Under the Viaduct

by H. L. Anderson

  When he did, the intensity of his gaze softened as she blinked up at him. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  He nodded in response, his eyes flicking to her lips then back to her gaze.

  Kaylee cleared her throat and looked down at her lap again. She must look like a huge mess. She hadn’t bothered to put makeup on that morning, she’d barely slept the night before, she’d slept on the plane, and she hadn’t showered in well over twenty-four hours. She touched her hair, realizing pieces of it had escaped the scrunchy and now poked out everywhere. Ugh. Why hadn’t she taken the time to freshen up in the bathroom at the airport?

  She avoided Blayne’s gaze the rest of the drive home, telling him what she’d found out about Mama C as she stared out the window.

  Allie pulled into her parking space at their apartment building and turned off the car. She turned in her seat to look at Kaylee. “I figure you can give Blayne a ride when he’s ready to go.”

  Kaylee knew she was going to say “home” but stopped herself. A sleeping bag under a viaduct wasn’t really a home, was it? “Thank you, Al.”

  Blayne touched Allie on the shoulder and when she looked at him, he signed, Yes, thank you for letting me come with you to get Kaylee.

  Allie and Kaylee both opened their mouths in shock. “When did you learn how to sign?” Allie asked.

  Blayne shrugged, his face turning a shade darker. “I just went to the library on my lunch breaks this week and taught myself a few words. I learned that sentence the day after you said I could come with you to the airport.”

  “Blayne that’s…” Kaylee searched for the right words. “That’s the sweetest thing.”

  His blush darkened further, and he mumbled, “It’s no big deal.”

  With a slight tremor in her voice, Allie said, much quieter than usual for her, “It is a huge deal. You have no idea how much it means to me.”

  He shook his head, then must have decided not to object again. “Well, you’re welcome. I don’t know very much, but I’m going to try to keep learning.”

  Allie patted his cheek then turned back to open her door, swiping at her face as she did so.

  Kaylee and Blayne stood next to the car as Allie climbed the stairs to their apartment. “Well, what’s the plan? Are you hungry?” he asked.

  She nodded. “I am. I haven’t eaten all day.” Her stomach growled in agreement. “Want to come in? I’ll make you one of my famous peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

  His smile lit up his eyes. “I’d love that.”

  She stopped halfway up the stairs and turned to him with a frown. “I just realized that Allie-the-mess-maker has been home without me for three full days. The place could be a disaster. Probably is a disaster.”

  He tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow. “Do you really think I care about that?”

  “No. But I just thought I’d warn you. In case you were under the impression that all college girls were neat freaks or something.”

  He laughed. “I’ve seen the inside of your car, remember?”

  “Hey! A car isn’t the same. I clean it out at least every six months whether it needs it or not.”

  He shook his head with a smirk and followed her the rest of the way up the stairs.

  The apartment was indeed a mess. Kaylee cleared the couch of a pile of clothes so Blayne could sit down before she excused herself to go to the bathroom and whisper-yell at Allie for not cleaning up after herself.

  Staring at herself in the mirror, she was horrified at how she looked. Hair a mess. Dark circles under her eyes. Yesterday’s makeup smudged on her eyelids. She did what she could without taking a full-on shower. She scrubbed her face, brushed her hair and put it up into a messy bun, and applied a small amount of makeup to cover up the dark circles. It would have to do. Allie popped her head in and said with a wink, “Going to Max’s. Behave yourself.”

  Kaylee made sandwiches while Blayne sat at the small kitchen table and talked to her. “So, what’s the secret behind your ‘famous’ peanut butter sandwiches?”

  “Can I trust you to keep a secret?”

  “Of course you can,” he said with a straight face.

  “Okay then. The secret to the world’s best peanut butter sandwich is that you triple the amount of peanut butter a normal human would use, but apply the normal amount of jelly.” She plopped a paper-plated sandwich in front of him with a flourish, along with a can of soda. “You’ll need something to wash that down with.”

