Page 80 of Kaine

“Can we help you?” I yell from under my linen cocoon.

“No, but I think I might’ve helped you. There’s someone out in the living who wants to see you,” Xavier says and I freeze, not sure I heard him right.

Kaine pulls the sheet down so my head is poking out, and he’s smiling at me.

“No.” I look up at him.

“Why don’t you go out and see?”

“Gabe?” I scramble out of bed, pulling the sheet around me like a toga. Once satisfied with the coverage, I run out into the living room, bracing myself for what I may or may not see.

“Gabriel!” I scream when I see him standing in the middle of the room and run up to him.

He catches me in his arms and I sob, the relief washing over me. “Gabriel! Where have you been? Are you okay?” I pull away and trace my eyes over his body, checking, checking his weight, checking for injuries, like I’ve been doing for the last six years.

I look up into his eyes, and they’re wet and red, and my heart breaks for the little boy who wanted his cute little head on a coin. I pull him back into my arms, sobbing his name.

“Hey, hey,” he whispers after a while, his head cradling the back of my head. “It’s fine, everything’s fine. In fact, it’s good. And it’s only going to get better.”

“Why, what do you mean? Where did you go? Why did you leave without telling me?” The questions come hard and fast, and I have so many more.

“Why... um, why don’t we sit down?” he says, gesturing to the chair.

“No, GABRIEL ANTHONY SINCLAIR, you will answer my questions, RIGHT NOW or I am...?”

“What? Going to tell Grammy?” he grins at me, and I’m surprised at how okay he actually does look. Maybe not physically, but definitely mentally.

“No. I’m...I’m going to tell...XAVIER!”

“Oy. Okay, I’m all yours, ask away. He is scary.”

“Hey!” Xavier protests.

“Shush, family reunion going on here. Go break some knees somewhere else,” Gabriel waves Xavier away.

“What? Did he...?’

“Let’s just say he’s good with the threats.”

I turn to look at Kaine, who has now followed us into the room. He just shrugs and looks sheepish.

“Whatever,” I brush his away. “I’m dealing with YOU right now. Why did you go?”

“I went... I went to get help, JJ.”

“JJ?” Kaine repeats, hearing Gabriel’s childhood nickname for me.

“Shush. Well, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because, it’s not the first time I’ve tried... and failed. And I didn’t want you getting your hopes up. I just thought if I disappeared this time, you’d worry for a little while but you’d get used to it, and one day I could just show up, and... be well, and clean and healthy and stop disappointing you. Because I’m going to do it this time, sis. I really am. The other day really scared me.”

“Aw, you idiot. I know you can do it.”

“Thanks, sis.” He runs a hand over his tired face. I reach out and run the back of my hand against the stubble on his chin. He looks older than I’ve ever seen him. Not old, but grown up. Maybe he really has.

“But you didn’t tell me, where did the scary man find you?”

“Hey!” Xavier protests again. And I shush him with a look.