A Beautiful Book

Last week I read The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer for my book group. It was wonderful and heart breaking in so many unexpected ways. Of all the beautiful moments in the book, this is the one I'm compelled to share. As for the rest of it (and there is so much), I will let you explore & discover for yourself...

All I could see of my son, under the table, were his shoes as motionless as brass things. I'm sure it was beautiful down there. Deep brown Marmoleum flooring shining like frozen mud, split in a few places where it met the cabinetry, beginning to wear right under the sink where he had watched me stand for countless hours... We all sat still as statues. From the window drifted sweet music: a child's first piano-lesson plunkings of a church song. A mayfly on the window stroked the glass as if it were putting a baby to sleep... Now he'll come out, I thought.

And out he came, my little boy: three feet tall and nothing but denim slacks and a terry T-shirt... bright eyes in a bright face, his tongue stained by the berries he'd been eating -- some wonderful creature sent to live with me. I called his name and he smiled. I would do anything for him.