Cascade

by Claudia Hall Christian

  God, he missed them.

  Aden and Pete arrived at Canon City around dinner time. They had dinner, some mushy mass of inedible pseudo something, and were sent to their cell. Outside of workouts, Aden had planned to spend the next three months in this cell.

  But Aden did need to workout. Lifting weights was a cornerstone of his sobriety. Aden worried that Pete would relapse now that they were in the general population. They had been here less than two hours and had already turned down two offers for drugs.

  “Come on, let’s get a workout in,” Aden said. “We have a couple of hours until lights out.”

  Pete nodded. So far, Pete had done everything Aden had told him to do. His head was just clearing enough for him to want to be sober.

  They walked past the open cells, down the stairwell and through the main area until they got to the workout area. Overcome with the noise, smell and buzz of activity, they stood in the doorway for a moment. Aden took a step forward when he heard:

  “Well, if it isn’t the little brother.”

  Turning toward the voice, he stepped into a fist coming in his direction. Before he could respond, another rapid fire fist broke his nose. The third fist finished the job. Aden crumpled to the floor.

  CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX

  Boundaries

  Thursday Night — 7:15 P.M

  The Castle

  “I made dinner.” Sandy rushed around their apartment. “Delphie will be here…”

  Sandy ran to answer a knock at the door. Delphie came in and hugged Sandy. Seated at the dining room table, Noelle watched Sandy run through the apartment. Her mouth hung open and her eyes tracked Sandy from room to room.

  “Come on Nash,” Sandy yelled down the hall. “You have to get up.”

  “NO,” Nash yelled. “I told you before. I’m sleeping. I’m tired. I don’t know what your problem is but I worked and worked and worked and…”

  “I’ll get him,” Delphie said.

  Sandy nodded to Delphie.

  “Sandy?” Noelle asked.

  Sandy had run into the bedroom to change into something warmer.

  “Sandy?”

  Sandy didn’t respond.

  “SANDY!”

  Dressed in her underwear, Sandy poked her head out of her bedroom. Noelle blushed at Sandy’s puzzled eyes.

  “What’s going on?” Sandy pulled a long sleeved T-shirt over her head.

  “Where are you going? You haven’t said. You just got of the phone and started running around!” Noelle began to cry. “I don’t know what’s going on and…”

  Dressed just in the T-shirt, Sandy pulled the little girl close to her. She held her arm out for Nash when he came into the room. He joined their hug.

  “Your father and his friend, Mr. Pete, have been injured. They’ve been airlifted to a trauma hospital in Colorado Springs,” Sandy said.

  “What?” Nash and Noelle broke into tears.

  “Uncle Seth is coming to get me. We’re dropping Jake off to take care of Mrs. Molly’s kids. She’s coming with us. I don’t know any more than that.”

  Sandy held them. Delphie peeled Nash then Noelle off her.

  “Sandy has to run,” Delphie said. “It’s a two hour drive and Seth is almost here.”

  “Are you coming back?” Noelle’s face was wet with tears. Her partly healed cheekbone left the little girl with a black eye and a yellow streak of a bruise on her face.

  “Of course,” Sandy mussed Noelle’s hair. “We’re going to see the baby tomorrow afternoon.”

  “We all are going to meet him, right?” Nash asked.

  “Her, Nash. She’s a girl,” Noelle said.

  “We are all going to meet your new brother or sister for the first time tomorrow,” Sandy said. “I only get a half hour to see your Dad. And I only get that because of Seth and my Uncle Howard. I guess the prison screwed up or… I don’t know. You know what I don’t have any idea what’s going on.”

  Sandy shrugged.

  “I should know more when I get back,” Sandy said.

  “But you’re coming back,” Nash said.

  “I’m definitely coming back,” Sandy said. “Definitely.”

  “I’m sorry I was…” Nash’s wet, sorrow filled eyes tore at Sandy’s core.

  “We’re fine,” Sandy said. “I need to get dressed!”

