Broken Lies

by Rachel Branton

  “Whoa,” his father said, steering his motorized wheelchair down the ramp for the first time. “This is a nice piece of work, son. I think you outdid yourself.”

  Before this ramp, his father would leave the motorized wheelchair in the single garage and, after painfully walking up the two steps, transfer to a manual wheelchair inside the house. Tyson’s mother wasn’t strong enough to pull the motorized chair inside, and without the motorized wheelchair, his father had needed a lot more help in the house. Hefting the wheelchair inside was one of the main reasons Tyson came here each day after work.

  “Soon you’ll be having races up and down it with all your friends,” said Joel, one of the men he’d hired to help with the remodeling. The kid wasn’t the brightest of the lot, but he had good hands and an eye for design—which Tyson never would have realized if it hadn’t been for Roz’s sister.

  Roz. He’d been thinking of her almost every day since coming back to Temecula, which had at first surprised him. It shouldn’t have. Temecula had been their place, and even though his parents hadn’t encouraged their relationship, and Roz’s parents had forbidden it, memories of her filled almost everywhere he turned. Like the school bleachers where they’d shared their first kiss, the In-n-Out Burger where they’d hung out on colder evenings when school was closed, the tree in his back yard under which, unbeknownst to his parents, they’d watched the stars and planned for the future.

  A future Roz had thrown away.

  The memories had made coming home a tough decision, but in the end there hadn’t been much choice. His parents didn’t want to leave their home, and they didn’t have anyone else. They needed him. So Tyson slept in his old room at home and commuted to Oceanside to his job or to see his girlfriend, Jana Reynolds. He’d hoped to move back to his condo in Oceanside once the renovations were complete, but he really didn’t think his parents would be able to keep up everything without him. Jana had suggested a gardener and someone to come in to help with cleaning and baths. She was probably right.

  His mother put her arms around him. “Thank you. This is really going to help.” She lowered her voice. “Your father is already much happier.”

  “I’m glad.” Because his dad was never going to leave the wheelchair.

  An expensive red Audi A3 drove up to the curb, looking slightly out of place in this lower middle-class neighborhood—or it would have looked out of place if his Infiniti Q50 weren’t parked in the driveway.

  It was like turning back time as he watched the girl slip gracefully from the car. She was taller than her sister had been, and her hair was over bleached instead of a natural blond, but there were enough similarities that his heart tightened as he watched her run to Joel and start kissing him.

  Standing next to Tyson, his mother clicked her tongue in disapproval. “Leave it alone, Mom,” he murmured.

  “He’s not good enough for her—anyone can see that.”

  “That’s what her mother said about me. And from what I remember, you didn’t have such a high opinion of her sister.”

  A swift intake of breath. “That’s Roz’s sister?”

  He nodded. “It’s the only reason I hired him, but I’m glad I did. He’s got steady hands.”

  “As long as you’re standing over him.” His mother shook her head back and forth. “Whenever you’re not here, he’s more inclined to be on his phone.”

  That was true, but there was nothing Tyson could do about it except schedule Joel when he was there too. He was hoping to help the boy develop better habits—for Kendall’s sake.

  “No wonder you look at her like that.” His mother gave him a sympathetic look.

  What was she talking about? “I’m just trying to help them out,” he said, pulling his gaze away. “She’s a smart girl. We’ve had a lot of conversations, and I think she’d make a good nurse.”

  He brought out his phone to check the time. Maybe he could drive back to Oceanside to take Jana to a late movie. Their Saturday nights had been shot since he’d come back to help his parents.

  “It wasn’t that I thought Roz wasn’t good enough for you,” his mother said. “But you were too young to be so serious.”

  As a result, they hadn’t been welcomed anywhere. He wouldn’t say that now—or how Roz had needed a loving woman’s influence since her own mother couldn’t fill that role. Maybe with support, she wouldn’t have betrayed him like she had. But hearing all that would hurt his mother, so Tyson stared blankly at his phone, feigning preoccupation.

  “Everything worked out for the best,” his mother added. “Look at how things are between you and Jana.”

  Yes, things between him and Jana were going well. Really well. She was an anesthesiologist resident, and she worked at the Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside where he was working on his residency in pediatric surgery. He’d known her for two years and dated her one. For the past six months they’d been exclusive, not by agreement, but because neither had wanted to go out with anyone else. His parents loved her, and her dad—her only living parent—loved him, and lately she’d begun talking about a future together. No, they’d been talking about it, and if he could figure out a way to overcome whatever was stopping him from proposing, he’d make it official. He was lucky to have her, and he knew it. He’d even bought a ring.

  “So,” his mother said, “about you and Jana . . .”

  She asked almost every week, often hinting at her need for grandchildren, but it was no more than he’d been asking himself. What was holding him back? He trusted Jana more than he’d ever trusted any other person besides Roz.

  Maybe that was the problem. He’d trusted Roz, and they’d planned a future together, but everything had changed in a single day. No, he didn’t believe he was stuck because of that. Jana wasn’t Roz, and he was no longer a sixteen-year-old kid head-over-heels in blind love.

  “Tyson?” his mother asked.

