Jamb (The Cornerstone Series)

by Misty Provencher

  “Should’ve seen that coming,” he says, stepping inside. I follow him. “Zaneen’s always a wild card.”

  “Wild with you?”

  “No,” he laughs, shutting the door and dragging me into his arms. “That’s Zane’s sister. It’d be like making out with my sister.”

  He shivers and it’s my turn to laugh.

  “I am so glad,” I say, going on tiptoes so I can kiss his forehead, “that you are mine.”

  ***

  The next morning, Garrett is at my door before breakfast. I’m rubbing my hair with a towel when I unlatch the door for him.

  “Did you sleep?” I ask, because it doesn’t look like he did. As I suspect, he shakes his head as he steps inside.

  “I was up a few times with Brandon. And Milo has nightmares.”

  “How’s Brandon?”

  “Better, but his knee is healing really slow,” Garrett says as he follows me into the kitchen. I fill mugs from the special sink spigot that gushes boiling water, and drop in tea bags. The tea is growing on me, but my favorite part is still when all the tea is gone and I can rip open our bags. I dump the tea leaves in the bottom of our cups and watch them form perfectly matched, mirror images of sharp gear flowers. Garrett laughs every time I do it, but he always looks into the cups too and smiles. “Did you eat yet?”

  I shake my head and Garrett rifles the cabinets until he finds a container of oatmeal. He pours oats and almond milk into a pot he places on the stove. I lean a hip on the counter and watch.

  I think my favorite thing in the world is watching Garrett move. The way the muscles in his arms flex and fade, the way the edges of his hair drop into the carved hollows of his cheeks before he shakes it back. I hold in a happy sigh as I watch his hands, broad and strong.

  I get lost for a minute, thinking of his hands when they are on my face, in my hair, moving over my skin. My mind drifts back to Binding and how we’ll be sleeping in the same bed, connected by a three foot zip line. I’m thrilled and terrified.

  He looks up at me twice and I blush when he catches me staring at him, but he smiles and goes back to stirring. He’s told me that he likes how I watch him, when I think he doesn’t notice. But I know now that Garrett always notices me noticing him.

  He pulls the oatmeal off the stove just as Sean taps on the sliding glass door. Teagan is standing behind him, cuddling Gra…the baby. Garrett waves for them to come in.

  “Mind if we join you?” Sean asks.

  “You want oatmeal?” I say.

  “Nah, we already ate,” he says. We all take a seat at the small table and I notice the dark circles under Sean’s eyes, but he still looks happier than I’ve ever seen him.

  “Baby keeping you up?” I ask.

  “Yeah,” Sean beams. “I get up just to watch her sleep. She only wakes up to eat and to be changed. She’s amazing.”

  While Garrett and I eat, Sean and Teagan fill us in on the baby’s eating schedule, sleeping schedule, pooping schedule, peeing schedule, cooing schedule. They try to describe the exact sounds she makes for at least twenty minutes. Then they discuss, at length, the baby’s diapers and how much the diapers do and don’t hold, and what happens (in detail) when they do and don’t hold it. The two of them get into such a deep discussion about checking in storage for a different brand of diapers that I switch over to watching Garrett blow on his oatmeal for entertainment. I follow his eyes as they tap between his brother and his new sister-in-law. It only takes a second for him to notice me watching and we grin at each other.

  “Oh, you guys don’t want to hear about this stuff,” Sean says when he notices us.

  “Not until you have a baby,” Teagan says. “Then you’ll see. Then it’s all you’ll ever talk about.”

  “It’s nice to see you two making this work,” Garrett waves his spoon between them. “And Sean, you’re a natural.”

  “I like to think so.” Sean brushes his fingernails on his shirt. “So how’s Brandon doing?”

  “You haven’t been in to see him?”

  “No.” I catch the glimpse between Sean and Teagan. “I think Mom’s being a little unreasonable with all this family privacy.”

  “She’s just worried about Mark and she’s got a ton on her shoulders right now. I wouldn’t take it personal.”

  “But she lets you in,” Teagan says to me, “and you’re not even Bound to Garrett.”

