by Orren Merton
“Oh,” Emma shrugged.
“I think it’s weird too,” I told Emma. She nodded back.
“Here you go.” Linda put a tall glass of iced tea—heavy on the ice—in front of me.
I closed my eyes and took a sip, relishing the slight sting of the frozen cubes against my lips, the flavor of the tea, the feeling of a truly cold liquid sliding down my throat for the first time in months.
“Ahh,” I breathed, a huge ear-to-ear grin on my face. “This hit the spot so much.”
“I’m so glad,” Linda chuckled, clearly amused at how much I was enjoying the tea. Then one by one, she brought over dishes filed with baked chicken pieces, a bowl of fingerling potatoes, and a final bowl of steamed baby carrots.
“Please, Alex, if you decide that you want a bite, I’d love to get you a plate,” Linda said as she took her seat.
“I’ll let you know, thanks for the offer,” I answered.
“You’ll definitely want dessert,” Rachel added, a wry grin on her face.
“Okay…” I replied with a bit of a quizzical expression. “Maybe I’ll have some desert, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course not,” Linda jumped in. “We—”
“Shhhhh!” Rachel held her finger to her lips.
“Okay,” Linda laughed. “I’m apparently to keep dessert a secret.”
I looked at Rachel and playfully raised my eyebrows. She shot back a sly smile, saying nothing. I thought I knew what it might be, and I was pretty excited.
“So you’re all right now?” Steve asked after he’d piled his plate full of food. “After the attack on you and Rachel, I mean?”
“I am, thank you,” I answered. “I’ve healed completely.”
“And Rachel mentioned you’d never met your dad and brother before?” Linda prompted.
“Yeah, this was the first time,” I said. “My mom really…I never saw that side of the family growing up. But she…um…she left me Dad’s number.”
Steve nodded. “It’s a good thing you’d called him when you did.”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “He and my brother saved our lives.”
“So how was the family reunion?” Rachel asked between bites. “Good?”
“Yeah…” I said slowly. “It was way different than I thought it would be, but it was good.”
Rachel nodded and kept eating.
“Well, your brother Garth seemed like a nice young man,” Linda said as she finished a forkful of chicken. “A little formal in his speech maybe, but kind.”
“I think he is. They both are, my dad and brother. After what my mom had told me about them, I was afraid to meet them. And she wasn’t wrong about them being really weird, but they’re honest people who mean well, too.”
“And they were good to you?” Rachel asked.
“Yes,” I assured her. “My brother gave me a hard time, but it was worth it. I’ll definitely keep up with them.”
“That’s awesome,” Rachel said.
“That’s what brothers are for,” Steve chuckled. “We give our little sisters grief. But we mean well.”
“You have a sister?” I asked.
“I do,” he nodded. “And she’s a sweetheart.”
“Speaking of sisters,” Linda jumped in. “So you two…you’re not blood relatives, right?”
Rachel turned to me.
How could I explain a relationship that I barely understood myself? “I…Rachel was Rabbi Norman Hirsch’s foster daughter. And after my mother died…he…well, he sorta fostered me, too. He took me in, before he was killed. So I guess we sort of feel like foster sisters, you know?”
I looked at Rachel. She nodded enthusiastically. I immediately felt better.
Linda smiled and nodded. I was relieved she accepted that answer; I didn’t know how else to explain it.
“Speaking of your rabbi, we’re deeply saddened by what happened,” Steve said after washing down his food with some water. “What a terrible tragedy. A bear attack, here in Orange County?”
I nodded slowly, trying to think carefully of what to say to them about this.
“And on the same day that you two were attacked by dogs,” Linda added.
“Dogs?” I asked.
“That’s what Rachel told the police, two dogs and a bald man,” Linda said, turning to Rachel.
Rachel turned to me.
I turned to her and nodded, then back to Linda. “I was so scared, I’m sure she got a much better look than I did. I just remember muzzles and teeth, really.”
“It’s made the local news. Is there some sort of killer-animal breeding program going on around here? Is this a hate crime? Nobody’s sure.”
