by Susan Stoker
“Yes, sir,” Tommy said automatically.
“That’s not what I meant,” Abe told him. “I don’t need or necessarily want you to call me that, unless you’re comfortable with it. All our women have been to hell and back. If you really want to know their stories, we’ll tell you, man to man, but that won’t come without trust.”
Tommy couldn’t imagine what kind of things Alabama and her friends had been through. They were all very pretty and had nice clothes; he’d seen pictures of them all over the house when Alabama had pointed them out. Abe had to be lying to him to get his cooperation.
“Deal, Bub?”
“Yeah, fine. Deal.” Tommy was happy he was getting his own room, but he wasn’t sure what to think about Alabama and Abe sleeping in the living room. It didn’t seem like something Abe really wanted to do, and it was his experience that adults generally did whatever they wanted.
One of the men who used to come into his room used to tell him that if he did what the man wanted and wasn’t loud, that he’d bring him an extra sandwich afterwards. It was a give and take. Tommy wondered what Abe and Alabama would want from him in return. He was confused and uncertain, but knew to the marrow of his bones that Abe wasn’t messing around with the respect thing.
“Anyway, as I was saying, sweetheart,” Alabama continued, turning around in her seat to meet Tommy’s eyes as if Abe hadn’t interrupted her. “There will be a lot of people here this weekend. I wanted to make sure you knew about them all before you met them. Okay?”
“Okay,” Tommy agreed, only half listening.
“All the men have nicknames. You know Christopher’s nickname is Abe. Well, he calls his friends by their nicknames and most of the women use their real names. It can be confusing, and at first it’ll seem like there are twice as many people there, but you can call them whatever you want. All right?”
“Yeah.” Tommy had wondered about that. Alabama called her husband Christopher, but Davisa and Brinique called him Abe, as did he.
“Good. So Wolf, or Matthew, is married to Caroline. Wolf is the leader of the group of soldiers Christopher works with. They don’t have any children. Cookie, or Hunter, is married to Fiona. They also don’t have any kids. Mozart, or Sam, is with Summer. They have a two-and-a-half-year-old girl named April. Then there’s Dude, or Faulkner, and Cheyenne. They also have a girl, and her name is Taylor. Then lastly there’s Benny, or Kason, and Jessyka. They have three kids, John, Sara, and Callie. They’re four, three, and one and a half.”
Alabama took a deep breath and continued. “It’s okay if you don’t remember all their names. I know it’s a lot. Brinique and Davisa can help if you need it, but I promise that no one will get mad or upset if you don’t remember.”
“One more thing, Bub,” Abe added, waiting for Tommy to acknowledge him. After the little boy nodded, he told him, “My friends will let a lot slide as far as the respect thing goes…but Dude will not. No, don’t tense up,” Abe quickly reassured Tommy, seeing him go ramrod straight in the seat. “He’s not violent at all. He’s not going to hurt you, but he’s very protective of his wife and little girl. Cheyenne almost died having his baby, and he wasn’t there when it happened. It still bothers him. He will not tolerate any kind of disrespect to Cheyenne or Taylor. Okay?”
Tommy nodded quickly, strangely glad for the warning. He couldn’t always control his mouth, but he’d make an effort to do it around the man named Dude…and his family. Liking that Abe was speaking to him as if they were equals and not as if he was a baby, Tommy said softly, “Thanks for the warning.”
Abe’s lips tilted up into a full-fledged smile. “You’re welcome, Bub. We’ve got another hour or so…you wanna watch something other than The Little Mermaid? Figure that’s a little girly for you.”
“Christopher!” Alabama protested. “There’s nothing wrong with The Little Mermaid.”
“You’re right. There’s not. For our little girls. But Bub seems like he’d appreciate something different. Right?”
“Yes.” Tommy paused a moment, then added, “Please.”
“See?”
“Whatever,” Alabama huffed.
