by Sera Trevor
Noah pulled away. “You can’t get into fistfights with my dad. We don’t need assault charges.”
Oscar held up his hands. “I didn’t get into a fistfight! I punched with my words.”
Noah let out a stuttering laugh. He felt lightheaded. It was all so surreal.
Oscar grinned. “So? Awesome, right?”
“Yeah.” He blinked, sending tears running down his cheeks. “I love you.”
Oscar leaned forward until their foreheads touched. “Love you, too. Always.”
They lay together on the couch for a little while, just breathing. Noah broke the silence. “They aren’t going to just disappear. They’ll fight us on this.”
“I know. But seriously, what can they do? Stalk us? We’ll call the cops. I’m sure Alex would be delighted to file a restraining order. They’ll have their little tantrum, and once they realize they aren’t going to get their way, they’ll either disappear or do things our way. And we’ll all live happily ever after.”
Noah worried his lip. “You really think so?”
“I know so. Just you wait and see.” Oscar kissed his forehead. “They can’t hurt you anymore.”
Noah expected another confrontation at the hospital. And he was right—there was one, only it was between his parents and Uncle Zeke. It got so contentious that they were all kicked out of the hospital. Noah was glad to have missed it.
His parents went quiet for a week. Noah doubted they had left. It seemed unlikely that they’d be chased off that easily. But he was grateful for the reprieve.
Noah settled things with his bosses. He had six months. Oscar and Noah would miss the money, but Oscar was right that it wouldn’t break them. Being officially on leave was a huge weight off of his back. Now he could give his full concentration to helping Rebecca. Before, he had felt paralyzed and out of his depth. Now, he was able to put his nursing experience to good use.
He spent almost all of his time at the hospital at Rebecca’s side, encouraging her recovery. He and Oscar made plans for how to arrange their home to accommodate her, and what their schedule would look like. Carmen helped a lot with Bette. He felt in control for the first time since his sister’s collapse.
Every day, Rebecca improved a little more. Her confusion started to clear up. She was still incredibly weak and her attention span wasn’t great, but she understood where she was and what was happening to her. She started speech and physical therapy.
Noah didn’t want to burden her with the situation with their parents until she was stronger, but she brought it up one day when Noah was helping her with her speech therapy exercises.
“M-mom.” She screwed up her face as she concentrated. “Dad. Here?” she finally spat out.
He set the index cards down. “Yes. I called them. I didn’t know if they’d come.” He paused, unsure if he should continue. “They’re moving here. They want to take you to their home to recover.”
Rebecca’s eyes widened. She shook her head. “No. You. With you.”
He hadn’t thought that she would want to be with their parents. But it was nice to hear. He took her hand and squeezed it. “Oscar and I are converting the living room so you won’t have to deal with the stairs. You’ll stay as long as you need to.” He swallowed around a lump in his throat. “I won’t ever leave you again, Becks.”
She smiled faintly and shut her eyes.
Noah got up and stretched. He looked at the clock. It was around four. He usually spent dinner with Rebecca before going home. Not having to worry about work or his parents made it easier to for him to spend his whole day with her, although Zeke came to relieve him at regular intervals. It was funny how quickly routines could form.
He decided to head down to the cafeteria for some coffee. He had just poured a cup when he saw her. His mother. She sat at a table near the back, her eyes on him.
Noah froze. How long had she been there? Was she waiting for him? Should he ignore her?
No. He couldn’t let Oscar fight all his battles. He pulled himself together and crossed the room. His mother said nothing as he sat down across from her. Her eyes looked hollowed out, her cheeks gaunt, like a skull.
“Uncle Zeke told me you were banned from the hospital.”
“We were asked to leave. And it was more your father than me. But can you blame him for being upset? Any father would do the same.”
“Would he feel the same if I were the one in the hospital bed?”
She didn’t respond right away. “Your father said some unkind things—”
“Don’t tell me he didn’t mean them,” Noah interrupted. “And don’t apologize for him, either.”
