Salvation's Song

by Pearl Love

  Lucille glanced vaguely in his direction, but her lips were slack and drool dribbled onto her cheek from the corner of her mouth. She moaned something incoherent, but he took it as acknowledgment.

  “Kevin, help me!” Between the two of them, they gently eased her into a sitting position.

  “Baby….”

  The word was frighteningly slurred, but Tyrell was glad to hear her speaking at all. “I’ve got you, Big Momma.”

  “Where… go….”

  “We’re taking you to the hospital,” he explained. “Okay, let’s get you on your feet.”

  Once he had her arm over his shoulder and his arm around her, he stood slowly from the bed, checking to see that Kevin was doing the same. Lucille wasn’t a big woman, but in her condition she was almost a dead weight. He’d never been so glad that his brother was nearly as tall as he was.

  Jeremy came back into the room. “I found them.” He dangled a set of keys in his fingers. “Do you need help?”

  “No, we’ve got her,” Tyrell replied. “Grab her shoes.” He glanced toward the pair of slippers sitting beside the bed, and Jeremy picked them up.

  It took far longer than he would have preferred, but eventually they managed to get downstairs. Fortunately, Lucille perked up enough that he was less afraid that she’d fall.

  “Which car?”

  “The tan Chevy Caprice.”

  Jeremy looked around for a moment, and then took off in the direction of the car. By the time Tyrell and Kevin reached the edge of the sidewalk with Lucille in tow, he had pulled up and was waiting for them.

  “University of Chicago is closest,” Tyrell said. “Go south on Dorchester and then turn right on 59th.”

  “Got it.”

  Jeremy drove fast, but he was clearly very competent. Tyrell and Kevin had maneuvered Lucille into the backseat, and they bracketed her to keep her secure. Fortune and the traffic lights were with them, and Jeremy pulled into the driveway of the emergency entrance a mere four minutes later.

  “Stay here,” Tyrell instructed. “I’ll get help.” He pressed a kiss to his grandmother’s cheek, wincing at the doughy feel of her skin. “You’ll be okay, Big Momma.” He gave her hand a tight squeeze and then darted out of the car, running for the door at top speed.

  The triage nurse looked up from her desk when Tyrell burst into the waiting room. He made a beeline for her.

  “Please, my grandmother is really sick. She’s outside in the car.”

  “What are her symptoms?” the nurse asked calmly.

  “How the fuck should I know?” Tyrell took a deep breath when the nurse stared at him unperturbed at his outburst. “She can hardly walk, and she’s slurring her words. Her mouth is slack.”

  The nurse grabbed the phone on her desk. “Emergency team needed immediately in receiving. Possible stroke victim.” She hung up and smiled kindly at Tyrell. “Don’t worry, son. We’ll get her in right away.”

  Tyrell nodded before turning to head back outside. A team consisting of a woman in a white lab coat and another woman and a man wearing nurses’ scrubs came toward him wheeling a gurney.

  “There,” he said, pointing them toward the Chevy.

  Jeremy had opened the back door in anticipation of their arrival, and the nurses carefully pulled Lucille from the backseat and got her up on the gurney.

  “What’s her name?” the doctor asked.

  “Lucille Wallis,” Tyrell answered. “She’s sixty-eight.”

  “Has she ever had a stroke before?”

  “No. My mom—her daughter—is on her way here.”

  The doctor nodded. “Stay here in the waiting room, and I’ll come back as soon as I can to speak with you and your mother.”

  Tyrell watched helplessly as the team rushed Lucille down a corridor and through a pair of swinging double doors. Someone grabbed his hand, and he looked over to see Kevin clutching him like he used to do when he was small.

  “Is she gonna be okay?” he said in a scared little voice.

  Tyrell wrapped an arm around his thin shoulders. “I hope so. Come on,” he said, pulling Kevin in the direction of a bank of chairs.

  Jeremy found them as soon as he returned from parking the car. They sat huddled together for about fifteen minutes before Joanne arrived. She spotted them instantly and headed toward them as Tyrell stood to meet her.

  “Where is she?” Joanne asked, out of breath.

  “Still in with the doctors.”

  Joanne was ashen beneath her medium-brown complexion. “I told her she has to remember to take her pressure medicine.”

