~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I held Nick’s hand as we
both stood there crying…our mom was being taken away to a hospital and we still
didn’t know why. I definitely did not want to go with her, the hospital brings
back too many memories, of mom lying still again and again. I still didn’t know
where dad was and you don’t care taunted
a voice inside my head. I shook
away that thought and instead focused on Nick.
“Little bro? You ok?” Nick
looked up at me and what I saw in his eyes scared me. “Melly” he said, his
little voice shaking “Mommy is the only family we got left, if Mommy goes to
heaven then all we will have is Daddy. Melly, I don’t wanna be alone with him
ever again…never again.” I wiped away the onslaught of tears that came from
both his eyes and mine. I sat down next to him, and he put his arms around me.
We sat like that for a while.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I watched
Melinda fighting her emotions on her front porch. She was looking down at Nick
and she looked more torn with every word. The little boy finished what he was
saying and began to cry. As Melinda began to cry also, the tenderness and pain
written on her face blew me away. I had never seen anyone that could display
multiple emotions in just one flash. I felt a tug on both hands and looked down
to see Ty and Austin by my side. I patted their dark brown heads and when they
looked up at me, their blue eyes held a mixture of curiosity and seriousness.
“Matt” Ty
said “You aren’t going to believe what mom’s going to do” Austin pitched in
“but I think you’ll like it” Ty interrupted “and so will we!” They both giggled
and ran through the rapidly dwindling crowd when I lifted my eyebrows and took
a menacing step forward. I was curious now because sometimes, mom does things
that I do not understand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I talked to Nick. I told
him I would never let dad hurt him again. I held him by my side when a movement
caught my eye. I looked up and saw Matt in the almost empty street with his
twin brothers. I saw the love and amusement as he listened to them talk. They
started running away and laughing when he took a scary step in their direction.
I laughed inwardly at the love and protectiveness he had with them. He looked
up and held my gaze for a second. His brown eyes and his steady gaze melted something
inside me. Someone touched my shoulder and I jumped, breaking the connection
between Matt and I. I stood up and turned, with Nick by my side. I found a tall
lady with hazel colored eyes looking steadily at me. Something about her face
triggered recognition.
“Hello Melinda” she said
with a wide smile. I got the feeling that she hadn’t smiled for a good reason
for a long time. “ I am Matt’s mother, Marian”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Melinda’s
green eyes pierced my own until I thought I would have to break it up any
second. Someone touched her shoulder and she jumped. She turned around and gave
me a clear view of who was talking…my mother.
“We told
you! You wouldn’t believe us” Tyler said. The Austin added “And we like it
because Nicks gonna be able to spend the night” Then they both said “and so
will M-E-L-I-N-D-A!!!!!!” They turned and dashed away as I glared after them.
My mom would definitely not do that…would she??? “And here is my son Matt….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am quite sure you two have
met??” Marian said. As she spoke to me on the porch, I had found out how
extremely nice and down to earth she was. She greeted me like I was her own
daughter, she had warm and comforting words for me, and she made me forget
everything bad for just a moment. For a minute I wished she were my mother. We
then walked towards Matt and when she asked if we had met I recalled an image
of him bumping his head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don’t
think she meant to smile, but I am sure glad she did. She looks beautiful when
she smiles. My mother’s voice jolted me out of my thinking. “Matt? Melinda?
Obviously you two have met, so please show Melinda home, and get all three boys
to go with you too. They are spending the night with us for a while. Now head on
home you two while I get some things cleared up with the neighbors.” I nodded
and she smiled at both of us. I beckoned with a deep bow to Melinda and then I
yelled “TYLER!! AUSTIN!!!” Melinda opened her mouth and yelled “NICK!!!” just
as loudly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matt’s little brother
Tyler came barreling across my front yard with Austin and Nick not far behind.
They all rammed into Matt with their shoulders. He staggered with an “OOf” but
stayed standing. “Whoo” he exclaimed and the boys laughed. “Ty, Austin, Nick”
he said as they began to show signs of beginning to run again. “Look both ways
before crossing okay??” All three nodded. “Nick, you gotta see our room! It is awesome!!” Austin gushed. They
raced across the street not giving us a backwards glance. “They never listen to
me” Matt said “But I love ‘em anyways”. I nodded silently feeling kinda
awkward. I then realized, that all along they lived straight across the street
!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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