Bobby Was Here

I caught a "whiff" of Bobby today. Not a literal scent, more like a brief memory or a brief visitation from him, like he just popped back to earth, tipped his head back a fraction and smiled, the way he used to. This happens to me occasionally, I hope I'm not alone in this, but periodically someone I've loved who has died will pop back in my mind so vividly it's almost like they were here for a minute. Sometimes it is, indeed, a scent, but often it's a situation that would be so perfectly wrought by them -- I have to believe they had a hand in it.

So it was today at church. Tom wore this party shirt pictured above. I figured it was OK because it was subdued by the lack of color, simply black and white, I didn't notice the images. During the church service, Tom leaned over and told me a teenage girl at church pointed out that the floral Hawaiian images on his shirt actually contain silhouettes of naked women. Right there in church!!

I was mortified . . .

. . . for two seconds.

Then I saw Bobby jut his chin out a pinch, briefly nod his head back and smile. See, this shirt used to be Bobby's. Tom kept it after his brother died and never realized the naked women images were mingled in there.

Don't you just know Bobby was lovin' his brother showing up at church in this shirt.

Bobby was here.