Winter Afternoon

Malcolm smiled at what he saw out the window as he crushed the pills in the pestle to a fine paste that would mix into the orange juice. In a few minutes when he took the medication down to the bedroom, Fred would be pleased to hear the eldest Fitzroy boy, Andrew, had a girlfriend. Pretty young thing. Long brown hair, pleasant smile, pert crimson beret askew on her head against the July chill. Walking her down the Fitzroys' driveway past Malcolm obscured in the evening gloom of the kitchen in the house next door, Andrew couldn't take his eyes from her face as she waved her hands and chattered at him.