He struggled to form words. “Down here with the mere mortals, you mean.”
She nodded, not meeting his eyes. “A man’s hand can be just as beautiful as any canto of Dante’s,” she whispered.
Andy didn’t think he’d heard anything more romantic in his life. If he hadn’t been falling in love with Roxie Hardy before, he would have at that moment. As it was, he knew his heart was lost to him. He’d been worried about when to tell a woman that he carried a genetic issue, but he’d never considered that it was already too late. No genetic test could have predicted the series of seemingly random connections that brought them together. No amount of preparation could have delayed this moment or brought it before him any faster. He knew with the same kind of certainty he’d felt on the street corner that Roxie was meant to be part of his story.
Pray for direction. He looked into her eyes. “This probably isn’t the right time. In fact, I’m pretty sure it isn’t, but I was wondering if―” He paused for a moment as she laced her fingers with his. “If you’d like to have dinner with me some time.”
“You mean eat dinner with you?”
“No, I mean go out. To dinner. Like on a date. The two of us.”
She smiled and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. She was so happy. “Thanks for clarifying. I mean, dinner at your place is good, too. And yes. Definitely, yes.”
“Excuse me. Excuse me. Sorry.” Paul’s voice cut into his thoughts. Andy turned to see him squeezing past knees and purses toward them, Alice following.
Roxie gave his hand a squeeze and let go. “Oh, I have a terrible cold. You should be careful,” she said. “You’ll get sick.”
“I wouldn’t care if you had the plague,” he said.
“That’s what people say until their nose turns black and falls off.”
Paul arrived and looked from Roxie to Andy. “Who’s got the plague?”
“Roxie does,” Alice said, sitting down. “Thanks for saving us seats.”
“Get the coffee maker turned off?”
“Hm? What―? Oh, yes. Everything was fine.” Alice turned pink.
Paul settled next to her and pretended to be studying the play bill. “It should start any minute.”
As if someone had heard him, the country music faded away and the lights on the stage went up. The crowd quieted and there was the deeply expectant moment that comes right before a performance. Andy looked toward Roxie, and she smiled shyly when he caught her eye.
The night sky was dark above them and the heavens rotated slowly, invisible to them down below. Andy thought of Roxie’s words, about finding great beauty in things close by, even in people. He couldn’t believe that she considered him part of that.
As the play moved from scene to scene, Andy felt himself pulled into a story of family, friends, tragedy, and hope. Alice handed Roxie tissues when Shelby died, but Andy’s eyes filled with tears when Shelby’s mother broke down at the funeral, demanding to know why her daughter died. He understood just a little of that grief. There was no answer to why Andy carried the gene, why his parents didn’t visit Mark, or why it was just the two of them against the world.
He felt Roxie take his hand. “Heaven wheels above us,” she whispered.
“And our eyes are on the ground,” he said.
They went back to watching the play, laughter mixing with their tears. Andy realized he’d been wrong. He and Mark weren’t alone against the world. They had Roxie and Paul and Alice and Aurora. They had so much more than most people. They were not alone.
***
“So, things are going really well, I take it.” Alice looked as if she was trying to keep her smile in check.
Roxie paged through a fragile copy of Christina Rossetti poetry and pretended she didn’t know what Alice was hinting at. Watching the play with Andy felt like eons ago but it had only been a week. She hadn’t seen him much since, just passing in the hallway or when he brought Mark to the bakery, but they had a dinner date tomorrow. A real date. Just the two of them. Her heart was pounding just thinking about it. She didn’t know how she’d make it through an entire dinner.
“You mean with the bakery? Sure. I get Fridays off now, so I can come hang out with you instead of doing my laundry like I should. The new waitress seems to be able to pour coffee and doesn’t slap any of the old cranky types. She got over having to work that one Saturday and isn’t ever late. So, I would call that a success.”
“Funny.” Alice rolled her eyes.