  “I’ll bring her for dinner tomorrow,” he said. That would satisfy his mother. She and Jana could talk for hours.

  Across the lawn, Kendall came up for air long enough to shoot a pointed glance at Tyson. Joel said something and tried to kiss her again, but she pushed at his chest and said something, looking back at Tyson once more. What could she want?

  Well, he was going to find out because he was giving everyone Sunday off, but he needed to make sure they’d all be back here Monday night to finish the back ramp. Once that was done and he figured out help for his father on a daily basis, he’d be able to direct a little more attention to his personal life.

  As Tyson walked toward the young couple, Joel pulled Kendall to him. Her body seemed to conform to his in a way that screamed of intimacy and brought a sharp stab of pain to Tyson’s chest, stealing away his breath. He and Roz had been like that those last few months.

  “Hi, Kendall,” Tyson called, closing the last few feet between them.

  “Hey.” She dipped her head in greeting.

  “So, good job today,” Tyson added to Joel. “We’ll pick it back up Monday night, right? Finish the back ramp?”

  “Sure.” Joel hooked an arm possessively around Kendall.

  “Sorry about the late night,” Tyson added. “I know it’s the weekend.”

  “That’s okay,” Kendall assured him. “I’ve been busy anyway. My sister’s in town.”

  “Oh, that’s good.” When he’d first employed Joel, Kendall told him that she’d reconnected with her sister, though he wasn’t clear on why they hadn’t been in contact in the first place.

  Kendall was still watching him, so Tyson forced a smile. “How is she?” He didn’t know how much he wanted to know the answer until she hesitated in her response.

  “Uh, she looks good,” Kendall said finally.

  The response alerted a warning in Tyson. “Good, huh?”

  “Well, I think she’s still sad about what happened, which is understandable. Now that I know, I’m furious at my mother for what she did.”

  “What she did?” There had bee
n so many things their mother had done.

  “Yeah. Poor Rosalyn—or Saffron, I should say. She changed her name, by the way. Anyway, being all alone like that and”—her voice lowered—“having a baby. She had it rough.”

  Having a baby, a baby, a baby. He could feel Joel and Kendall’s stares like a weight. This didn’t seem to coincide with what Tyson knew to be true. There was also a decided note of accusation in Kendall’s voice, but why would she be upset at him? He hadn’t been the one to leave and not tell him about the baby. He hadn’t decided to get an abortion without asking her.

  His anger boiled under the surface. He wanted to grab Kendall’s shoulders and shake her for more information. But this was between him and Roz. Over the years there was a lot he’d thought of saying to her if their paths ever crossed, and maybe it was time he did just that. “Is she staying at your house?”

  “My house?” Kendall laughed. “Yeah, right. Even if my mom would let her, I don’t think Saffron would ever willingly stay under the same roof as my mother. It’d be World War III, right under my nose. No, she’s staying at the Rodeway Inn with one of her foster sisters.”

  Foster sisters? This was making less sense by the minute.

  “Well, we should go,” Joel said, nudging Kendall in the direction of her car.

  Kendall took a few steps and then said over her shoulder, “You should go see her. For old time’s sake.”

  The old times hadn’t been all that great, not in the end, and Tyson suspected he should turn his back and not go down this path. But he wanted to see Roz. The need felt like the old ache that had been with him every day for three years after she’d left and he’d been sent away from home.

  “What’s her room number?” he called after Kendall.

  “It’s on my phone in the car. Joel has your number, right? I’ll text it to you.”

  Tyson could think about nothing but Roz as he finished putting away his tools. He remembered their classes together, after school clubs, and sneaking away from football practice to be with her. He’d only been on the team because his father wanted him to try out, so he cut as much as he could. He remembered sneaking food for them out of his house when they couldn’t bear to be apart, of swimming in her pool at night when her parents were out of town. It had all been quite innocent—until the middle of their junior year when her mother had forbidden him to attend her family’s Christmas celebration, and his parents had used the excuse of visiting family to exclude Roz from their traditional dinner. He and Roz had been so angry, so helpless—and so much in love. He hadn’t realized the extent of the risk until it was too late.

  “So, did you invite Jana for dinner tomorrow?” He practically jumped as his mother spoke from behind him in the garage.

  “Not yet, but she’ll come.” Though he hadn’t given up his condo since coming back to help his parents, more often than not when he had early shifts at the hospital, he crashed at Jana’s place. Before this past month, they’d usually spent Sundays at her apartment as well, just the two of them. She wouldn’t mind coming to see his parents, though. The love his mother had for Jana was mutual.

  “You seem distracted.” His mother’s dark eyebrows had a few streaks of gray in them like her hair. When had that happened?

  He straightened from storing a box of tools under a workbench. “Roz is back in town.”

  Her eyes widened and her lips pursed. “Are you going to see her?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe I want to know why she did what she did.”

  “It’s been so long. Does it really matter?”

  Maybe it shouldn’t, but somehow it did.

  Worry pinched his mother’s face, and he wished he could take it away. “Does Dad need anything before I take off?”

  “No, he’s good. In fact, I came out to tell you he’s already fallen asleep in bed in front of the television. Are you going back to Oceanside tonight?”

