Shehumiliatedyotyou。Makeherpay。”

&herdidsomethielyued。Shebegantolaugh。Icouldfeelhershudderasthelaughtershafirstandthesvelodvolume。

Iwasincredulous。Howcouldshelaughatatimelikethis？Irolledoverandfacedher，readytoletherseetherageanddisappoiinmyeyes。

Butmymotherwasn’tlaughingatall。Shewasg。“I’msosorry，”shesobbedsoftly。“Iletyoudowleboydown。”

Shesankdownonthebedaoweeplikealittlegirl。Iwasdumbstrueversee，mothersweren’tsupposedto。IwohiswashowIlookedtoherwhenIcried。

&elytriedtorecallherownsoothingwordsfromtimespastwhenI’dskiubbedtoes，timeswheherightthingtosay。Butinthatmomentht，wordsofprofundityabandonedmelikeaworn-outshoe。

“It’sokay，Mom，”IstammeredasIreachedoutarokedherhair。“Wedidhosecookies。Therelentyofstufftoeat。Don’tcry。It’sallright。Really。”

Mywords，asiheysouedmymothertositup。Shewipedhereyes，andaslightsmilebegaear-stainedcheeks。Ismiledbackaulledmetoher。

&sayanotherword。WejustheldeachotherinaloembrawecametothepointwhereIullaway，Idecidedthat，thistime，Icouldholdon，perhaps，justalittlebitlonger。