“A hate crime?” I shook my head. “I don’t think we were targeted because of religion…”
“But you do think the three of you were targeted?” Steve asked.
I nodded. “We all lived under the same roof…it can’t be a coincidence that we were all attacked on the same day.”
Steve nodded. Clearly he agreed.
“But why?” Linda asked.
“I have no idea,” I lied.
“But I want to find out,” I added truthfully.
I turned to Rachel. I hoped my expression told her that I knew more than I could say openly at the table. The way Rachel looked back at me, I think she understood.
“Speaking of the rabbi, do you still have anything at his house? I believe they’ve got it locked up as part of their investigation right now, but the police were great about bringing all of Rachel’s belongings over here.”
“No, everything I had at the rabbi’s was in those two cases I have with me. My brother got them for me while I was recuperating,” I said. “But tomorrow, I’ll go to the police anyway.”
“Good idea. Smart,” Steve nodded. “Give them your report. It can only help find whoever’s behind this.”
“Do you know what’s happening to Rabbi Hirsch’s house,” I asked.
“The social worker told us that he is survived by his older brother,” Steve answered. “I think his plan is to sell the house and give any proceeds to the rabbi’s synagogue.”
“That sounds nice.” I turned to Rachel. “It’s too bad that foster children—”
“I don’t want it,” Rachel said flatly, looking down at her plate.
I nodded and caressed Rachel’s arm. I knew the feeling. Too much, too painful. I wasn’t really looking forward to going home tonight, either.
“Sorry…” I whispered to her, as softly as I could.
Still looking down at her plate, she turned slightly to me with the tiniest little nod. It was enough.
“Speaking of money,” Steve said, shifting in his seat as he reached into his pocket. “These are for you.”
He pulled out his wallet and opened it, pulling out three bills. “Garth insisted on leaving money for any of Rachel’s expenses, and he left a crazy amount.” He then put the bills in front of me.
I looked at them and immediately started laughing and shaking my head. Garz had left three one-thousand-dollar bills.
“He told you that they—we—were rich, right? When he told me that he left you some cash, he didn’t even remember how much!”
“It was a very warm—and responsible—gesture, but there’s no way we’d accept this kind of money,” Linda said. “We’re only too happy to take Rachel in; she’s been a friend of this family for years now, and we adore her. We’re comfortable enough to handle any extra expenses.”
Rachel looked up and turned to Emma and Linda, both of whom had the same affectionate smile.
“So…um…how long can Rachel…” I was a bit nervous about broaching the subject, but I wanted to know.
“We already put in with the county to foster her,” Steve said. “Her social worker has started the process and forwarded us all the relevant information and forms. She seems pretty confident that Rachel will never spend another day in a foster home.”
I breathed a huge sigh of relief and turned to Rachel
. She returned a thin, tight smile, but I could see the sadness behind her eyes.
“You guys should keep the money,” I said. “Like Garth said, they don’t need it—and I don’t either. But if you really don’t want it, I think we should put it away for Rachel.”
Rachel turned to me and raised her eyebrows.
“That’s an excellent idea,” Steve said. “We can use this as seed money for a trust for you, Rachel. By the time you’re ready to go to college—”
“It will cover one of your textbooks,” I cracked.
“So true!” Linda laughed.
“Here, let’s clear the plates,” Linda said. “Emma, Rachel, do you want to help me with dessert?”
“Yeah!” both girls practically shouted, grabbing their plates and nearly dashing into the kitchen. Linda laughed and followed them.
“As you can imagine, Rachel was beyond broken hearted when she arrived here,” Steve said as the others were busy in the kitchen. “We’ve tried to make her comfortable, while giving her room to grieve. The only thing that would raise her spirits was talking about seeing you again, and how she had to have this special dessert for you.”
“Really?” I was trying not to look excited…but I was.
“Really!” Rachel grinned, her smile practically leaping off her face and kissing my cheek. In her hand she held a bowl containing three scoops of ice cream with a spoon stuck into the middle scoop.