Abe was still grinning as he looked back into the mirror. “How about Holes? Have you seen it?”
Tommy shook his head. He hadn’t exactly been in an environment where movies were watched the last couple of years.
“Good. It’s awesome. We don’t have enough time for you to watch the entire thing, but you can get a good start on it. Then if you want, we’ll take the DVD player inside and you can watch it tonight when you go to bed. If that doesn’t work out, you can finish it up on the way home. That sound good?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Alabama got the movie started on the portable DVD player for him and handed him a headset. Before he put it over his ears, Alabama told him, “I’m really happy you’re here with us, Tommy. Enjoy the movie.”
Tommy knew she was serious. She wasn’t just saying that. He could tell the difference. He’d had lots of grown-ups tell him lies like that in the last year or so, simply because it was expected of them. But they’d done it in front of people like the state workers or inspectors. But it was just them in the car. Alabama wasn’t trying to impress anyone. Her daughters had headphones on and couldn’t hear her.
He swallowed hard and put the headphones on quickly, wanting to drown out her words and the emotions they brought forth within him.
Alabama didn’t know him. Didn’t know how ugly he was, how broken inside. She wouldn’t say that if she knew. He tried really hard to tamp down the tears that threatened to break free. He hadn’t felt wanted in so long, and her words nearly broke the brick wall he’d built up inside his chest to hold the world at bay.
The movie started and Tommy looked around the car. He could see Alabama and Abe talking together, still holding hands. Brinique and Davisa were engrossed in the mermaid movie, and the three cats—the shelter had been inexplicitly closed that morning when they’d stopped by—were snoring on the floor at his feet.
Tommy closed his eyes and pretended for just a moment that he was five again. That he was in the car with his mom and dad and they were going on vacation, just like they used to. Before his mom died. Before his dad decided he loved drinking and his mean friends more than his son.
A paw swiped at his ankle and Tommy opened his eyes. Fatty was looking up at him intently. The music on the movie started and Tommy brought his eyes up to it. He didn’t want to think about talking cats, about what had happened to him when he lived with his dad, or how he was just one wrong word away from being thrown out of one more family. He lost himself in the movie, welcoming the numbness that settled over his heart.
6
“Give it here!” Tommy ordered Davisa with his hand out. They were standing on the spacious deck of the beach house with some of the other children.
“No!” she returned immediately, holding the last piece of watermelon close to her chest.
“You’ve already had two pieces. I’ve only had one. I want it!” Tommy yelled, advancing on the little girl.
“Mommy!” Davisa screeched, turning around and running into the kitchen.
The men were currently deep in discussion near the front of the house. The man called Wolf had gotten a phone call, and all of the men had gotten up to discuss whatever it was they needed to talk about away from the women and kids.
Davisa burst into the kitchen with Tommy right on her heels. She ran behind Alabama and started to quickly gobble up the watermelon as fast as she could.
“Woah! Careful now!” Alabama exclaimed, holding a plate full of fruit up and out of the way of the children. “What on earth is going on?”
“She’s being greedy and won’t share!” Tommy tattled immediately.
“That’s not true! He didn’t even want the last piece of watermelon until he saw me pick it up!” Davisa retorted.
Tommy glared at Davisa. “You’re lying! You knew I was going to eat it. You just didn�
��t want me to have it.”
“Huh-uh!”
“Okay, let’s all just calm down. There’s plenty of other things you can snack on, Tommy. Look, here’s a plate full of yummy fruit you can have first choice of.” Alabama held out the large plate with melon, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cherries.
“I don’t want that crap. I wanted watermelon,” Tommy said belligerently, his arms crossed across his chest.
“Otter-ellen,” April mimicked as she came into the kitchen with Summer. At two and a half, she was currently in a phase where she liked to repeat things that people around her said.
“Did someone say watermelon?” Summer asked, hiking her daughter up on her hip.
“No. Because there’s none left. Stupid Davisa ate the last piece,” Tommy growled.
