The Bureau of Dreams to be Continued by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

The Bureau of Dreams to be Continued

Page 521

schoolyard across the street, screen doors creaking, and the distant whistle of a milkman making his rounds. The White’s apartment sat on the top; the third floor of their brick apartment building, its entry way adorned with a hanging fern and a small wooden sign that read “Welcome Friends.”

Inside, the kitchen was a symphony of domestic precision. Tina White, ever the conductor, moved gracefully between stove and sink, her heels clicking softly on the linoleum floor. She wore a robin’s egg blue dress with a white collar, her hair pinned in soft curls. The radio on the counter played “Your Hit Parade,” and Margaret hummed along to Bing Crosby’s “Dream a Little Dream of Me” while flipping pancakes with practiced ease.

Billy, seven years old and full of Saturday energy, burst into the kitchen like a firecracker. His striped pajamas were slightly askew, one sock missing, his hair a tousled halo of sleep. He greeted his Mom with a kiss on the cheek and dove into his seat at the formica table, where a plate of potato pancakes awaited like a prize.

Dad sat nearby in a crisp white undershirt and slacks, sipping coffee from a mug that read “World’s Best Dad.” He was a tall man with a gentle demeanor, a former Army mechanic who now worked at the Burry’s Cookie factory in nearby Elizabeth. His