She pressed her lips together in a thin line. “Why did you call us if you were just going to cast us out?”
Noah stared into his coffee. “I had to, for the guardianship. And I thought you had the right to know. I wasn’t sure you would even care.”
“Care?” His mother recoiled. “You think that I wouldn’t care? Of course I care. I have never stopped caring! You are my children.” Her eyes watered. “You think my heart is so cold? I think of the two of you every day. I pray to Jehovah that you will see the error of your ways and come back to the Truth before it’s too late.”
Noah rubbed his temples. “That’s never going to happen.”
“I know. And do you know how much that pains me? That when the New System arrives, I will awaken to paradise without either of my children, or my brother. You will have been destroyed—and it will have been my fault.” She buried her face in her hands, weeping.
Noah waited until she composed herself. “Mom,” he said gently. “Have you ever thought that this, what we have right here, and right now, might be okay?” He spread his hands. “I’m happy, Mom. I have a husband who loves me, a beautiful baby, a nice home, friends, family. It’s okay that it won’t be forever. I’m at peace with that.”
She stared at him blankly. For a moment, he thought he had gotten through to her. “A few decades of ‘happiness’ is nothing in the face of eternity with Jehovah.” She shook her head. “Where did I go wrong? How did I fail you so completely?”
Noah stood. “I’m not going to talk about this anymore.” He turned to leave.
“Wait.” His mother stood as well. “May I see her? Please. I won’t make a scene.”
“She’s resting. And she’s still having trouble speaking.” His mother looked so heartbroken that Noah’s heart ached in sympathy, in spite of everything. “But I’ll ask her if she’s up for it.”
His mother trailed behind him, quiet as a ghost, as they made their way to Rebecca’s room. She waited outside as Noah checked on her. Her eyes were shut, but they fluttered open when he touched her.
“Hey,” he said quietly. “Mom’s here. She wants to say hello. You don’t have to see her if you don’t want to.”
Rebecca shut her eyes again, but only briefly. “Okay.”
Noah called her in. His mother’s face stretched into a smile. Noah stepped back to make room for her at Rebecca’s bedside.
“My little girl. My angel.” She took her hand. “I knew you would get better. I prayed so hard for it, and my prayers were answered.” She looked back at Noah. “May I have a minute alone?”
Against his better judgment, Noah agreed. “You have ten minutes.” He stepped out of the room and set his phone alarm. His barriers weren’t as firmly erected as Oscar might have liked, but he wasn’t going to backslide into letting her walk all over them.
His mother emerged two seconds before the alarm went off. Her face was streaked with tears, but her expression was stony. “I won’t ever stop praying for you,” was all she said before taking off down the hallway.
Noah went back inside. Rebecca’s face was tear-stained as well. “What happened?”
“Said no.” Her voice quavered.
Noah ran his hand through his hair. “I shouldn’t have let her in here. I’m sorry.”
She held out her hand, her eyes imploring.
; Noah took it. “What is it?”
“Pray. For her.”
Noah hesitated. He didn’t pray. Zeke had found a lot of comfort in his church, but Noah didn’t think he’d ever be comfortable in a church again. He wasn’t even sure what he believed. But he could take his sister’s hand and think of their mom, all the love they’d shared, all the pain they’d endured. He could hope for her. And wasn’t that what a prayer was?
Noah sat in the kitchen with Bette on his lap while Oscar cooked dinner. Oscar had been doing a lot of that lately. Usually Noah was the chef, but he was grateful for Oscar picking up the slack.
Noah made a funny face at Bette. She giggled. It gave him the same thrill of joy as the first time he’d heard it. He brought her close, breathing in the scent of her hair. That was something he’d never get tired of either. She was so perfect.
Bette started squirming, so he set her down in her ExerSaucer. She batted at the toys, giggling again. He’d miss that giggle when she was older. “Are you ever sad Bette won’t be a baby forever?”