  “Probably. But I’ll be back tomorrow.” Tyson bent over and kissed his mother’s cheek.

  Her arms went around him in a hug. “Thank you, son. Drive safely.”

  She said this every time he left, but tonight the request was more pleading, as if she knew what he intended to do. Because it was time to find out why Roz hadn’t told him herself about the baby, and most of all why she’d chosen to end their child’s life.

  7

  Saffron watched in amazement as Joel pushed back his shaggy hair with one hand and with his other hand slapped yet another slice of pizza onto his plate. She was glad they’d come here instead of going to a more expensive restaurant because her sister’s boyfriend was apparently training for a Major League Eating competition. Saffron had invited them out to eat because it seemed the least awkward thing they could do, given that they didn’t want to go to her mother’s or to where Joel was staying. Plus, they had to eat, though she’d only been able to force down one slice of pizza.

  She kept thinking about Tyson being a doctor. What kind of doctor? she wondered. Since she’d learned he was here and about his career, the anger she’d held in check all these years had risen to the surface. He’d left her to rot while he’d gone about his life. Had he ever really cared about her? Or had he been like all the other boys who told girls what they longed to hear in order to get what they wanted?

  “Saffron?” Halla nudged her.

  “Huh?” Saffron met her gaze.

  “Kendall asked about my earrings.” Halla’s eyes darted to Saffron’s purse and back again.

  Oh, right—she’d brought a pair for Kendall. With effort, Saffron pulled herself back into the conversation. “Yeah, I made Halla’s earrings. At first I started making them for friends and family, but now I design and create all sorts of one-of-a-kind pieces to sell in boutiques and online. I have a few popular items I repeat, but most are unique in some way. Part of the fun is coming up with new ideas.” Saffron dug in her purse for the gift box that she’d put there clear back in Phoenix. “In fact, I made some for you. I forgot to give them to you earlier.”

  Kendall eagerly opened the box to reveal silver triangle bangles tipped by three square beads with the letters S I S. The tiny accent beads were a light blue and transparent. “They are so beautiful,” Kendall said, taking off her earrings and slipping on the new ones.

  “I have matching ones,” Saffron said. “I know it’s kind of hokey, but I thought—” What? That they could be like normal sisters. She cast a glance at Halla. She’d made similar ones for the original six fosters with a second tier of beads that read 1 of 6, 2 of 6, etc., depending on the order they’d come to live with Lily, and now she wondered what Halla would think of these for Kendall. Because as much as Saffron loved her foster sisters and depended on them, her childhood memories of Kendall were special too.

  Halla reached for her hand under the table, squeezing it. “Saffron’s very talented. I give away a piece of her jewelry on my blog every month to encourage readers to join the conversation, and my readers always respond super quick.”

  “So did you go to college for this?” Kendall asked.

  “I took some business classes,” Saffron said. “It’s helped a lot with setting things up and knowing how much to charge.”

  “Could you show me how to make them?” Kendall took one of her earrings back off to examine it.

  “Sure.” Saffron grinned. “I’d love to.”

  “Well, I’m about finished here,” Joel said, lifting up his drink. “Thanks for the meal.”

  “Yeah, we should all get going.” Kendall put back on her earring. “I bet you’re tired after your drive.”

  “Been a long day,” Saffron admitted. Not so much for the drive but because of the roller coaster emotions she’d experienced.

  “I know, right?” Kendall yawned. “Me too. And ever since I got pregnant, I’m so tired anyway.”

  Saffron didn’t remember that kind of exhaustion until her sister spoke. An image came of herself crashing on a park bench in Phoenix after earning a meal passing out flyers. And o
f how she’d lain on the grass with a blanket over her face during the day, so she could stay awake at night to make sure no one stole her stuff. All of that had been so long ago. Why did it suddenly seem like yesterday?

  They made their way outside, where Kendall said, “By the way, I told Tyson you were in town.”

  Something in Saffron’s chest turned over. “What did he say?”

  “Nothing, really.” Kendall glanced at Joel.

  “Looked to me like he saw a ghost,” he said with a smirk. “You two must have been some hot item. I tell you, I like the guy, but it’s weird how he stares at Kendall.”

  Kendall slugged him. “He does not.”

  “Does too. All the guys have noticed.”

  Kendall’s blush was apparent in the darkness. “Well, it’s only because I look like Saffron then.”

  “I thought he was engaged.” Halla pulled the long strap of her tiny purse over her head and settled it near her hip.

  Joel shook his head. “Not yet, but he’s got a hot girlfriend.”

  “Hey!” Kendall protested.

  Joel kissed her. “If you like older women, I mean, which I don’t.”

  Kendall laughed. “Whatever.”

  Saffron hugged Kendall goodbye. “Text me when it’s good for us to get together again.”

  “Okay, but I think I want to tell her tomorrow. My pants are already getting snug on me, and I’m eating like crazy. I think she already suspects.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised,” Saffron said. Their mother had guessed about Saffron’s pregnancy before she’d been able to confess.

  Saffron started to shake hands with Joel before he hugged her instead. He smelled like sweat and sawdust and cigarettes. Did he know that second-hand smoke was bad for babies?