It took him an hour and ten minutes to paint that one corner. From the foundation stones all the way up to the eaves.
He did it with a brush. Not a roller. Working the paint down into every single board.
Arlo watched the whole time from the front seat with his window rolled down.
Every so often I looked over at him.
And his eyes weren’t on the barn.
They were on his son.
When Brad finally came down that ladder for the last time, he had red paint all over his good jeans. On his forearms. And a big streak of it across his forehead, where he’d wiped away the sweat.
He walked over to the car. And he squatted down next to his father’s open window. So their faces were level.
Arlo reached out with his good left hand. And he put it on the back of his son’s neck.
The same way he used to when Brad was small and had just done something hard.
He worked at it for a long time.
His face got red. Just like Brad said it did, that Tuesday in the hospital.
“Home,” Arlo said.
Brad’s head came up fast.
“That’s it,” he said. He looked at me over the roof of the car. His eyes were full. “Mom. That’s the word. That’s what he was trying to say to me in the hospital. Over and over. Home.”
Arlo nodded.
He kept his hand right there on the back of his son’s neck.
“Home,” he said again.
And this time, it came out clean.
Brad put his forehead down on the window frame of my car. And he cried. Right there in the yard.
And his father held onto the back of his neck. And let him.
And I stood by that ladder with both hands over my mouth.
After a while, we got Arlo inside. With the walker. Brad on one side and me on the other.
He went straight to his chair by the kitchen window. The one that looks out at the barn.
And he wouldn’t move from it the rest of the day.
Sophia Rivers is an experienced News Content Editor with a sharp eye for detail and a passion for delivering accurate and engaging news stories. At TheArchivists, she specializes in curating, editing, and presenting news content that informs and resonates with a global audience.
Sophia holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Toronto, where she developed her skills in news reporting, media ethics, and digital journalism. Her expertise lies in identifying key stories, crafting compelling narratives, and ensuring journalistic integrity in every piece she edits.
Known for her precision and dedication to the truth, Sophia thrives in the fast-paced world of news editing. At TheArchivists, she focuses on producing high-quality news content that keeps readers informed while maintaining a balanced and insightful perspective.
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