  Sandy ran into her bedroom. Delphie asked Noelle to clear her school work off the table so they could have dinner. Nash went to get the silverware and set the table. By the time Sandy returned, the kids were seated at the table. Delphie was serving them Sandy’s spaghetti and meatballs. Sandy kissed Noelle and Nash’s head. She took Noelle’s right hand and Nash’s left hand.

  “I will be back tonight,” she said. “Should I wake you?”

  The children nodded.

  There was a knock at the door and Seth stuck his head in.

  “Sandy, we have to go,” Seth said.

  She kissed the children again then ran out the door. She was just about to close the door when Noelle ran up to her.

  “Give these to Daddy,” she said. “Please.”

  Sandy looked at the pictures Noelle and Nash had drawn and smiled.

  “I will,” Sandy said.

  With a wave, she was out the door.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Thursday Night — 8:12 P.M.

  City Park

  Blane and Mack rounded the Martin Luther King monument circle and turned toward the tennis courts. Dressed in his fleece suit, Mack was strapped into the three-wheeled jogging stroller. Usually, Blane and Mack met Jacob and Sarah for an evening run. But tonight, Jacob was caring for Molly’s kids. They would catch him in the morning.

  Mack liked to eat about every four or five hours. They found that he was restless and irritable after his evening breast milk meal. One night, Blane took him out in the stroller and Mack settled down. Walking was good, but running was better. Their evening runs had become a part of their regular routine. Heather dressed them up in warm reflective gear and out the door they went. Jacob and his yellow Labrador, Sarah, often joined them to spend some time with Blane.

  The last few weeks had been sheer heaven for Blane. He could only describe them as falling in love. He was absolutely in love with Mack and Heather. Every cell in his body vibrated with real happiness. Everything that mattered before – acupuncture, work, hockey, money, status – took a second place to Heather and Mack. He was positively swept off his feet by his own happiness. While he knew he wasn’t ‘in love’, he had no other way to describe the intoxicating feeling of holding his son and being around his son’s mother.

  ‘In love’ would have to do.

  Blane and Mack ran the circle near the tennis courts. As they crossed Twenty-First Avenue, Blane saw a man run toward them. Not thinking anything of it, he continued around the circle. They were almost to the Graham-Bible House when the man caught up with them. The man slowed to run next to Blane.

  The man said something that Blane didn’t understand.

  “What?” he asked in English.

  Turning toward the man, Blane groaned. Enrique. He stopped running.

  “What do you want? My life is really happy right now. Are you here to fuck it up again?” Blane asked in Spanish.

  “Whoa,” Enrique said in Spanish. “I deserve that. I do. But, whoa.”

  Mack let out a sound somewhere between a squeal and a cry.

  “I have to keep moving,” Blane said. “He likes to keep moving.”

  “Keep moving, Daddy?” Enrique asked.

  “He likes to keep moving,” Blane began jogging again.

  Enrique fell in next to him. They ran down the road then turned East toward the Thatcher Fountain.

  “Why are you here?” Blane asked.

  “I miss you. I want to make things right between us,” Enrique said. “And I’m really sorry. You’ve heard me say this before. I’ve said it before, but you really have no idea how sorry I am. I totally fucked up.”

  “Why di
d you do it?” Blane asked. “Why did you smear me everywhere? I lost my career! I couldn’t find another job because the entire city knew I had AIDS. I lost everything – my home, my career, my friends. If it hadn’t been for Jake, I would have killed myself.”

  “I freaked out when I found out I had Hep C.”

  “You mean, you freaked out when you found out you infected me with Hep C that you caught at a bathhouse while you were whoring around the city.”

  “That’s a way to put it,” Enrique said.

  “Let me get this straight,” Blane said. “Instead of telling our friends that you were a cheating lying whore that almost killed me with Hep C, you told them I used to prostitute for money when I was a starving drug addicted homeless orphan.”

  “Yes. That’s what I did,” Enrique said. “But I left out the starving part.

  “And the homeless orphan part.”

  “And the homeless orphan part. Yes, I left that out too.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know,” Enrique said. “I told everyone. Your boss. Our friends. Everyone.”