“Oh my God!” I exclaimed, nearly leaping out of my seat. My own smile matched Rachel’s. She carefully placed the bowl in front of me with great fanfare, beaming the whole time.
Linda came back with a bowl for herself and her husband, while Emma carried bowls for Rachel and herself.
“The first scoop is caramel-vanilla, the middle scoop is chocolate, and the last scoop is strawberry,” Rachel said. “I made the strawberry for you.”
“You did?”
She nodded vigorously, her lips tight in a proud grin.
“We make our own ice cream in this house,” Linda explained, “Rachel and Emma both pitched in. Rachel insisted that only ice cream would do to welcome you back.”
“Thank you so much…I really can’t tell you how much I’ve wanted ice cream!”
When everyone was seated I removed my spoon and skimmed the tops of all three scoops, creating one heaping spoonful of all the flavors. I put the spoon in my mouth. I closed my eyes and removed the spoon, letting the ice cream rest on my tongue for a moment. The sweetness of the caramel, vanilla, and chocolate melted together with the tartness of the strawberry flavor perfectly. The texture of the cold, soft, creamy dessert in my mouth was as amazing as the explosion of flavors. I swirled the quickly melting ice cream around my tongue, letting it bathe my mouth before I swallowed. I opened my eyes with a huge smile.
“This. Is. So. Delicious!” I breathed.
Rachel was so thrilled she was practically glowing.
Emma laughed at me.
Linda and Steve smiled indulgently, just thinking I was being cute.
“Seriously, I love ice cream, it’s been so long—the rabbi didn’t keep dairy products in his house, you see—this is perfect!” I said between spoonfuls.
“I’m so glad,” Linda said, giggling quietly to herself. “Ice cream is my favorite dessert. Great ice cream can be as good as…” she stopped herself and smiled guiltily as she took another spoonful.
“Gross mom!” Emma said. “Eww!”
Linda tried to tighten her lips to keep from chuckling.
Steve just shook his head, trying to suppress a grin of his own.
“Oh, that reminds me,” Rachel turned to me. “I picked your phone off the ground and took it with me that night. And I texted him for you…” she trailed off with a sly grin.
“There’s a him?” Linda teased.
“I…yes,” I blushed. “I think so. We just started seeing each other before the attack. I’m looking forward to seeing him soon.”
“Was he worried?” I asked Rachel.
“Yup, but I told him you were going to be fine, and you’d get in touch with him as soon as you could.”
“Thanks, Rachel,” I said.
“Are you going to see him tonight?” Emma asked.
“I…my plans tonight aren’t really made yet,” I admitted. “I’m not sure I’m up to it…two emotional reunions in one evening is a lot…besides I…”
“You want to get all cute for him!” Rachel teased.
I shrugged my shoulders with a guilty smile, and kept eating my ice cream.
After I finished, Linda grabbed all the bowls and walked into the kitchen.
“How about we all sit in the living room for a bit?” Steve said.
The three of us got up. Rachel and Emma walked ahead and plopped down on a large white couch. Rachel patted the cushion next to her. I sat down next to her, and she leaned her head against my shoulder. Bonnie jumped up on Emma’s lap.
Steve sat down in a smaller love-seat, and in a moment Linda walked out of the kitchen and sat down next to her husband.
“Why don’t you just relax here tonight?” Linda offered. “You and Rachel can catch up this evening, and you can rendezvous with your friend tomorrow.”
“Thanks—but are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Of course not. Besides, I’m sure Rachel would love you to stay.”
Rachel smiled and nodded.
“Okay,” I agreed. “Is there a certain time I should leave by?”
“The offer was to stay overnight,” Steve said. “Our daughter is away at college and her room is open.”
“Would she mind? I mean, if she’s still got her stuff in her room, I don’t know if she’d like another girl in all her things, you know?”
“She’s a sweetheart,” Steve smiled. “I know she won’t mind. Here, I’ll ask.” He pulled out his phone and started swiping and typing.
