Page 4 of The Devil Goes to Washington

“Hi, Mom. No, it’s fine. What’s up?”

“You sounded out of breath. I thought maybe you were giving Micah a bath.”

“He’s already sleeping. Besides, he’s gotten too old for me to do that.”

“But he’s still so small. Be careful, especially if your room is far away from his.”

“Mom, do you miss us already?” Evelyn and Micah had gone to pick up their few belongings after the formalities of the morning and filled her mom in on the details of the meeting.

“Of course! I don’t know how I’m going to start each morning without my rays of sunshine.” She had always been close to her mom, but when Micah came along, the woman became her rock, promising Evelyn there was always a solution. Even when the Hardings were tearing her world apart brick by brick, her mom had found a way for them to persevere.

“You are going to love having some peace and quiet. And you know we’ll still be visiting almost every day.” The three of them had been inseparable. She and her mom had traded off watching Micah and working to scrape enough money together for them to survive. Even the small business they had started didn’t bring in enough to keep them from feeling like they were drowning in debt. But, if she was careful with her new income, she might change that for all of them.

“I hope so. Tell me, how was the rest of your day and dinner with that man?” Her mother had refused to say Michael’s or his father’s name for the past eight years.

“We haven’t seen or heard from Michael since this morning. But Banner and the staff are taking very good care of us. ”

“At least someone is. He has always been so much more than a butler.”

“You should have seen how much food they had at dinner, just for the two of us. How did they think we’d eat that much?”

“They don’t know how little you’ve been subsisting on. The occasional cheese sandwich isn’t standard.”

“At the end of the meal, Micah slipped some rolls into his pockets. He thought he was being so sly.”

“It’s going to take you both some time to get used to having access to food whenever you’re hungry. Don’t think that little boy of yours didn’t notice every time you went without so he could eat.”

“What else was I supposed to do?” She rubbed at her forehead, thinking of all the things she wished she could have done for her son.

“You’re doing everything you can for him. Maybe the warmth and nourishment will help him thrive.”

“I hope so.” Getting up and pacing the room seemed the only way to relieve some of her pent-up anxiety.

“Are you settled in your rooms?”

“I’m in the old room I used to sleep in when I stayed here. It’s like nothing changed.” She smoothed out a wrinkle from the comforter, remembering how attentive Michael could be when they were tucked away in here.

“Oh my god, do you think he did it on purpose to goad you?” Her mom was well aware of the tactics that the Hardings used on their enemies.

“Maybe. I’m not sure he put any thought into it, particularly regarding us. Banner showed us to the east wing and told Micah he could choose whichever one he liked out of the dozens available. You know Micah. Of course, he opted for the smallest room that barely fit a single bed and a tall, thin dresser.” Micah had a beautiful soul trapped in a body that fought against him, yet he was always grateful and kind.

“They didn’t have his room ready for him?” Her mom’s indignation on Micah’s behalf was endearing, even if it was for something Evelyn considered trivial.

“I was surprised too. Banner looked so embarrassed. I’m not sure they knew Micah was coming.”

“I’m sure they’ll set up a playroom for him, now that they know.”

“I don’t think they’re allowed. The contract specified that all our personal expenses come from my allowance.”

“Maybe you could splurge a little with your new income.”

“Mom, you know we still need to be careful with our finances. It’s not like we got insurance or transportation in the deal.” In actuality, her debt was still growing and they would always have to scrimp and save just to stay afloat.

“That eff-ing cheapskate. Tell me that at least clothes are being covered by him.”

“You know you can curse when Micah isn’t around, right?” She placed her most prized possession, a framed picture of her and Micah on his birthday last year, on her nightstand.

“Yeah, but if I get into the habit, I’ll forget, and then you’ll be mad at me for teaching him new words.”