  “I don’t know doesn’t cut it, Enrique,” Blane said.

  “I know.”

  They ran in silence through the circle and past the Thatcher fountain. Blane turned toward Ferril Lake.

  “Let’s start with lying cheating whore,” Blane said. “After you promised to stop, you kept going to the bathhouses and book stores. Why?”

  “I have a sexual addiction,” Enrique said.

  “That’s honest.”

  “I cover my addiction by saying this is how gay men behave. But I know better.”

  “You should. We knew plenty of men who don’t whore around,” Blane said. “Why did you come around pretending to be single when you’re with Calvin? My God, you came to my home, had dinner with Heather… You hung around like you were available. But it’s just another lie from the cheating whore.”

  “Calvin and I have a complicated relationship,” Enrique said. “We weren’t together when I came to the clinic. He found out I quit smoking and wanted to start again. I…”

  “You were living together entire time, right? Still having sex?”

  Enrique was silent.

  “Just another lie,” Blane said. “How do you live with yourself?”

  “Not well,” Enrique said.

  They ran to the path in front of the Natural History Museum, they were almost to the road before Enrique spoke again.

  “How’s your Hepatitis?”

  “I no longer have virus,” Blane said. “I’m very healthy. My liver seems to be healing with acupuncture and diet. You?”

  “I’m still sick.”

  “Why not do the Ribavirin?”

  “Who would take care of me? Calvin?” Enrique snorted. “I’m a lying cheating whore. I’m surrounded by liars, cheaters, and whores.”

  “What did the doctor say?”

  “I need a liver replacement but I won’t live long enough to get one,” Enrique said. “I’m rotting on the inside… dying the way I deserve.”

  Blane stopped short to look at Enrique. Enrique nodded. When Mack cried, Blane went around the stroller to pick him up. Under the moon and stars, the two men stared at each other.

  “Why are you doing this to yourself?” Blane asked.

  “I’d think you’d be delighted,” Enrique said. “I’m finally getting my just deserts for being such an asshole.”

  “I don’t want this,” Blane said. “I don’t wish you harm. If anything, I’m grateful for you. If you hadn’t done what you did, I would still be cooking and trying to fix you. I’d never have gone to acupuncture school or worked at Lipson. I own shares in that company now. Me! I’m an owner. I’d never have met Heather or have had Mack.”

  The men looked at the tiny bundle nestled in Blane’s arms. Mack yawned. His fluorescent lime green fleece cap shifted to the side. Blane put the cap back on his head.

  “He looks just like you, Blane,” Enrique said. “You’re sure he’s…”

  “His biological father has dark hair and hazel eyes. It’s fairly common. We don’t know if his blue eyes will change. I like them like this.”

  Enrique gave a curt nod.

  “You’re life has really taken off,” Enrique said. “If I had a dying wish, it would be that you were happy.”

  “You’re not dead yet,” Blane said. “Why give up?”

  “I don’t see any other way,” Enrique said. “You and I tried everything to break my addiction. I…”

  “Go to therapy. Get honest. Clean up your life, your diet and your mind. Hell, join a 12 step program. You belong in any of them,” Blane said. “God, I can’t believe you never went to therapy.”

  “I didn’t,” Enrique said. “I think about going but then… Why bother going now?”

  “Because you’re young and strong,” Blane said. “You can beat this thing.”

  “Come on. I’d like to run while I still can.”

  Blane settled Mack back in the jog stroller and they took off down the road toward the Duck Lake. They were almost to the tennis courts again when Enrique broke their silence.

  “I’m scared, Blane.”

  “I know,” Blane said.

  “If I go to therapy, will you go with me?”

  “Not until you clean up your life,” Blane said. “Get honest. Either commit to Calvin or get out of that relationship. Quit the job you hate. You can freelance and you know it. You gave me such a gift by throwing me out of my comfortable, horrible old life. It was awful, terrifying, and very liberating. You need to give yourself the same gift.”

