I walked in through the same lobby area, finding out someone had vandalized the walls the night before. It wasn’t typical to see much crime in our area, so the sight of destruction hit me hard. Within just a few steps I overheard a conversation between staff members, discussing the happenings from the situation. There was a small riot of some sort—but why in a nursing facility? Were the patients in danger? Was it a robbery? Was Adam okay? The thoughts were endless as I struggled to make my way up the stairwell. The “what ifs” were pulling me down like an anchor. It was becoming far too easy to think: if something happened to Adam, it would always be my fault. Everything was ultimately my fault.
When I arrived at Adam’s room, breathless and panicked, I walked in on both his parents and Tracey. “Is he okay? What happened here last night?” I asked, stumbling on every one of my words.
The three of them turned to face me. “He’s okay, but there were gunshots fired on the first floor. We aren’t sure of the specific details, but they had trouble securing the building with the few staff members on duty. I wouldn’t think something so awful would happen in a nursing home,” Carol, his mom said.
“What matters is, Adam is all right and was not harmed,” Brian followed.
“Dad, they should shut down this place down until those doors are secure so they can keep criminals out. I can’t even understand why anyone would come here of all places to attempt a robbery,” Tracey added in.
“We don’t know if it was a robbery, Trace,” Carol argued.
“What else could it be?” Tracey’s cheeks were red, and her hair was a mess. She was pacing and unstable as her eyes darted to every corner of the room.
“I have a solution,” I said, my voice quieter than I intended.
I did my best to mind my business when it came to their family matters. I was not a part of their family and had no right offering my opinions, though I had plenty over the years that Adam had been in a nursing facility. However, it was different at that moment.
The three of them stood, staring at me with wonder as if the magical solution would appear within the thin air between us. Truthfully, it could have. “I received 1.2 million dollars today from—”
“He sent you the money?” Carol asked, covering her mouth. They were sure Tucker would not offer half of his jackpot winnings to a woman who unquestioningly married him and ran off the next day. I agreed with their theory of the money never appearing, and I had rejected the offer several times on top of it all. It was not my money to claim half of.
“My attorney said the money would belong to me, regardless, and if he sent it on his own with a written request, the divorce could be finalized quicker than initially expected.”
“I’m awestruck, Journey. I can’t believe you just acquired so much. It looks like luck is on your side, huh?”
Those words chomped at my heart and the ghostly feeling of a knife slitting my throat made me clench my hands around my neck. “No, I’m not lucky, Brian. None of us are, but the money is going to you—for Adam’s care. I ran away because I couldn’t handle the pain. But, the pain chased me like a magnet to metal. There was no way to hide from what was hurting me the most. I made stupid decisions, but they all led me here with money to support Adam.”
“No, go to college as you were supposed to. You should invest,” Brian said as Carol and Tracey carefully eyed him from the side.
“I can’t. I can’t use this money. There is absolutely nothing else I can do for Adam, but hopefully this will help him receive better care. I know it won’t last forever but, I’m sure there are ways to make it stretch. There’s a brand-new facility a couple towns over. They have space. I already called. It’s beautiful and state-of-the-art, top-of-the-line nursing care and physical therapy. Maybe he would have a chance to excel more there.” I had a hard time swallowing after clearing my head of all the loose thoughts.
“Journey,” Carol cried out. “I know you blame yourself and take so much of the fault for what happened to Adam, but as I have told you before, life has a plan for each of us, and whether Adam was injured that night in the way he was or if it happened in a completely different way or day, this was his intended life.” Adam’s family had been avidly attending church services, seeking answers and forms of understanding—ways of life I was uncomfortable accepting. I was glad they had found a bit of peace in their misery, but Adam was still suffering. “You don’t owe him or us this gift. I need you to know this.”
I pressed my lips into a firm line. “I know.” It wasn’t how I truly felt, but it was the only way they would accept the money. “I want this for Adam.”
The three of them wrapped their arms around me and squeezed the air out of my lungs. We all cried until we couldn’t catch our breath, but then a plan was made. The money I didn’t deserve was being used for a purpose.
With everything I have lived through, having dinner with Brody and Mom should not be causing me a mild panic attack but my pulse is racing, and I feel like the heat is being turned up about twenty-degrees in Brody’s truck. “Are you okay over there?” Brody chuckles.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Where are we having dinner?”
“Uh, this new place in Lakebrige, Chez Tru or something?”
I close my eyes and lean my head back against the seat. “Chez Tru?” I repeat.
“Yeah, have you been there yet?” he continues.
“Remember the food photoshoot I had a few weeks ago and the sleazy owner, Marco?”
“Yeah, I remember that night. I was mad as hell at you for walking around in the dark alone.”
“Well, the photoshoot was at Chez Tru,” I tell him.
Brody snickers. “Good.”
“No, not good. I don’t want to see that jackass.”
“Fireball, you have nothing to worry about. You’re with me and your mom will be there too. He will say nothing to you. Unless he’s an idiot, and, in which case, I’ll take care of the situation, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’ll be fine.”