Aurora toddled over. She was wearing red T-shirt with a drawing of a large, muscular bull smelling a flower. Roxie bent down to see it better. “And who got your baby a Ferdinand The Bull shirt? I think this is the first one I’ve seen that wasn’t poetry, science fiction, or classics.”
“Ferdinand’s a classic. It’s seventy five years old,” Alice said.
Aurora looked up and called out, “Darcy!” Roxie followed her gaze to the top of the range in time to see the big black cat slowly backing into the shadows. She didn’t think she’d ever seen Darcy afraid of anyone.
Roxie straightened up. “So you’re going to create some with classic children’s literature quotes?” She clapped her hands together. “It’ll be so fun. You can have Stuart Little in his canoe, The Secret Garden’s open door, Mike Mulligan’s steam shovel, The Hundred Dresses, Bridge to Terabithia… No, wait, that one is sad.”
Alice was laughing at her enthusiasm. “Some of the best books are sad. And I didn’t give her that.”
“Oh. Paul?”
“Nope. But the same person also gave her this one.” She pulled a shirt from a box on the counter.
It was a soft, long-sleeved shirt. The design on the front was rings of concentric circles and strangely square print. “The original Botticelli illustration of Dark Wood?”
“It seems someone is as fascinated with Dante as you are.”
“Hm. I prefer Dore’s lithographs but okay,” she said. She couldn’t help smiling a little. Andy hadn’t said anything about it.
Alice leaned across the counter and fixed her with a look. “Will you please just stop pretending that Andy’s not the most perfect man for you on this planet?”
“On the whole planet?” Roxie shrugged. “I guess he does have his own chef and that’s nothing to sneer at.”
“And are you ever going to tell him about the cupcake?” Alice said, seeming to take a different tack to get Roxie to be serious.
“If you must know, I was thinking of telling him tomorrow night.” She took a deep breath. “Maybe it’s not a big deal. I hope it won’t be. It was simply a…”
“Misunderstanding?” Alice offered.
“Big fat lie by omission, is more like it.” Roxie slumped against the desk. “It’s not like he’s really told me anything personal while I was in the suit. I just know I should have told him ages ago and now it’s too late.”
“No, sweetie. It’s not too late,” she said. “If you dropped that bomb on your honeymoon, he might wonder why you hid it so long, but now is a perfectly fine time. You’re still getting to know each other.”
Roxie nodded, but inside she knew that she was long past that stage. She’d been in love with Andy from the day they met and nothing could change the fact. “I don’t want to keep anything from Andy after this. I need to tell him about the rest of my plans, too. Moving in with Mamere is going to be a big deal and I won’t have the independence I do now. I sure won’t see him as much.”
“The real question is whether he’ll still have dinner delivered.”
“Maybe you could plant that seed,” she answered, laughing. It felt a little odd to laugh at that moment, as she planned giving up her single life to shadow her grandmother, but Andy had shown her that it could be done. She could help Mamere continue to live an active, healthy life with dignity for as long as she could.
They both looked up as the front door swung open, the little brass bell tinkling a welcome that was at direct odds to the two panicked faces before them. Pau
l and Andy rushed in, scanning the area, looking down every aisle.
Andy ran toward them. “Have you seen Mark?”
“No. Isn’t he upstairs?” Alice was already moving toward the back staircase.
“I was in the shower. When I got out, he was gone,” Andy said, his face pale with fear.
“I was helping Bix put the boat away and when Andy called, I rushed back here. I didn’t see him anywhere.” Paul picked up Aurora and held her close. It was if he were protecting her from the threat of being lost, too.
“How long has he been gone?”
“Five minutes. Maybe ten. I don’t know.” He gripped his hair. “It’s my job to protect him and now he’s lost.”
Roxie pulled out her phone. “We’ll find him. But I think we should call the police so they can be looking, too.”
“I’ll do it,” Paul said. He gave Aurora to Alice, and moved into the back room. They could hear the serious tone of his voice from there, if not the exact words.
Andy looked into her eyes, anguish in every line of his face. “He doesn’t know how to swim.”