  Without saying another word, Enrique ran down Twenty-First Avenue back toward his house. Blane shook his head at Enrique and continued toward home. By the time he arrived, Mack was sound asleep. He helped Heather bathe Mack and put him in his bassinette.

  “What happened?” Heather whispered over Mack’s sleeping form.

  “A lot.”

  He told her the entire story. When he finished, Heather hugged him.

  “What can we do?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” he said. “He has to do this himself.”

  “What if he doesn’t?”

  “Then there’s nothing we can do,” he said.

  “That boundaries thing again,” Heather said.

  “Boundaries,” Blane nodded.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Thursday — 10:20 P.M.

  Memorial Hospital Central, Colorado Springs

  Aden shifted in the bed and Sandy jumped to his side. She took his hand then sighed. He was still out. He had a turban of bandages around his head from his brother’s boots and the surgery to relieve the pressure in his brain. His nose was splinted. He had a dozen broken ribs. The fingers on his right hand were all broken as well as a few bones in his hand.

  And according to the nurse, he was better off than Pete.

  Poor Pete. He’d covered Aden with his body to protect him from his brother’s kicking feet. Pete was still in surgery. Molly was a complete wreck. Caught between guilt and outrage, she’d wept in the surgery waiting area. To make matters worse, Pete had spent all their savings on his last drug binge. They were broke and didn’t have enough insurance to cover everything. Sandy assured her that she would help. But Molly was inconsolable.

  Aden was lucky.

  Sandy was about to return to her chair when he stirred again. The nurse said that he should wake up, just for a little while, before they put him in a medical coma.

  “Pleee…” Aden’s voice came softly. Sandy bent down toward his mouth. “Dooonnn leee go.”

  “Don’t let go of your hand?” Sandy said. “I won’t.”

  Aden’s mouth shifted to a kind of smile. He’d lost two teeth in the front and a few molars were broken.

  “Miissss,” Aden gasped a breath. “you.”

  She kissed his cheek. Keeping her voice light and cheerful, she told him about their lives.

  “The kids made you these pictures.” Sandy held
up Noelle’s then Nash’s. “They do them every day. It’s kind of their letter to you. We’ve been waiting to find out where you would be so we could mail them to you.”

  “Hoowww?”

  “Nash’s arm is still in a cast. We had to get a new cast because he broke the old cast on a job. He was using the old cast as a kind of lever. Anyway, the new cast is smaller and more manageable. He’s been working at Lipson every day. They put him on Jerry’s crew. He and his friend Teddy. He likes it and he’s making some money. Do you remember Melinda? The daughter of my client? He wants to take her to the movies now that he’s rich. I think he’s too young. But, we’ll see.”

  Aden gestured toward his face with his bandaged hand.

  “Noelle’s face is still healing. It seems like forever, but the doctor says she’s healing well. It’ll take a couple more months for her eye to clear, but her sight is almost normal. We’ve been looking at some cool glasses for her. The ophthalmologist says that she may have needed glasses all along. You know Noelle, she’s happy to have something new.”

  Aden’s eyes closed but his hand held hers.

  “The kids are lost without you, but overall they’re doing well,” Sandy said. “They’re such good kids that it’s not surprising. Noelle and Katy play a lot in the afternoons. Noelle is really patient with Katy. I think Noelle’s so overwhelmed with grownup stuff that it’s nice, healing even, to play little girl games. Nash and Teddy are still doing martial arts. Teddy’s dad, Zack, is taking them skiing next weekend. They’re both really excited about learning to snowboard. You know, since they’re rich.”

  She laughed at Nash’s riches. Aden’s hand moved up and down.

  “Me?”

  He seemed to sigh.

  “Drama central. I got shot at but Alex Hargreaves saved the day, of course. I still have to deal with my father’s crap. At least once a week, I meet with the Feds or the police to look at photos or whatever. Drama. But Jake set up a salon for me. I’ve been working Tuesday through Saturday. It’s really nice to work and we need the money. The Feds are keeping the millions in my father’s house and…”