  She grabbed her own plate and a bag of chips and sat across from him. “So, anything exciting happen while I was gone?”

  He swallowed and took a drink of soda before answering. “Well, maybe.”

  She sat up straighter at the touch of excitement in his voice. “Spill it!”

  Blayne laughed. “Okay. Okay. I found a place to live.”

  “That’s fantastic!” Tears stung the backs of her eyes. She couldn’t believe the progress he’d made.

  “It’s just a small studio. Very small. But it’s within my price range and I have enough money saved up for the deposit and first month’s rent. And it’s furnished, sort of.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Sort of?”

  “It has most of what I need. A couch that folds out into a bed, a couple of bar stools, a stove, and small fridge, an old TV.” He sighed dramatically. “But it doesn’t have the most important appliance; a microwave. How am I supposed to make my gourmet microwave burritos without one? I might starve, actually.”

  “Hey, if mac and cheese and ramen noodles are good enough for the rest of us, they’re good enough for you.” She pointed a potato chip at him. “Microwave burritos are for the rich.”

  He frowned and put a hand on his chest. “Are…are you calling me a burrito snob?”

  “I’m afraid so.” She tried to keep her serious face, but the fake puppy-dog eyes he gave her were just too much. She laughed, and he joined her.

  He helped her clean up and even took the garbage out without being asked. When he came back in, he said, “So, I’m supposed to go down and pay my deposit and stuff tomorrow afternoon. Will you hold on to this and what you already have until tomorrow?” He handed her a wad of cash.

  “Of course. What time do you need to be there tomorrow?”

  “Two o’clock.” He looked down. “I was hoping that you would maybe consent to a second date.” He raised his head and smiled shyly. “I was thinking we could go get lunch and then I could show you my new place. My treat.”

  “I’d love to. What time should I pick you up?”

  “Noon?”

  She nodded. “That works.” She looked out the window at the darkening sky. “It’s getting late. We should probably go check on Mama C.” She really didn’t want this evening to end. Didn’t want to drop him off to sleep outside in the freezing cold. Knowing she’d see him again tomorrow gave her slight solace. But…words left her mouth before her brain could apply the brakes. “Why don’t you stay here tonight?” Heat rushed to her face, and she hurried to clarify. “On the couch, I mean. Out of the cold.”

  He took her hand that wasn’t holding the wad of cash he’d just given her and stared at her with soulful eyes. Beautiful blue eyes. “Thank you, Kaylee. Seriously, thank you for the offer. I appreciate it so much.”

  “But…” she said.

  “But I can’t. I need to make sure Mama and the kids are okay. It’ll be my last night with them and I’m going to try my hardest to talk Mama into coming to stay with me—even though it would mean I’d have to sleep on the floor. Hell, I want them all to come stay with me, but there isn’t room, and it’s against the conditions of the lease. No more than two people allowed.” He rubbed a hand across his face. “I’m having a hard time with this. I mean, I’m so happy to be finally moving forward with my life, but I don’t want to leave them behind.” His voice had lowered to a whisper.

  Kaylee tightened her grip on his hand and she nodded wordlessly.

  “Thank you for understanding.” H
e held her gaze the way gravity held the moon in orbit.

  Her mouth and throat went dry. She swallowed, trying to push a giant lump down. She croaked out, “I’m going to go put your money away.”

  They continued to stand that way for several more seconds until Blayne broke the spell he’d woven between them. He let go of her hand and cleared his throat. “Yeah. Yeah, good idea.”

  Slipping the cash in her sock drawer with the rest of it, she scolded herself. Why did she interrupt that moment? She knew why. She was scared. Scared and thrilled at the idea of a kiss. She hadn’t kissed many boys in high school, and really no guys in college—unless you counted the peck on the cheek from the sweet Mormon kid who’d taken her to get ice cream her Freshman year. She just hadn’t been interested in dating, her priority was school. Until now. She shook her head at her conflicting feelings. She really wanted Blayne to kiss her. Why was she so nervous? Stupid girl. She took a deep breath before going back out to him.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  He nodded and opened the door for her. He put his hand on the small of her back as they walked down the stairs—and even through her coat she felt a jolt of electricity spread throughout her body from his touch. She was in trouble. She wasn’t falling for him, she had already fallen. Like an anchor to the bottom of the ocean.

