Happy Father’s Day

It started out as one of those mid-June, lazy kind of Sunday mornings … the kind where you wish the Valley Weekly Miracle had a Sunday edition just so you could read the funnies. At the Fly Tying Love Center, also known as Marvin and Marjorie Pincus’s house, it was a time for toast and coffee. They don’t put as much butter or jelly on the toast as they used to, for health’s sake, you know, but somehow if you’re together at the kitchen table, looking out on a fresh new world embracing summer, it doesn’t matter.

“Marvin,” Marjorie said, “this is Father’s Day. Happy Father’s Day.”

He smiled. “Thanks, Hon, but unless you’ve forgotten, we never had any kids.”

“You would’ve been a great dad, though, Marvin, Marjorie continued. “A great dad. You care so much about others. And, hey, look at the advice you’ve given people, huh? That’s right. And that’s something a dad does.”

“And we managed to bypass diapers and tantrums and homework and boyfriends coming over that we couldn’t stand, right?” Marvin commented.

Marjorie laughed. “And we can spend as much time around kids as we want to, and send them home any time we like.”

“Amen to that,” Marvin said.

The fertilizer king, Dewey Decker, pulled up to the curb outside and parked. He went around and opened the door for Emily Stickles, the county lady with the incredible cheekbones and Dewey’s heart. They were invited in and coffeed.

“Mr. Pincus?”

“Just Marvin, Emily.”

“Marvin? I owe you an apology for trying to shut down your counseling business. Without that, Dewey and I might not have found each other.”

Dewey stepped forward. “This is for you, Marvin. Happy Father’s Day!”

Marvin took the card, but had a hard time seeing it somehow, so he handed it to Marjorie for now.

Just as Dewey and Emily left, two horses stopped outside, and Randy Jones and Katie Burchell walked hand-in-hand toward the front door, carrying a card.

“Happy Father’s Day, Sweetheart,” Marjorie whispered in her husband’s ear.

Slim Randles can be reached at (505) 306-6009, at 7308 Painted Pony Trail NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120, or at ol_slim@yahoo.com or www.slimrandles.com. Need a good book check out www.slimrandles.com.