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out of the kitchen and up the stairs to his room. The door closed quietly behind him. |
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In the grim silence Calvin cleaned up the spilled soup while Terry stood against the sink, her eyes fixed on one of Matty's art-class drawings magneted to the refrigerator. It was a male figure with a huge body and too-small head, the face distorted, mouth dripping blood. Underneath, like a caption, was written, Matman Beware. |
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Minutes later Terry heard Matty's door open. "Mom, could you come here?" His voice sounded normal. |
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"Sure," she said, and went up, leaving Calvin staring blankly out the window at a solitary crow in the backyard by the pool. |
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Matty was sitting on his bed. He was still dressed in his turtleneck and jeans. Next to him was a large red photo album containing hundreds of pictures Terry had taken of him from infancy to three. Four more albums, from three to the present, sat in his bookcase. Matty liked to go through them. Sometimes Terry would join him, and Matty would laugh and tease her: "Mom, you're so embarrassing. You always tear up when you look at these." And she would laugh and wipe her eyes and say it was because she was a sentimental sap. |
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She sat next to him on the bed now. Again she was aware of that cumin-like odor. Like Calvin after a workout. In Matty's lap was a small hand-carved teak jewelry box. In it were all of his baby teeth sitting on the red velvet cushion like so many irregular pearls. |
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"Remember when I used to believe in the Tooth Fairy?" |
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"I still have the last one." From inside his shirt he pulled out a small diamond-shaped gold-chained locket that had been Calvin's as a kid. Inside the hinged compartment was a small toothhis first. |
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"Remember when I found these?" |
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"You forgot to hide it, You were pretty upset, weren't you?" |
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Matty smiled faintly. "You cried." |
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