Chapter Two
Eli stared down at Raelynn and Jeremy. At seven and four, they didn’t deserve the hell coming their way. Not only had they lost their mom, but now their dad and step-mother. It just wasn’t fair. Thankfully, the nice police officer, Deputy Brown, had more than been true to his word. He’d stayed with the kids as Eli, with Willem’s support, signed the necessary paperwork to not only prepare his brother’s body for the funeral home but also allowing his organs to be harvested for someone else in need. Tears had flowed at first, but now numbness had him firmly in its grip. He should be crying, yelling or throwing papers around, but instead, he stood with Willem at his side and stared helplessly at his niece and nephew.
“How do I tell them?” The words slipped out almost against his will. He had no clue how to break the news that their daddy was never coming back. He was a poor substitution for his brother. He had never planned on having kids after his own upbringing. How could he be a parent when, half the time, he ran around in kids’ clothing, played with toy trains, cars and stuffies, and drank out of a sippy?
“We tell them together.” Willem rubbed small concentric circles on the small of his back. “Together, boy, always.”
“Together,” he softly echoed, his eyes meeting Officer Brown’s for the first time. “Thank you.”
“None required.” The black man smiled up at him. “Like I told your man here. The missus would’ve had my butt in a sling if I’d left these kids by themselves.”
“Still, a thank you is in order.” Eli blew out a deep breath. “Your presence made this much easier.”
Raelynn stirred, then lifted her head. “Uncle Eli?”
Eli’s heart pounded in his chest. With her orange-y red hair mussed, an indentation on her cheek from one of Officer Brown’s shirt buttons, and a welcome in her eyes just like his, she was too cute for words. He wanted to snatch her up, hold her tight, and never let her go.
“Hey snickle-fritz.” The endearment came out rough, but his niece didn’t seem to mind. She untangled herself from the officer and scrambled toward him. He barely had time to brace himself as she climbed him like the little monkey she was.
“I’m so glad to see you.” She buried her face in the crook of his neck. “Daddy was driving in a blizzard and then got smacked by a semi…and Momma Audra got sucked from the car and then everything was so silent, and…”
“Shhh…” he rubbed her back, knowing she needed to purge the accident. “…I know.” He tucked one arm under her small behind and gathered her even closer as she burst into tears, the hot flow of them wetting his skin. His own eyes watered, but he needed to keep his head. If he started crying now, he’d never stop and Raelynn needed him to be strong. He caught his Daddy’s gaze.
“You’ve got this.” Willem took a still sleeping Jeremy from Officer Brown, who winced a little as he stood. “Just love her.”
Eli nodded and continued to rock the now sobbing girl. “Let it out, sweetheart. I’m not sugar, I won’t melt.” He made short circuits around the room, giving his niece time to cry it all out. She’d been such a brave girl so far.
After a while, was it twenty minutes? An hour? He wasn’t sure of the passage of time, but the sobs finally tapered off, and an occasional hiccup escaped her before her body went limp against him. He pivoted and headed back to where Willem was now sitting with Jeremy. The boy was curled up in his uncle’s lap, looking entirely innocent in his slumber. The officer was now gone.
As Eli approached, Willem smiled up at him. “She’s out again.”
Eli nodded. “Cried herself out.”
“Not surprising.” Willem shifted the boy. “What do you say we get out of here, and get these angels home?”
“Yeah.” He longed to return to their home, to curl up on the couch in front of the fireplace with his daddy and the kids. He turned to the door, wondering about asking about the kids’ jackets. It was too cold to go outside, even if it was a quick trip to a heated truck. Eli frowned as another thought occurred to him. “I…car seats. We need a booster seat for Raelynn and toddler seat for Jeremy.” He groaned low in his throat. “We’resooonot ready for this.”
“Quit borrowing trouble, boy. We’ll be fine.”
“But we have to…”
“You’re all set.” Officer Brown appeared next to him, his shoulders and head covered in a layer of snow. “Seats are all installed in your truck, and it’s all warmed up. Even ran to the station down the street, so she’s filled up.”
Eli almost started blubbering. The officer had definitely gone above and beyond. He’d be writing a letter of appreciation to the man’s boss. And sharing it all over social media. “I….”
“Now, none of that. The Sheriff’s Office has a drive every year for car seats, so I ran to the office and grabbed a couple for you. The last thing you need to worry about is finding a store open at six in the morning on a Sunday.” The man scolded. “Besides, I was doing what any good man would do. Just remember to pay it forward when you get the chance.”
“I will.” Eli finally whispered.
Officer Brown gave a quick nod. “Good.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. “Here’s my card. My private cell is on the back. Do me a favor, please? Text me when you finally make it home. Even if I’m asleep, the missus will tell me when I get up.”
“Absolutely.” Willem took the card and stuffed it into his pocket, before looking toward Eli. “Ready to go home?”
“Yes, Daddy.” He shifted the sleeping girl in his arms. “Let’s go home.”
* * *
By the time their home loomed in the distance, Willem was more than ready to tuck his truck into the separate garage after dropping Eli and the kids off at the house. In the backseat, both Raelynn and Jeremy were now awake and getting squirmy. The three-hour drive from the hospital had turned into nearly five because of the weather, and their frequent stops for potty breaks, and to let the active kids get out for a few minutes. It almost reminded Willem of cross-country trips with his own folks and his sister. Now, he could totally empathize with his father. Next time they attempted such a trip, he’d make sure they had something to keep their little minds and hands busy.
