CHAPTER 33 34 35 36 Epilogue
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The rule about locking the doors was instilled by Eddie’ s mother. Eddie could remember the time he came home from school and did not lock the door behind him. It was the first time his loving mother screamed at her young prince. She went from beautiful queen to mean, ugly witch in a matter of seconds and it terrified the six-year-old Eddie. He locked the doors because the people inside became monsters when you forgot. Justin made the mistake of thinking his father was trying to keep the monsters outside from getting in. The ambulance pulled in front of the house. Neighbors were beginning to gather in the street. Sirens and flashing lights in the quiet neighborhood were a sure sign of disaster. A second ambulance was called for Tanya as Sam sped across town through deserted streets. The police tried to stop Sam as she barged past. They knew the names of the people involved and Sam was in the process of barking orders.“ Eddie! Go with Tanya. I’ ll get Nicole.”“ She’ s family,” Eddie yelled, stopping any bullshit and climbed into the ambulance. Sam took Nicole upstairs and packed a small bag.
Nicole picked up her keys and locked the front door. The neighbors retreated to the sanctuary of their homes as quiet returned.“ I told him you can’ t scare Daddy. Do you think he took it like, you can’ t beat Daddy at ping-pong?” Nicole asked staring out the window of Sam’ s car with her head pressed against the door’ s glass.“ You mean like a challenge?” Sam asked.“ Yeah.”“ Who knows what goes on inside the male brain. You didn’ t put the idea there and he didn’ t confide in you,” Sam said. Nicole shook her head.“ Where are we going?”“ To the hospital and then you are coming home with me.”“ Oh.”
The hospital was quiet and practically deserted. The smells of disinfectant and flowers permeated the building. Sam found someone who directed her to Eddie. Nicole followed like a zombie and it scared Sam. The doctor had given Tanya a sedative because she woke screaming as they wheeled her into the hospital.“ She is resting. I’ ll stay here. Take care of Nicole,” Eddie said, sitting in the chair next to the bed as Sam and Nicole entered.“ Who is gong to take care of you?” Sam asked.“ I’ ll be okay. I have too,” he said, nodding toward his sleeping wife. He needed the quiet to figure out how he misinterpreted the dream. He should have recognized his son’ s eyes. The dream had him on edge. There was not enough light on the stairway.
Youth and shortsightedness went hand in hand. How many times had Eddie heard the sound of a car door slam and the woman beneath him say“ Oh Shit!” The shortstop on the field had to have lightning fast reflexes. How many bullets had he dodged simply by being incredibly quick. He had been caught by a couple of fathers who threatened to put a load of rock salt in his bare ass if they ever saw him again. Husbands were a different story. In Texas, temporary insanity usually won when the wife and lover were found naked and bloody.
Sam led Nicole to the master suite. With Nicole resting, Sam sat on a couch, where she often read, and watched the young woman sleep. Justin had been pronounced dead at the scene. Sam thought about what to do with his car. She decided to auction off the vehicle and put a scholarship in his name for anyone in his graduating class. She had plenty of time to set up the guidelines.
Nicole woke screaming. Sam rushed to the bed and held her.“ It’ s okay baby. You’ re safe. I’ m here,” Sam crooned, rocking the shaking child. She had no idea what to do and wondered if she would really be a good mother.“ This one is almost grown. What am I going to do with a baby that has no vocabulary and wakes up crying?” Sam asked herself. The answer came simply.“ You learn,” she thought as Nicole calmed and asked Sam not to leave. She stroked Nicole’ s dark hair and rubbed her back until both fell asleep.