“Heck no. Can’t wait until the diaper stage is over. Just ’cause I manage a sewage plant doesn’t mean I like to clean up poop in my leisure time.”
Noah snorted. “Fair enough.” He paused. “What do you think happens after we die?”
Oscar stopped his vegetable chopping. “Whoa. What brought that on?”
Noah picked at a cuticle. “Mom stopped by the hospital today.”
“I thought we talked about this!” Oscar threw up his hands. “No more keeping things from me.”
“I’m telling you now, aren’t I?”
Oscar sighed. “Fair enough. I thought she was banned from the hospital.”
“There aren’t any bouncers with guest lists at the front door. She was just sitting in the cafeteria.”
“Did you let her see Rebecca?” When Noah didn’t answer right away, Oscar rolled his eyes. “Goddamn it, Noah. Are you gonna keep letting them walk all over you?”
“I didn’t let her walk all over me. I gave her ten minutes. And Rebecca told her she wanted to stay with us.”
“Well that’s something, I guess,” Oscar conceded. “You need to be careful, though.”
“I know, I know.”
Oscar resumed his chopping. “So seeing your mom made you think about death? Can’t say I blame you.”
He picked at his cuticle again. “When I was a kid, the idea of being annihilated forever was the fear that kept me in line. But when Mom and I were talking, I realized that it doesn’t really bother me anymore. This life is enough for me. I’d rather be happy for one life than be miserable for the chance at eternity.”
A dot of blood beaded on his finger. He stopped picking at it. “I think I’m an atheist.” He tried to gauge Oscar’s reaction, but his back was to him. “Do you think that’s bad?”
Oscar turned around. “Why would I think it’s bad? Even when I was Catholic, I wasn’t exactly a choir boy.”
“I know, but it seems...I don’t know, extreme. What do you believe?”
Oscar set his knife down and came to sit beside Noah. “To be honest, I don’t think about it a lot. Maybe there’s something after death. Maybe not. I figure we’ll all find out in the end, so it’s a waste of time to worry about it.” He shrugged. “And if there is a God and he does send people to hell just because they didn’t pay him enough compliments? Shit, I’d rather roast than share an afterlife with that kind of asshole.”
“A-hole,” Noah corrected, but he grinned.
Oscar took Noah’s hand and kissed it. “I agree, though. This is enough.”
Oscar went to finish dinner while Noah put Bette in her high chair to feed her. He finished just before Oscar brought their meal to the table: chicken with salad and honey mustard sauce. Noah gave Bette a little juice to keep her occupied while they ate.
“Sounds like your sister is more with it,” Oscar said. “She said she wants to come with us?”
“Yeah. And she told Mom, too.” Noah picked at his food. “I don’t know where we go from here, though. Are my parents just going to leave? That seems too easy.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if they buzz around for a while. But seriously, what are they going to do? If they show up here, tell them to leave. Call the cops if you have to. If they start getting super crazy, we’ll get a restraining order. They’ll give up eventually. Besides, isn’t every conversation they have with you, a disfellowshipped sinner, risking their place in paradise?”
“Something like that.” Noah pushed his plate back.
“Uh-uh,” Oscar said, pushing it forward again. “You need to eat more. Three-quarters of your plate, at least.”
Noah raised an eyebrow. “What are you, my dad?”
“Of course not. I’m your daddy. Finish your dinner or else you get a spanking.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Or you won’t get a spanking. Whichever motivates you more.”
Noah laughed. “Guess I better behave.”
Oscar smirked, but his expression turned serious. “I mean it, though. You’re losing weight. You gotta take care of yourself first before you take care of anyone else.”
“Okay, okay.” He picked up his fork. “I’m eating.”
“And have you called the therapist?”
Noah stuck a big forkful of food in his mouth to buy some time. He swallowed. “Not yet.”
“Do you want me to call her?”
“No.” He sounded sullen even to himself.
Oscar pointed at him. “You forced me into therapy years ago. I’m just returning the favor.”