  “She does, Mama,” Tyrell said confidently. The three of them had accepted the responsibility of making sure Lucille took her various pills on time since she had a difficult time doing so on her own.

  “Is Reverend Thomas here yet?” Joanne was clasping her hands together so tightly Tyrell worried she’d hurt herself.

  “No.” Tyrell knew his mother would feel better once her pastor had arrived, so he tried for her sake not to get angry all over again. “Why don’t you sit with us? The doctor said she’d come talk to us when she could.”

  Joanne looked over toward where Tyrell pointed and reared back as she finally noticed Jeremy. “What is he doing here?” she hissed. “Damn it, boy, were you seeing him behind my back?”

  Jeremy walked over and stopped next to Tyrell, who grabbed his hand. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Hughes—” Jeremy began before Tyrell cut him off.

  “Jeremy is the one who drove us here,” Tyrell said, gazing intently at Joanne’s angry face. “If not for him, we wouldn’t have gotten Big Momma here so quickly.”

  She blinked at that and stared at Jeremy. “W-what about the ambulance?”

  “There was an accident near the house,” Tyrell explained. “It would have taken them too long to get there.”

  Joanne slumped as though all the air had gone out of her. Her brown eyes glistened with tears. “My Lord, my Lord.” She sniffed and looked down at her clasped hands for a moment, clearly undergoing an intense internal struggle. She was silent for so long, Tyrell braced for her to go full nuclear. Then, without warning, she grabbed Jeremy and pulled him to her in a tight hug. “Thank you so much. Bless you.”

  Jeremy looked uncertain as he glanced up at Tyrell, but he carefully wrapped his arms around her back and returned her embrace. “You’re welcome.”

  Tyrell stared at his mother and Jeremy in shock, uncertain if what he was seeing was real or merely a product of his deepest wishes. The doctor chose that moment to appear. Her face was grim as she came toward them, assuring Tyrell he wasn’t dreaming.

  “You’re Lucille’s daughter?”

  Joanne moved away from Jeremy and nodded at the doctor. “Yes. How is she?”

  “She’s had a stroke, but we ran some tests, and it could have been much worse. We’ll need to keep her here for observation, but right now she’s out of any immediate danger. It’s good your son got her here as quickly as he did.” The doctor smiled reassuringly. “Would you like to see her?”

  “Y-Yes,” Joanne replied, her voice shaking with emotion. “Can the boys come?”

  “Sure, so long as everyone keeps their voices down.” The doctor turned and headed down the hall.

  “Let’s go.” Joanne turned to look at them. “You too, Jeremy. You saved my mother’s life.”

  Jeremy had been hanging back, and he blinked at her in surprise before grinning broadly. “Okay.”

  Tyrell knew in that moment that his mother had completely forgiven both of them. His mother had obviously decided that her distaste for Jeremy was meaningless in the face of her mother’s well-being. Or maybe she thought God had worked through him. Either way, he was relieved beyond measure. The fear that had gripped his heart since he’d heard Kevin scream finally began to fade. He took hold of Jeremy’s hand and together, they walked behind Joanne and Kevin toward the patient rooms.

  “It’ll be all right,” Jeremy said softly.

  “Yeah,�
� Tyrell replied, feeling confident that Jeremy spoke the truth.

  Chapter THIRTY-ONE

  “YOU GUYS have everything you need?” Joanne fussed with her coat, glancing around as though to make sure she wasn’t leaving something undone.

  Tyrell nodded and glanced meaningfully at Jeremy before handing his mother her purse. “Yes, we’ll be fine.”

  “Okay.” Joanne smiled distractedly. “Call me if you need anything. Mom, are you ready?”

  “Yes, Joanie baby. I’m coming.” Lucille shuffled into the room. She was using a cane and moved slowly, but she looked better than she had at any point in the two weeks she’d been home from the hospital.

  Jeremy rushed to her side. “Can I give you an arm, my lady?”

  Lucille giggled like a teenager. “Oh, go on with you.” She took his arm despite her protests, and leaned on him as he escorted her to the door.

  Tyrell was grinning as he watched them. “You have fun, Big Momma.”