She swallowed hard. “Does he like to be near the water?”
Andy shook his head. “He’s never wanted to be near it before, but Bix has taken us fishing a lot lately and he loves looking at all the water. I’m afraid that he’s…” The rest of the words were swallowed by a terrible silence.
Roxie took Andy’s hand, lacing her fingers with his. She was hoping to keep him occupied and focused. If he let the fear take over, he wouldn’t be able to help them look for Mark. “What else does he love? Pringles. Free Willy. What else?”
“I― I don’t know. Uh, his backpack. The color blue. Cookies. Being on a plane. Skipping.”
“Cookies?” Roxie looked at Alice. She nodded, as if she understood Roxie’s unspoken question. Someone had to keep Andy talking. Roxie gave his hand a squeeze and let go. “I’m going to run down to the bakery and see if he’s there.”
She barely waited for Andy’s response before she was out the door and running for the bakery. Her boots thudded on the boardwalk as she sprinted past pedestrians, hands fisted, searching the crowds for a blonde haired young man with a blue backpack.
Roxie prayed as she ran, pleading with God, her words keeping time with her stride. Life wasn’t always fair. In fact, it was often more cruel than fair. Andy’s heart would break in two if any harm came to Mark, the brother he loved more than himself, especially if he never got to say goodbye.
***
“They’re on their way,” Paul said. “They said it might take a few minutes.” He checked his watch again.
Andy hardly heard him. He never should have brought Mark to Natchitoches. Mark had been safe in the group home back in New York, but Andy had been selfish, wanting everything to be perfect. Life wasn’t perfect.
“Did I ever tell you about the time I let Aurora fall on her head?”
Andy blinked. “You what?”
“I put her on the changing table and then reached around for a diaper. She was just learning to roll over. The next thing I heard was a loud thud.” Paul shook his head. “One of the worst moments of my life. But she’s fine and I survived and Alice didn’t kill me.”
He nodded. He saw what Paul was trying to say. Accidents happened. But Paul was a new parent. Andy had known Mark his whole life. He understood what Mark was like and how he needed to be watched. Andy should have known better. “It’s been ten minutes. I should go look for him. He could be hurt.”
“I’ll go. You need to wait for the police. They’ll need a current picture and a description.” Paul was already halfway to the door. “Don’t worry. We’ll find him. It’s a really small town and almost everyone knows him now.”
The little bell tinkled as the door swung shut. Andy pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. Everyone knew him but that might not be a good thing. There were bad people in the world, even in a place like Natchitoches. Bad people looked for easy targets and Mark was a very easy target.
“Don’t worry,” Alice said. Her face was pale and Aurora was quiet in her arms. “We’ll find him.”
Andy nodded. They kept saying that, but there was no guarantee. There was no guarantee of anything in life. “I don’t know how I didn’t hear him go out.”
Alice suddenly gripped his arm. “Look,” she said.
Mark came through the door, a chastened look on his face. Roxie followed. “I’m sorry I didn’t call. I put my phone on the desk and then ran off without it,” she said.
He walked forward, unsure of how to react. He thought he’d feel immediate relief but his heart was still pounding. It all could have ended so badly. He wanted to hug Mark and never let him go, but his brother already seemed embarrassed by the attention. “Why did you leave, buddy?”
“Wanted a cookie.” Mark hung his head. “Forgot to say goodbye.”
“It’s okay. We were just worried.” He held out his arms and Mark walked into them, burying his face in Andy’s shirt.
“I’m sorry, Andy. Sorry.”
“You’re okay. I forget what a grown up you are.” Andy let out a long breath. “Just remember to tell me where you’re going. And I should probably go with you until you’re really used to this place.”
“I’ll call the police and let them know he’s back,” Alice said and moved into the back room.
“Thank you,” Andy said to her. “And Roxie, I don’t know how to―”
“Don’t thank me yet. I think a case could be made for this being all my fault. I told him to come back anytime for a cookie.” She smiled at Mark. “He remembered my invitation.”