Noah held up his hands in defeat. “I’ll call. I promise.”
Oscar sat back. “Good.” He looked over at Bette, who was rubbing her eyes. “If you get the dishes, I’ll get Bette down.” His voice lowered seductively. “And then maybe we can see to that spanking?”
For the first time in weeks, a surge of desire pulsed through him. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Papa.”
10
“You can do it, Becks!”
Rebecca clutched the hand rails and grunted, lifting her foot and planting it in front of her. Her face flushed with triumph.
“Great job, Rebecca!” The physical therapist, a perky woman called Kelli, patted Rebecca on the back. “Can we get one more step?”
Rebecca nodded and screwed her face up again. But try as she might, she couldn’t get the second step.
“That’s okay,” Kelli said. “Even the effort helps. You’re making such good progress. We’ll get you walking in no time!”
Noah brought around the wheelchair and he and Kelli helped Rebecca in. She slumped in her chair. Noah bit the inside of his cheek. Disappointed in her progress, maybe? But when they returned to her room, her expression was cheery.
After Noah helped her into bed, she gestured for her notepad and pen. Noah brought them to her. She stuck out her tongue as she concentrated on drawing. At last, she held up her picture—two stick figures, a woman and a child. She circled their feet and drew an arrow.
“Is that you and Bette?”
She nodded. She circled their feet again, then tapped on the adult figure. “First.”
Noah had to think about it for a minute. “You want to walk before she does?”
She nodded and grinned so wide it lit up her entire face.
Noah laughed. “I’ll let her know the race is on. She had better start training. You have a head start!”
Rebecca joined his laughter. She drew a heart around the figures. It was funny. She seemed so much happier after her aneurysm than before. The doctor had warned of shifts in mood. It never occurred to him that it could be a shift toward the better.
Noah left the hospital with a spring in his step. It had been three days since he’d last seen his mother. He’d had no communication from either of his parents. He didn’t think it would last forever, but maybe Oscar was right and they would give up and leave. They’d been willing to write him and Rebecca off before. Why should it be different
now?
He got in the car and texted Carmen to let her know he was on his way. Halfway there, he decided he ought to stop by the grocery store first. Oscar had been doing so much of the cooking lately. He wanted to surprise him with a nice lasagna dinner. He called Carmen to see if there was anything she needed from the store while he was there. No answer. She must be busy.
The shopping went quickly. He just needed to get the noodles and the ricotta. A pretty bouquet caught his eye on the way to the register. He picked it up for Carmen. It wasn’t nearly enough to thank her for everything she’d done, but it was a start.
It was around five o’clock when he pulled into the driveway. Miguel’s car was gone. It was Thursday, so he was probably with his bowling club. Noah picked up the flowers and made his way to the door. It was ajar.
Noah opened it. “Carmen?” No response. Dread hit him like a tsunami. He dropped the flowers and rushed into the kitchen. Bette’s high chair was tipped over. No one was there.
Panic swelled in his chest. He went from room to room, searching, his heart beating faster every minute. Where were they? What had happened?
At last, he came to Carmen and Miguel’s bedroom. Muffled screams came from inside their walk-in closet. Noah flung the door open and found Carmen lying on the ground, bound and gagged. The right half of her face was bruised and swollen. Noah’s stomach dropped, his vision swam. No!
By sheer will, he pushed the panic down and hurried to her side. He removed her gag first. “The baby!” she gasped the moment the gag was out of her mouth. “They took the baby!”
“Who did?” But he already knew.
“I’m sorry,” Carmen cried. “I tried to stop them, but your father, he was too strong. He had a gun—”
Noah couldn’t hear the rest of the sentence over the sound of the blood thundering in his ears. His vision went white. He was going to faint.
He snapped back to reality when Carmen screamed his name. Sucking in a breath, he got a hold of himself. He finished untying Carmen.
“Do you have your phone?” she asked. “We have to call 911!”