  Mama C had looked better last night. No more fever, and her cough seemed to have calmed a little. She was still short of breath, though, and that worried Kaylee even though Max said it was normal.

  The sun was out, and Kaylee smiled as she drove to the viaduct. Today would be Blayne’s last homeless day. Her joy at seeing him succeed and pull his life together was dampened by thoughts of Mama C and the others. She frowned, needing a way to help them all.

  Kaylee parked on the graveled area and got out. She patted her coat where Blayne’s money lay hidden in an inside pocket—she didn’t dare leave it in her car. Blayne stood, smiling, as she approached. She smiled back, then bent down to feel Mama C’s forehead, nodding at the cool temperature of her skin. “How are you feeling?”

  With a good-natured scowl, Mama C answered, “I’m fine. You all need to quit fussing over me.”

  “You’re worth fussing over, Mama C.” Kaylee straightened up and put her hands on her hips for emphasis.

  Mama C waved a hand dismissively. “Psshh. You need to go on about your business, Miss Kaylee. Get that boy,”—she nodded toward Blayne—“into his new home. I’ll be fine here, and if I’m not, well then, it’s God’s will.”

  Either at the mention of Blayne leaving or Mama C’s indifference toward her own well-being, the mood shifted around them.

  “Mama,” Hannah said. “Don’t talk like that. We need you. Especially since Blayne is leaving us.” There was a sulking tone to her voice to match the frown.

  “Now Hannah.” Mama C shook a finger at the girl. “Don’t you be down about Blayne’s accomplishments. Where he is now is where you all should be aiming.” She looked around, stopping to gaze at each of them in turn. “And, you can. Each one of you.” She nodded. “You’re ready.”

  “Where are you aiming, Mama?” asked DeMarcus quietly.

  Kaylee thought about what Beth had said about Mama C saying she was “just living to die” after the fire. She also remembered her promise to call Beth and let Mama talk to her. No time today. She’d do it soon.

  The old woman sucked in a breath then coughed for a good thirty seconds before responding. “I’m aiming to whoop you if you don’t quit getting into my business.” Her voice softened as she said, “I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing for as long as the Lord allows. There are other kids out there that need help, you know. The world doesn’t revolve around you all.”

  Kaylee glanced up at Blayne. His mouth turned down into a frown and she could read the worry in his eyes like the pages of a book.

  Mama read it, too. “Blayne, this is a glorious day. Celebrate. Pay it forward when you can. Now go. You’ve got a beautiful girl waiting for you to feed her lunch.”

  Blayne flicked his eyes up at Kaylee and his lips twitched in an almost-smile. “Yes, I do.” He bent down and hugged Mama C. “I’ll be back later to check on you.”

  “Not one of you listens to a word I say,” she mumbled.

  Blayne fist bumped with Clint and DeMarcus, and one-arm-hugged Hannah. “Stay out of trouble. I’ll be back to check on you frequently. If—or when—you move to a new location, make sure one of you meets me at the shelter so I know where you are.”

  Hannah turned her face away, wiping at her cheeks.

  Looking at Kaylee, Blayne asked, “Are you ready?”

  She nodded. He hefted his backpack onto his shoulder, leaving his rolled up sleeping bag where it lay.

  Blayne leaned in to open her door for her. “Where do you want to eat?”

  “You choose. It’s your ‘glorious day,’ as Mama C said.” She smiled with a closed mouth and ran her hand along his stubbly cheek. The difficulty he was having with leaving his make-shift family was understandable, and she wanted him to feel her support.