  “It’s only because I’m Contego,” I say.

  “No, Nalena is family too,” Sean says. “But that’s not the problem. The problem is that no matter how we ended up this way, I’m still her son and you’re my wife now. She needs to accept it.”

  “I think she was shocked, but I don’t think she’s trying to shut you out,” Garrett says. I see the alarm in his eyes, like he is trying to snuff the burning end of Sean’s worry before it snakes back to the source and explodes in full-blown anger. Garrett’s told me how Sean had once felt alienated because he was the oldest and the only brother who ended up being Simple. This Addoship meant that Sean had finally found a way to fit into the Ianua for real and when his mother closed the door on him and his new wife, I think it put Sean right back where he was before. “She’s just trying to be safe and get things back on track.”

  “Safe. Because she can’t trust me,” Teagan says. “I’m Simple. What does she think I could do to her?”

  It’s not an attack, but a sincere question. And it’s one with an answer that will still sound like an attack, no matter how it is explained. I look across the table at Garrett. He pushes away his oatmeal and although his face doesn’t show what’s happening in his head, his eyes give him away to me. He’s struggling to give Teagan an answer too.

  “She’s just freaked out,” I say and Teagan’s eyes dart to me.

  “Because of me? Because I married Sean or because we have a baby?”

  “No, no,” I say softly. “I don’t think it’s anything to do with you at all. She just lost her husband and one of her boys is missing and one of them came back a mess. It’s a lot to handle. And you know how bad things are…your dad is a Procella…everyone’s being careful.”

  “The Curas are falling apart, and this is why,” Teagan says just as softly. She pats the baby as she speaks. “We need to trust one another. I’m her family now. If anyone needs to bond together, it’s family.”

  “Exactly,” Sean says and I’m a little surprised. Sean’s the Fort Knox of common sense and what’s he saying makes it sound like his bank’s been cleaned right out. The truth is, Teagan’s been family for less than 24 hours. I don’t think Mrs. Reese has even had time to process the shock that her oldest is now married and that she’s a grandma, let alone throw open the doors on the Ianua’s vault of secrets.

  Garrett says it first, in his thick, gentle voice that rubs your back as it says what you don’t want to hear. “I don’t think it’s got anything to do with whether or not you’re family, Teagan. I think it has to do with you being Simple.”

  “I’m Simple,” Sean shrugs and for the first time in history, I see a flash of anger dart across his face. He struggles to keep it from spreading. “I’m Simple and I’m training to be your Addo.”

  “You are,” Garrett nods, trying to contain his own flash. “But your wife isn’t and you know the Simple are usually kept out of most of the community business. You know it’s not an insult. It’s just to minimize risks to everyone.”

  “There aren’t any rules for Simple Addos with Simple wives, because it’s never happened before,” Sean counters. “So there needs to be new rules. Teagan is my wife and she’s right. Our community needs to bond with us, not treat us like outcasts.”

  “She’s been your wife for a day.”

  “And I’ve known her for years.”

  “It was a long distance relationship. On the computer.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Yeah, what does that mean?” Teagan says, her eyelashes pressed closed. Garrett ignores her.

>   “Come on, Sean. You know I’m not trying to kick dirt on you. All I’m saying is that a long distance relationship isn’t the same as…”

  “As what you and Nalena have? The perfect world of matching tea leaves and black eyes?” Unlike Garrett, Sean’s body doesn’t relax when he’s getting worked up. Instead, Sean sits on the edge of his chair, muscles tense and the little zip line of rope hisses between he and Teagan as he folds his hands tightly in front of him. “You’re right, Garrett, I’m not Ianua. I’ve actually got to figure out who my perfect match is all on my own. And what’s really disgusting is that I have figured it out, but since there aren’t any tea leaves to prove it, it can’t be real to any of you.”

  “No one’s saying that.”

  “No, what everyone is saying is that I can be trusted to be the next Addo, but I can’t be trusted to choose a decent wife.” Sean’s eyes swing to Teagan. “And you are more than decent. You are absolutely amazing.”

