But when he reached Jeremy, Eric didn’t yell, he hugged him. Tightly. Jeremy was so stiff in his embrace that it was actually awkward to see. But after a second he hugged Eric back.
“I would do anything to save her. She was through with her cancer treatments the last time she had it before she even told me about it. I don’t understand it either but it’s the way my mother is. You know your granny. She’s stubborn. This time it was too late for much and she wouldn’t even let me do what I could.” He kissed Jer’s cheek. “And I love you for the fact that you can express yourself. I know I let you down a lot. But I’veloved you every day of your life, since I knew you were coming.” He stopped. “This is going to be the worst thing. Just the worst. When my fathers died…” Whatever Eric was going to say he didn’t finish. “You’re going to be okay.”
Jeremy didn’t speak for a second. “Thank you.”
“Go see her. Bring Alatheia. She is worried about both of you.” He stepped back. “Come on, Phoenix. I’ll drive you.” He wiped at his eyes as he walked toward Phoenix and smiled at me. “Have I told you how proud of you I am?” Eric put his arm around Phoenix. They were biologically father and son. I could see it right then so clearly. The shape of their faces, the slope of their noses.
“Wow. You’re all kinds of mushy.” Phoenix laughed as they walked out.
Jer put out his hand in the way that he did when he wanted me to take it, so I did. I stared at him. “You okay?”
“No. Are you?”
I shook my head. “Let’s go see your granny.”
Slightly down the hallway was her bedroom. It had red painted walls. I smiled at the sight. Everywhere she went she painted her walls red. It was like her signature. I loved it. They had medical machines in the room ready for her. I didn’t know what all of them were, but it was a bit of a makeshift hospital situation. They did have the clinic nearby, but I guessed she wasn’t going to it.
She lay in bed, the woman who had brought her in fussing over her while her grandsons and sons sat around the bed. Julian had her hand. Rosalind sat next to Kit and smiled at me when I came in. I smiled back. She was really trying with me. I took off my knitted cap.
“Phoenix went to a Group meeting,” Jeremy told everyone.
Stephen nodded. “Thanks for telling us.
Dina grinned at us from where she sat upright on pillows on the bed. “Now don’t worry, I will be more upright tomorrow. The trip? It took a lot. You missed introductions. This is Lucy. She knows what our lives are like because hers used to be too. She lost her husbands last year and now she is taking care of me. Lucy, this is Alatheia and Jeremy.”
“Hello.” She had the slightest accent, but I couldn’t identify from where. “I’m going to give y’all a minute.”
With her eyes on the floor, she left the room. Instantly, I knew she had a story but somehow that couldn’t be surprising. Everyone here had a story. Even if they were raised in the Life, it didn’t seem to lend itself to a simple, easy time. You did have to want it.
Jeremy cleared his throat. “I’m sorry for my outburst.”
“Don’t be silly. We’re all outbursting all the time. That’s just what we do.” Julian rose and gave Jermey his chair before walking over to me. He squeezed my arm and then pulled me against him.
Dina stared at me. “Well, I can’t say it’s your best haircut. I mean I wouldn’t recommend the stylist.”
I burst out laughing and then covered my mouth. Oh wow. I had just cracked up in a sick room. That was probably really impolite, but Dina must have loved it because her face lit up in glee. “I need to hear all your stories, if you’re telling them. Otherwise, I will just say I am glad you are back. So, so glad. I won’t get to give them the journals, but you’ll do that for me. I know you will.”
The tears I kept holding back fell out of my eyes. “I will. The first set would be done if I hadn’t been… taken away for a while.”
There it was again: the hand-wave I’d always associate with Dina. “Kidnapped. Your family is such trash. I can say that because I’m dying. I can say as I wish now.” She hadn’t been before? What more did she want to say? The thought at leastmade me stop crying. Barrett rose and walked to my other side. “But I hear you are a Monk. Come see me tomorrow. You won’t get to the Monks until the second set of journals, which will take a long time. I know Daisy Monk. She is frightening. Even for me. And it drives me a little crazy that she is going to outlive me. But perhaps she sold her soul or is really a vampire. Anyway, she won’t get her claws in you because you are too strong for that. Don’t be a Monk. Be a Lent. It’s safer even if it’s a little bit crazy.”
“She will be. In three years. If I can convince her.” Jeremy sighed. “I mean she will be in three years. That’s happening. I just need her to believe it.”
Barrett choked. “You told her that?”
“I did. Why not all be on the same page?” Jeremy shrugged.
Rosalind widened her eyes. “Three years?”
Daniel laughed. “Same age you were.”
“Older than me.” Dina met my eyes. I might be the only person in the room who knew the whole story. Not for the first time, I loved that she had decided to trust me.
Our house was quiet that night. They all seemed to be dealing in different ways. Phoenix came back from Group, kissed me, and went straight to his room to try to find the owner of that phone number. I hoped he could. Was he still working on his video game? I needed to ask.
Julian went to his room, took off his clothes, and went and got in bed in my room, in the spot that would be next to me, and proceeded to fall asleep. Almost instantly. He was a bit of a zombie, sort of mumbled some semblance of goodnight and closed his eyes before he was out. I had been brushing my hair. A little bit worried, I set down my brush and walked over to him, smoothing out his hair. How did he always keep it so soft? He breathed deeply, which quickly changed to snores. Wow. He was just instantly out.
Was Barrett okay? Jeremy? I found both of them on their computers. Barrett was reading about end of life care while Jer was doing his work for Kit. They both looked up from their computers when I walked into the living room.