  One side of his face twisted up into a sad smile and he trapped her hand against his face under his hand. Her breath caught at his touch and she was again spellbound by his gaze. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, his mouth then blossoming into a full smile that almost reached his eyes. “Let’s go all out, then. Sizzler it is.” He wiggled his eyebrows and squeezed her hand before letting go to walk to the passenger side of the car.

  At lunch they talked about what classes Kaylee was taking this, her last, semester that started in two days. They talked about what items Blayne would need for his new place. But they steered clear of discussing the scene at the viaduct and Blayne’s obvious guilt at moving on.

  Kaylee insisted on leaving the tip for their server before they headed out to meet the landlord. In the car she handed Blayne his money then drove as he guided her.

  She parked in a small, torn up parking lot, more potholes than asphalt. “This isn’t a very good neighborhood.” Her mind flashed back to New York and her hands tightened on the steering wheel, her eyes shut tight.

  “It’s the best I—” Blayne laid his hand on hers. His tone softened. “Are you okay?”

  She released a gush of air from her lungs, opened her eyes, and attempted to smile. “Yeah. Fine.”

  “You sure? You turned white as a ghost.”

  “I’m sure.” She removed her hand from under his and unclipped her seatbelt. “Let’s go meet your landlord.” She opened the door and slid out of her seat before he could push her for an explanation.

  Kaylee shut her door then absently grabbed her shoulder where she’d hurt it falling into the police car in New York. She leaned against her car and Blayne stood in front of her faster than should have been possible.

  He dipped down to look into her eyes. “You are not okay. What’s going on?”

  The tenderness in his voice broke through her flashback wall. “I just… I don’t know…suddenly thought about New York. The guy in the alley.”

  And then she was in his arms, her face pressed against his chest, eyes screwed shut to hold back the threatened waterworks. His warm breath on the top of her head calmed her. His arms wrapped tightly around her comforted and excited her.

  “I’m fine,” she mumbled. “It’s stupid for me to be scared. This isn’t New York.”

  “Don’t apologize. It isn’t stupid. And just because this isn’t New York doesn’t mean there isn’t danger here—you already know that.” He pulled away enough to look her in the eyes. “You don’t have to come here again after today. I’ll meet you somewhere else when—if—you want to see me.”

  Kaylee shook her head and got her voice back. “No. I’ll come here when I want to see you. My reaction was ridiculous, especially considering the other places I’ve gone to see you.” She smiled and rolled her eyes.

  Cocking his head adorably to the side, Blayne returned her smile. “True. But still, I d
on’t want you to…to think about that incident every time you come here.”

  “I won’t.” She nudged him with her shoulder. “Let’s go, it’s almost two o’clock.”

  After the lease was signed and money and keys exchanged, Blayne raised his eyebrows and said, “You ready to see Chez Blayne?”

  “Oh, I didn’t know you spoke French,” she teased.

  “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” He winked.

  She raised her eyebrows. “That’s the truth.”

  Blayne pulled her forward like a kid rushing to the tree on Christmas morning. They clanked up the metal steps that led to his new studio apartment. His hands shook as he inserted the key in the lock and twisted. The smile on his face as he ushered her inside warmed her heart. He took her coat and draped it over the back of the couch, doing the same with his.

  The grand tour took only a minute, as the apartment consisted of one combined area for the kitchen and living room/bedroom, with a tiny bathroom off the living area. But it was clean. The sofa bed was a little worn but not terrible. It had heat. And it made Blayne beam. He rummaged through his backpack until he found his toothbrush and toothpaste. He dropped them on the tiny counter in the bathroom, then walked to the couch and deposited his backpack on it, stating, “There. I’m all moved in.”

  Kaylee laughed and tilted her head to the side, fully taking in the transformation of this man she’d come to care so deeply about.

  “What are you laughing at?” Blayne asked, still smiling.

  “You.”

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her into the air. She squealed as he twirled her around. “Put me down.” Her demand didn’t come across as too demanding, since she was giggling like a school girl.