  “No one’s saying she’s not,” Garrett insists. “Just give it a second to sink in.”

  Teagan smiles stiffly at Sean as the baby stirs and whimpers. She glances down as she kisses the top of Grace’s head, and then her lashes slide up and she’s watching Garrett, her lips still on the soft spot of the baby’s skull.

  “I really don’t want to start a family fight,” Teagan says. “But just so you guys know, I am amazing, and I’d appreciate the chance to prove it.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Only six days pass and hotel life starts to feel like I’m living inside a tight sweater.

  Brandon is pretty much healed, but he’s different. He stays in his mom’s suite unless she kicks him out, and then he walks the perimeter of the courtyard like he’s prowling for a missing limb. There’s been no sign of Mark.

  Zaneen decided to come and stay in my suite because it was a drag staying with her dad. It’s okay, having her stay with me, but it’s still a little awkward. We don’t have a lot to talk about, so we usually end up talking about what happened with Addo Chad. Sometimes Milo. We stay away from talking about Garrett completely.

  Iris comes to play whenever Mrs. Reese isn’t guarding or sleeping and Garrett stays late and shows up early, so he can get away from Milo. I like it because this way, Garrett’s only gone while I’m sleeping. Deeta is like a sheep herder, tracking Milo whenever he shows his face in the courtyard and trying to get him off in her room, alone, “to write”.

  Uh huh.

  Milo spends a lot of time hiding from Deeta.

  I’ve been on guard for the Addo twice, but guarding the Addo is more like hanging out at the neighborhood Kool Aid house. Instead of going through the courtyard door that the Addo used for the Totus, we get to him by using the conjoined doors that allow movement from suite to suite without ever entering the courtyard. We go from my suite, through Sean and Teagan’s, pass through Mrs. Reese’s and into Freddie’s room. Although we pass through everyone’s hallways, locking the doors behind us as we go, it’s still creepy and feels like we’re criminals, scuttling through. We mainly try to stay hidden just because we don’t want to get stuck talking to Sean and Teagan. They’re still grumpy and Grace is still adorable.

  Once we make it to Freddie’s, it’s just hallways to the Addo’s door. Garrett and I sit with the Addo when it’s our turn to be on watch. It’s not like we get to be alone, together. Addo wants to hear gossip and eat cookies.

  And, Sean’s hope that my Tralate abilities would tell us something doesn’t work either. We keep a dictionary open on the coffee table in Freddie’s living room and a smaller one in the Addo’s apartment. No one attacks and the words stay on the page.

  Mrs. Reese doesn’t look any better, maybe even a little worse, with rings of darkness that never fade anymore from beneath her eyes. We only see Freddie when he reports to Mrs. Reese. There’s been no word about Nok or Trig or Van, but the Curas have finally begun to settle a tiny bit. I’ve talked to a few Contego in the gym, but it’s only hellos or Was that your floor cooking whatever I smelled in the courtyard this morning? There’s a lot of talk about food, but at least the Curas are starting to talk. Only once or twice has there been the polite inquiry of how is your floor doing? And it is always met with the same, stiff answer: fine. I stick with the food questions, myself.

  Sean and Teagan and the baby stay in their suite. We hardly see them, but tomorrow is their wedding ceremony and tonight we are having a pre-party for them in my suite, even though they said they couldn’t make it because the baby is fussy. But we all know the baby is never fussy. I’ve stopped trying to remember Grace’s other name and I’ve started to see what everyone meant about Teagan keeping Sean to herself.

  I put a plate of veggies on the table.

  “We needed a party,” Zane sighs, dunking a pita chip into a bowl of hummus. “Too bad Sean and Teagan are missing it.”

  “Did you invite the outer Curas?” Milo asks. Deeta is hanging close to his elbow and Zaneen seems to rotate, each time Milo moves closer to her, to the farthest point in the room from him.

  “None of them would come,” Garrett says. We tried this afternoon to invite them. It was the weirdest thing, going up to the different floors. Most of the Contego bristled at us just stepping off the elevator, even though all the Procella seemed fine with it. We asked the Procella’s permission to invite their Curas first, but it didn’t matter. We got a couple reluctant maybes, but none of them were yes definitelys and it was pretty obvious, by the time we got back to our floor, that no one was going to show up but our regular gang.