“Tommy, that’s not nice. There’s plenty of other things to eat,” Alabama admonished gently.
“I don’t want anything else.”
“You can share our salmon,” Boba purred from the floor.
“Yeah, what an awesome surprise. Your Alabama rocks,” Jango agreed.
“Salmon…” Fatty moaned in contentment. He was lying on his back in a patch of sun. “Man, that was some of the best fish I’ve had in ages…don’t tell Zelda,” he threw in.
Tommy ignored the cats.
“You’re being greedy,” Brinique said, entering the fray. She’d been outside playing, but had followed her sister inside after hearing the argument on the porch.
“Shut up,” Tommy glowered at the other little girl. “You’re not a part of this.”
“Tommy!” Alabama said sharply, her eyebrows furrowing. “I told you when you first moved in that we don’t use those words.”
“Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!” Tommy yelled. “I hate it here! I hate you, I hate them; it’s just all stupid. I’ll say whatever I want, whenever I want! Shut up, shut up, shut—”
His words were cut off by a large hand covering his mouth at the same time Abe rushed past him to get to his wife.
Tommy struggled in the man’s grasp, trying to get away.
“Calm down, Tommy,” Dude said sharply from right behind him.
“Mumph,” he murmured under the hand.
The large man behind him leaned down and said in his ear, “I said, calm down. Look at what your words did to her. Look.”
Tommy raised his eyes to Alabama, not sure what Dude was talking about.
With one glance, he knew something was terribly wrong with the woman who had always been so nice to him.
Summer had managed to grab the tray of fruit before it hit the ground, and Alabama was on her knees in the middle of the kitchen, her arms wrapped around herself protectively, staring off into space. Abe had taken Alabama’s shoulders in his hands. He’d turned her so she was facing him and he was crouched down so he was looking into her eyes. She had a blank look on her ghost-white face and Tommy could see Alabama’s entire body shaking uncontrollably.
“Sweet, look at me,” Abe ordered. “You’re fine. You’re here with me safe and sound. Come back to me…”
Dude slowly removed his hand from over Tommy’s mouth, but didn’t let go of him. When Tommy struggled again, the large man merely tightened his hold. He said in a low voice, “No. You’ll stay right here and watch what careless words can do to someone. What your careless words did to one of the nicest women I know.”
Alabama’s hands came up and covered her ears. She began to rock in Abe’s hold. “No, no, no, no.”
“Shhhhhh, sweet…you’re safe, she’s not here. Open your eyes and look at me,” Abe said gently.
“Dark. It’s so dark.”
“No it’s not. It’s the middle of the day. Open your eyes, Alabama. See the sun. You’re not in the closet. You’re here with me, and our daughters and friends. You’re safe and she’s not here. Trust me, sweet.”
Alabama’s eyes opened a squint, although her hands stayed over her ears.
“That’s it. God, I love your beautiful gray eyes. See? It’s me, Christopher. You’re fine. Come back to me now.”
Slowly her hands fell from her ears and gripped his biceps, her knuckles white with the force of her hold on him. Her brows scrunched down in confusion. “Christopher?”
“Yeah, it’s me. Come here.” Abe wrapped his wife up, one hand going behind her head to bring it to the space between his neck and shoulder, and the other around her waist, pulling her into him. He swayed with her in his arms.
“Mommy?” Brinique said uncertainly.
“Come here you two,” Abe told them, holding out the arm that had been around Alabama’s waist. The other stayed right where it was on her head. Both Brinique and Davisa went to their parents, wrapping their little arms around Alabama and Abe as best they could. The four of them huddled there in the kitchen together.
After several moments, Dude slowly backed out of the kitchen with Tommy still in his arms, leaving the Powers family together. When they were in the living room, Dude finally freed Tommy.
The little boy backed away and stood there staring at the adults who were standing silent around him. The women looked concerned. The men looked unhappy. Tommy started shaking. He had no idea what had just happened, but he knew he’d done it.