  Joanne had promised to take Lucille to see a new play that had come out featuring one of the top gospel singers in the country. Nearly the entire church, many of whom were medical professionals, would be at the theater, so there would be plenty of people on hand to help Lucille if necessary.

  Jeremy raised Lucille’s hand to his lips and kissed it before letting her go. “I hope you enjoy the show.”

  “I’m sure I will.” Lucille smiled up at him and patted his cheek before glancing at her grandson. “Enjoy your afternoon, boys.”

  Jeremy felt his face warm before telling himself she couldn’t have possibly meant anything by that. Thanksgiving had been two days ago, and Jeremy had spent much of the school break hanging out at Tyrell’s. Joanne was still a little reserved around him, clearly not completely comfortable with his and Tyrell’s relationship, though she was trying. He and Lucille, however, had grown quite close during his visits, and he’d discovered she was an awful tease, finding much joy in his and her grandson’s budding romance.

  “You’re going to Kevin’s game, aren’t you?” Joanne asked. “I don’t know what that coach of theirs is thinking having an outdoors match in this weather.”

  “Because he’s a sadist, and yes,” Tyrell answered. “The game doesn’t start for another hour and a half. We’ll head over there in time.” He’d explained to Jeremy that the local championship was later than the normal season to accommodate the schedule of the playing field. Many teams competed, and space was always at a premium. Kevin had left over an hour earlier to get to the field for his team’s pregame warm-up.

  “Good. Kevin would be disappointed if at least one of us wasn’t there. Here, Mama.” Joanne helped Lucille with her coat.

  “We wouldn’t miss it for the world, Mrs. Hughes.”

  If Joanne’s smile was slightly reticent when she nodded at him in response, he couldn’t tell. Despite any lingering concerns she may have had, the change in her attitude since he’d helped get Lucille to the hospital had been nothing short of a miracle. While she hadn’t apologized outright, he was fairly certain she’d stopped thinking of him as a bad influence on Tyrell.

  “You can talk all the talk in the world,” Monica had said when he’d told her about the shift in Joanne’s opinion of him. “But when it comes down to it, it’s what’s in your heart and in your deeds that truly counts. I’m glad Tyrell’s mother finally realized that.”

  Jeremy smiled at the memory and watched as Joanne and Lucille finished getting ready to leave. Tyrell pressed a final kiss to his grandmother’s cheek before Joanne hustled her out the door.

  “She looks fantastic,” Jeremy said once Tyrell had closed it behind them. “What did the doctor say on her follow-up visit?”

  “That fortunately there’s no residual damage in her brain tissue from the stroke.” Tyrell shook his head. “The doctor seemed somewhat surprised by her test results, but I’m just glad she’s back to normal. Or normal for her at any rate.”

  Both of Jeremy’s grandmothers had passed away when he was young, and he’d come to adore Lucille as though she were his own grandparent. He was glad Tyrell was so willing to share her with him. “That’s good to hear,” he said. “Did you want to drill for that American History midterm we have next week until it’s time to leave for the game?” Both he and Tyrell had the same teacher for that class, who had kindly warned all of his students to get ready for what he promised would be a “doozy of a test.”

  Tyrell stared at him incredulously. “For the first time ever, we’re completely alone in a place with not one, but four beds. Hell no, I don’t want to study!”

  Jeremy laughed. “I am not making out with you in your mother’s bedroom.”

  Tyrell sighed, sounding very put upon. “Fine, then. Will my room do?”

  It would, but Jeremy tried to exert some self-restraint. “Come on. An upperclassman in band who took American History with Mr. Peters before said the test was a real bitch. We should study.”

  After more grumbling, Tyrell agreed. They settled in his room with their books. When Tyrell sat on his bed, Jeremy had considered taking the desk for the sake of prudence, but Tyrell had dragged him over to sit beside him. Tyrell put on a Coltrane CD he’d found in Lucille’s collection, turning the volume low so it wasn’t distracting.

  “I made flash cards,” Jeremy said as he fished them out of his bag.

  Tyrell smirked. “Of course you did, dork.” He nimbly avoided Jeremy’s playful swipe at his head. “Here, let’s split the pile.”