“I wanna go watch my movie,” Mark said.
“Sure. Go ahead. I’ll follow you up.”
Andy watched him walk through the door and wondered if he should be shadowing him. Part of Mark enjoying a full life was letting him have some independence. Although now he wanted to be one step behind him at all times, Andy knew he had to give him a little space.
“Are you okay?” Roxie’s eyes were soft with sympathy. She came close, taking his hand. “You were probably scared to death.”
“Pretty darn close.” He pulled her close. “Thank you, again. You and Paul and Alice have been nothing but supportive since I brought him here. I couldn’t do this alone.”
She didn’t say anything for a while, just tightened her arms around him. “When Mamere walked to the festival, you helped me get her car. We didn’t even know each other.” She looked up at him. “I knew where Mamere was and I was completely rattled. I can’t imagine how you felt today. I’m just glad I could be here to help.”
He bent down and touched his forehead to hers. A lot of people would praise him for taking care of Mark, but Roxie understood him. And he understood her. It was about family. It was about loyalty and love and being there when you were needed. “We don’t get to make decisions like other people our age, right? We don’t get the same choices.”
She was quiet for a moment and then whispered, “If you want to cancel our date, I understand―”
He lifted his head but she didn’t meet his eyes. “No, no. Bix and Ruby are coming over to stay with him. They’ll make sure he gets to bed and stays there.” He raised her chin with one finger. “I didn’t mean to imply I didn’t want to go out with you. It’s just complicated for both of us right now, and that’s okay. Sometimes complicated is perfectly okay.”
She held his gaze for a moment. Maybe she was thinking far ahead, wondering what would happen if they wanted to get married. Andy felt a flash of guilt. Before that moment, long before, he needed to tell her about the genetic test.
“Well, on the bright side, we know he can make his way to the bakery now,” she said.
He started to laugh. “It’s hard to miss with that big dancing cupcake.”
An expression flickered across her face. “I don’t think the cupcake is working today.” Roxie bit her lip, something he hadn’t seen her do before. It was an expression of vulnerabi
lity and… guilt. “Andy, there’s something I wanted to tell you.”
“Andy?” Mark had come back down the stairs. He shook his head, confusion in his eyes. “The key didn’t work. I did it just like you showed me.”
“Sometimes that lock sticks. Let me see if I can get it open.” Andy turned back to her. “What did you want to say?”
She slipped out of his arms. “No, it’s no big deal. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you. Again. And if I don’t see you later, then I’ll be at your place at seven.”
“Kissing,” Mark said.
Roxie giggled and as if to prove a point, stood on tiptoe and kissed Andy on the lips. “Kissing,” she agreed.
“I want to watch ‘Free Willy’,” Mark said.
“I know, buddy.” Andy moved back, still smiling. “On my way.”
All the way up the stairs, down the hallway, opening the door, and into the apartment, Andy could feel Roxie’s kiss. It hadn’t been their first, but it was the first that wasn’t wrapped in sadness and regret. It was kiss full of hope and promises.
Chapter Sixteen
Heat cannot be separated by fire, or beauty from the Eternal.
―Dante Alighieri
Roxie shuffled her feet and wondered if it was better to be in the suit during a festival or on one of the slowest Saturdays in recent memory. When it was busy, the time went faster. But when it was slower, she had time to think about what was coming in a few hours. She gave an excited little wiggle in the suit, humming to herself. A real date with Andy, her Dante-reading, good-deed-doing, sweet-as-pie, handsome-as-heck neighbor. It was hard to believe that just a month ago, she was desperate to leave Natchitoches, and now she was perfectly happy to stay.
Alice had asked if she needed anyone to stay with Mamere for the evening, but Roxie assured her that Mamere was going to be at a bunco game with her friends. Without skipping a beat, Alice asked Roxie what she was wearing, where they were going, and if she needed any help with her hair. Normally that kind of questioning made Roxie want to roll her eyes but with Alice it felt good to be have someone in her corner.
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