“I didn’t mean it,” he said in a small voice that wavered. He shook his head quickly. “I just wanted the last piece of watermelon…I don’t know what happened.”
Fiona and Caroline took a step toward him, and Tommy backed up farther, until his back was against the wall. He was completely freaked out. What were all these adults going to do? Were they going to hurt him? Punish him? His breathing sped up.
The two women kneeled down in front of him, not close enough to touch, but putting themselves at his eye-level. “It’s okay, Tommy. Don’t freak. She’s going to be fine,” Caroline said softly.
“This happens sometimes. Abe will take care of her,” Fiona soothed.
“But…” Tears came to his eyes and Tommy impatiently wiped them away when they fell down his cheeks. “I don’t know what happened,” he repeated.
“I think we all need a timeout,” Benny said easily. “It’s nap time for my crew. Why don’t we all just take a break. In a few hours, we’ll get dinner started on the grill. That work for everyone?”
The men all nodded and the women gathered up their children and headed for their bedroom suites.
Tommy watched as everyone left the big living area except for Caroline. She stayed squatting in front of him. “I know you don’t understand what happened, but I suggest that you take your cats and go and hang out in your room for a while. I’m sure Alabama will come and reassure you as soon as she can. Don’t worry. You’re fine, Alabama’s fine, and Christopher is good too. You’re not in trouble.”
“How c-can you say that? I m-made her…you know,” Tommy said in a wobbly voice.
“I do know. But you should know that neither Alabama nor Christopher will hold this against you. Everyone makes mistakes. You should ask Christopher about the huge mistake he made with Alabama once. She forgave him because she cared about him a great deal, just like she cares about you. Just take a break, Tommy. Relax, and I’m sure they’ll talk to you about it later.”
“Will Abe hurt me?”
“Oh, sweetie. No. I know you haven’t been with them for long, but you are perfectly safe. They might be disappointed, but they will not hurt you. They took you into their house with the intent of keeping you forever.” At the look of surprise that formed on his tear-stained face, Caroline nodded. “Yeah, forever. I’m not lying about that. They want a house full of children they can love. And they chose you. It’s been years since they’ve taken in a foster child…why do you think that is?”
Tommy shrugged.
“Because they were waiting for you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you. They could’ve taken in any number of children after they adopted Brinique and Davisa, but they wanted to wait for the child they knew in th
eir heart was meant to be theirs. And that’s you.”
“But…I’m too old,” Tommy protested.
“Too old for what?”
“To be adopted?” It came out as more of a question than a statement.
“Who said? The other families you’d been placed with? Jerk kids at school? Tommy, if you hear nothing else, hear this. They. Picked. You. They want to adopt you. You’re their kid. And parents don’t hurt their children. Good parents don’t. And Christopher and Alabama Powers are some of the best parents out there. Just take a break. Hang out in your room and give them some time. Okay? Things will be fine at dinner. You’ll see.”
Tommy nodded, even though he wasn’t sure he believed the pretty woman kneeling in front of him. He was happy to get away from everyone though.
“Go on, now.”
Tommy sidled toward the hall and walked backward to the room he’d been assigned, not wanting to turn his back on the large great room. All three of the cats trailed after him, seemingly unconcerned about what had just happened in the kitchen. When he got to the large bedroom suite, he quickly entered and shut the door once all three cats sauntered through.
“Woo-wee, young Tommy, you sure do know how to kill the mood,” Fatty drawled teasingly.
“I didn’t know,” Tommy argued defensively.
Boba shrugged, as much as a cat can shrug. “Well, you do now.”
“What did I say?”
“Shut up. You said it several times, in fact,” Jango informed him. “Alabama warned you that she didn’t like those words, but you said them anyway.”
“But…I didn’t mean anything by it. I say it all the time. Everybody says it all the time. It’s just words.”