  Jeremy handed him half of the cards. “Let’s see,” he mumbled as he shuffled through his stack. “Okay, this is an easy one. What was the name for the American colonists’ protest against high taxes on tea and when did it occur?”

  “The Boston Tea Party,” Tyrell replied confidently. “When was it?” He looked up at the ceiling. “Um, 1774?”

  “Close—1773.” Jeremy nodded at the index cards in Tyrell’s hand. “Your turn.”

  Tyrell flipped through a few of them before choosing one. “Okay here. What was the name of the mercenaries the British hired to fight the colonists?”

  “Hessians, right?”

  Tyrell stuck his tongue out, drawing a giggle from Jeremy. “All right, smarty-pants. But do you know how they got that name?”

  “Uh….” Jeremy thought hard for a moment before admitting defeat. “No. How?”

  “Because they came primarily from the German state of Hesse-Cassel.”

  Jeremy frowned. “German state? Not Prussian?”

  “That’s what it says on the card.”

  “Ugh.” Jeremy banged his head against the headboard. “Why do I need to know European history for an American history test? Anyway, here’s another one.”

  They continued trading questions back and forth, trying to stump each other. During that time, they somehow ended up rearranged so they were sitting closely together side by side. Jeremy tried to concentrate, wanting to do well on the upcoming test, but it was difficult with Tyrell being so near. They managed to keep their hands off each other for nearly forty minutes before their efforts went up in a flash of hormonal smoke.

  Later he wouldn’t be able to recall who started it. His foot had brushed up against Tyrell’s when he was reaching for a book. Tyrell’s hand covered his briefly as he reached for a pencil. Next thing he knew, all of their study materials were strewn on the floor next to the bed, and he and Tyrell were far more pleasantly engaged in examining each other.

  “What about the test?” he gasped as Tyrell rolled on top of him and went straight for his zipper. He spread his legs apart, and groaned as Tyrell fit himself neatly against his groin.

  “We’ll study more after,” Tyrell replied in a succinct growl.

  “Mmmm,” he answered as Tyrell’s tongue slipped past his lips, completely content with that decision.

  In the weeks since Tyrell’s mother had come to accept their relationship, they’d spent as much time together as possible. While they didn’t neglect their training as Singer
s, they didn’t fail to take advantage of the fact that both their families accepted they were dating. Tyrell had finally come to his place the previous weekend to meet his parents in a less formal setting than the vice principal’s office. Monica and Feliks had been very gracious hosts, but their insistence on not leaving while Tyrell was there made getting intimate nearly impossible, even when they’d retreated to his room for some alone time. Then Irina had come over for an early dinner with her young daughter in tow, and the day was a complete bust in the making-out department.

  But now they were finally by themselves, and since they’d all but given up on studying for the time being, Jeremy had no intention of wasting this precious opportunity. Ever since learning that Tyrell returned his feelings, his desire to be with him in every possible way had gone from a slow burn to a raging inferno. One that Tyrell seemed more than happy to stoke whenever possible with sexy grins, casual touches, and clandestine kisses in whatever secret corner of school they could find.

  Beyond the normal attraction they had for each other as boyfriends, their abilities as Singers made their connection all the more intense. Every touch was like a symphony, filling the space between them with music and making the air around them shimmer with their power.

  This time was no different. Jeremy moaned when Tyrell cupped his palm over the hard bulge beneath the white cotton of his shorts and moved his hips in time with the kneading motion of Tyrell’s fingers. He could already hear the ethereal notes of their unique song in his head, drowning out the more pedestrian music coming from the stereo.

  “Wait,” Jeremy breathed. “Let me….”

  Tyrell lifted up just enough so Jeremy could slide his hands up until Tyrell’s shirt was bunched below his arms. Although Tyrell didn’t play any sports, he was fit and lean, with prominent muscles that shifted smoothly under Jeremy’s greedy fingers.

  “I want you naked.”

  Tyrell’s voice was a low rumble that Jeremy could feel where their chests were pressed together. He nodded mutely, unable to speak past the lump of need and nerves that had lodged in his throat. When he’d started at Winton Yowell, he’d never imagined he would find someone to love, let alone someone as amazing as Tyrell. It seemed the universe was finally letting him have a win, and he was determined not to squander this precious gift.