“Trust me,” Linda reassured me. “Jill is all about taking care of others. She’d be thrilled. Really, you don’t need to feel awkward or shy about spending the night in her room.”
Wait…Jill? Jake had mentioned his friend—
Steve suddenly broke out in uproarious laughter. “Here…I can’t keep up…I’m just going to let you all read this,” he said.
The texts were coming in so fast each message block was pushed off screen before I’d read it. I leaned in and scrolled up to read the whole conversation.
Steve: Hiya Jill. May Rachel’s sister Alexandra spend the night in your room?
Jill: Alex? Jake’s crush Alex? Of course she can stay!
Jill: She can stay as long as she wants!
Jill: Tell her there are clean sheets in my closet.
Jill: If she wants to use any of my shampoo and conditioner it’s in the hall bathroom under the sink.
Jill: And tell her to call Jake immediately!! He is so worried about her! She is the only thing on his mind right now!!
I couldn’t help but smile. What more proof did I need?
“May I?” I asked Steve, reaching for his phone.
“Absolutely, be my guest,” Steve replied, handing me the phone.
I responded:
Hi Jillian this is Alex. Thank you! I’ll get in touch with Jake tonight and see him tomorrow.
Jillian was obviously an accomplished texter; I had to carefully hunt and peck for every letter, but her responses just popped right on the screen:
Jill: Hi Alex! I’ve heard so much about you! I can’t wait to meet you when I’m back home!
Jill: Or you can come up sometime with Jake, that would be great too!
Jill: Hey do you need any clothes? Anything in my closet is yours if you do!
Jill: I’m taller than you from what Jake says but I still have some black girlie stuff from 5 years ago that might fit.
I laughed, then responded:
I think I’m okay for clothes. Thanks though! I appreciate this. Yeah we should meet sometime. Going to text Jake now.
Jill answered with a
few more texts:
Jill: Okay great. Say hi from me.
Jill: Jake is the best. There isn’t a mean bone in his body and he’s the most honest guy in the world (sorry dad).
Jill: Bye for now. I’m really glad you’re okay Alex. I was worried about you too.
I almost teared up again when I read that. She didn’t even know me, but she still worried?
“Okay, I’ll stay,” I said as I handed Steve back his phone.
“I better talk to Jake now,” I said to Rachel.
“Your phone is in Emma’s room. She has two beds; I’ve been staying with her. Do you want to go to Jill’s room and you can talk to me about your dad?” Rachel asked expectantly.
“That sounds great, Rachel,” I smiled. “Do you all mind?” I asked the Kelleys.
“Not at all,” Linda shook her head. “Take all the time you want. We’ll be watching TV and otherwise being lazy out here.”
“Being lazy sounds great,” I breathed. “That’s my speed about now.”
“Let’s get your phone,” Rachel said as she rose and led me out of the living room and up the staircase to the bedrooms.
When we were out of earshot of the Kelleys Rachel turned to me. “So what happened to you in their world?”
“So much…” I shook my head. “I have so much to tell you…”
28
Rachel and I spent half the night locked in Jillian’s room talking. I told her everything. What Sediin was like. What my family was like. Everything that happened to me. Everything I did. Everyone I met.
And I didn’t just talk. I showed her how I could access my full Sedu self. I showed her my Sedu blade blessed with Greater Sedu flame. I showed her that I’m still Alex, but I’m the firebird, too—the Lady Firebird.
Rachel was completely enthralled and excited by it all. She started calling me Firebird Alex, which I thought sounded really cool. She gushed how she wished she could have been there, that she wished she had some family in Sediin. I told her how I wished she could have been there with me too, and how I was so glad to be back.
A few times, when I’d catch Rachel’s enthusiastic bounce, the deep affection for me so obvious in her eyes and smile, I had to look away so I didn’t start crying again. I missed her so much. Somehow, being back in Orange County and telling Rachel about my experiences almost made Sediin feel like a fairy tale, except one that I remembered living through. But it never felt distant from me. I knew that Sediin was never far; it was always just one swipe of my blade away.