Ripples Through Time by Lincoln Cole

‘shiner’
was, but he was kind of hoping it was food. He didn’t really know what they
were talking about, but he decided it had been long enough. He climbed up on
the stool a few down from his mom and smiled at Uncle Mikey.
    Both of them were shocked, but he could tell his mom was
also angry.
    “I told you to wait in the car,” she said, narrowing her
eyes
    “But I’m  hungry, ” Rickie said. “And the baby
won’t stop crying.”
    “You mean Bethany,” Emily said. Rickie shrugged. “I told you
we would get food after.”
    “Why can’t we eat here?” Rickie asked. “I love Mikey’s
hamburgers.”
    Oops.
    Her eyes narrowed and nostrils flared. Luckily, her anger
was directed at Mikey, not him.
    “When?”
    “When what?” Mikey asked, playing dumb.
    “Don’t play dumb with me,” she said. “When was he here?”
    She gestured vaguely at Rickie. Mikey threw up his hands in
defeat. “A few weeks ago. They just stopped by for a couple burgers.”
    “Just burgers?” she asked.
    Mikey coughed.
    “And it was just the once?”
    Mikey went back to staring at the bar.
    “Goddamn it,” she said. “It’s one thing for him to…to…but
for him to bring Rickie. Why didn’t you tell me?” 
    Mikey looked scared. Rickie felt bad for him. But at least
his mom wasn’t mad at  him  this time.
    He glanced over and spotted a bowl of peanuts, then grabbed
a handful.
    “Look, I didn’t think it was a big deal—”
    “Not a big deal? He’s six!” she said. She was practically
shouting now.
    “Seven,” Rickie said, through a mouthful of peanuts. They
ignored him.
    “I know. I just…I’m sorry,” Mikey said, shaking his head.
    Emily sighed and the anger drained out of her. “No, it’s not
you I’m mad at.”
    Mikey didn’t respond. The only break in the silence was
Rickie crunching on peanuts. Mikey glanced over at Rickie. “So it’s your birthday
today, huh?”
    “Yup,” Rickie said.
    “Get anything good?”
    Rickie shook his head.
    “We haven’t gotten to open presents,” Emily said
offhandedly.
    Rickie perked up at the mention of presents. First he’d
heard of it.
    “I was hoping,” Emily continued, “that Cal would be home on
time. Like we planned. But…”
    “He said he was only going to have a couple. When I figured
out that wasn’t true I called.”
    “I know. I’m sorry Mikey. I shouldn’t be taking it out on
you.”
    “It’s alright Em,” he said. He turned to Rickie. “But, when
he came by, he also mentioned that it was somebody important’s birthday.”
    Mikey reached behind the counter, and when his arms
reappeared he was clutching a wrapped up towel in his hands. He handed it to
Rickie, who felt his eyes pop open in excitement.
    “What is it?” he asked.
    “Well you have to unwrap it to find out,” Mikey said, then
shrugged. “I didn’t exactly have wrapping paper, but we have plenty of extra
bar towels. Don’t lick it though. It’s probably got half of a bottle of whiskey
soaked in.”
    Emily sighed in exasperation, but Rickie saw that she was
smiling a little bit. He quickly unrolled the towel, and a G.I. Joe fell into
his hand. His face lit up.
    “Awesome!”
    “Like it?” Mikey asked, grinning. “That’ll be me in a few
months.”
    “Well Rickie, what do you say?” his mom asked.
    “Thank you Uncle Mikey,” he recited, super excited.
    “And, I have something for you too, Em. I wanted to give
this to Calvin earlier, but never got the chance. And I ship out tomorrow so I
probably won’t see him again until I’m back. Can you give this to him?” 
    He slid a watch off his wrist and handed it to her. Rickie
glanced at it, but didn’t see any numbers. It was just a bunch of ‘I’s and ‘V’s
on it in gold coloring on an ivory background. He’d been learning how to tell
time on watches and clocks, but without numbers it was useless. 
    Still…it was pretty.
     “Oh, this is…” she said, seeming to recognize it. “This
was your