  “Teagan did say she was going to invite some of her Cura personally,” Garrett says.

  “So that should be miserable,” Robin adds. “At least it’s not those two other Moxes. Anka and what was her name? Valencia?”

  “Val-en-tina,” Zaneen pronounces the name slowly, rolling it around her mouth like sour candy.

  “She’s my uncle’s brother-in-law’s cousin,” Carducci says. “She’s always been the best at everything. At least, she thinks so.”

  “By the way, where’s Sasu tonight?” Zane asks. “I can’t remember the last time I saw one of you without the other one. I got to say, though, it is a little less gruesome for me this way.”

  “You’re such a jack monkey,” Carducci says, with a little laugh. Then he levels out and looks out the sliding door into the courtyard, as if looking will bring Sasu quicker. “She’s supposed to be here. She was going up to visit with her sister-in-law’s family and then she was coming straight here.”

  “Her sister-in-law’s family?” Robin asks. “Why would she want to visit them? That’s not even real family.”

  “Everyone’s family to Sas,” Carducci complains. “She’s been visiting every night. I hardly get to see her, but you know how she is. She knows everybody and she wants to keep in touch with all of them.”

  Deeta breaks a chip off in the dip and frowns. “Why don’t you go with her?”

  “I did—the first week. Up to the sixth Cura’s floor, to visit one of her old friends. That was awkward. Everyone was nice, but you know. They all watched me like I was there spying. I’m sure things have changed now that we’ve had the Totus, but still. It’s just creepy.”

  “We have to start trusting each other,” Deeta sing-songs, fishing out her chip.

  “Sasu’s up there trying to be the good will ambassador,” Carducci sing-songs back, although it’s a sour tune, and Robin grunts her disapproval.

  A little later two more Alo show up—Harmon, a guy who I remember from my science class. He spent most of his time in class with his face down, writing in his notebook. Maybe he was recording Memories, but the way he keeps track of Deeta, I suspect he was busy writing “Mr. Deeta Houle” with hearts around his fantasy name. He glues himself to the couch and picks at his thumbnail whenever he’s not looking at her.

  The other Alo is a little younger than us. Bruce. After grabbing a handful of carob trail mix, he fastens himself onto the cushion beside Harmon. I
get the feeling that they know each other, but don’t really hit it off. Once Bruce’s trail mix is gone, he looks miserable. I suspect his parents made him come.

  “Why aren’t there more people our age?” I whisper to Garrett when we are both in the kitchen, getting drinks.

  “There are,” he says. “They’re just not all in the hotel. Only the Procella and their inner circle people can bring their families into the hotel.”

  That’s right. It’s only the highest ranking in the Ianua that get a room in the hotel. It seems like who gets a room would be determined by the usual survival-of-the-fittest rules, but looking at Bruce and Harmon slumped on the couch, it’s obvious that’s not the whole deal. It’s a mix of loyalty and dedication that lands positions at the top, but what landed Bruce and Harmon on my couch is simply that they were born into those families.

  Even so, I’m starting to be able to identify the certain look of the Alo, and these two are a great example of it. They are both a little hunchy, from spending hours recording memories, bent over stacks of paper. They both squint when they need to see across the room and when they make eye contact, real eye contact—where they have to actually talking directly to me or just look right at me—it sends a shiver through me like they are reading the highlighted words I’ve written on my own soul. Words that will be my own Memory one day. I hope it will be a hundred years before I have to choose which of my Memories an Alo will record, but sometimes when Bruce and Harmon and Deeta look at me, it’s like they already know.

  My eyes settle on Milo and his eyes flash right to me, as if they were just waiting for me to catch up. For an instant, there is something there, something that sinks into me like a familiar fish hook, but then it is gone. It’s not like how the Alo look at me. Milo’s gaze doesn’t make me feel like he can read the highlighted words. It makes me feel like he can read all the words, probably because my father taught half of them to him.