by J. P. Grider
Noah left without another word, and Lorraine felt bits of her heart begin to crumble.
***
His head felt like he’d drank a whole bottle of Jager. Thick. Foggy. Heavy. The Zzzquil he’d taken to fall right to sleep, so he wouldn’t lie there ruminating instead of sleeping, worked how he’d intended it to, but it felt like a hangover in the morning. Plus, it just sank in that not only did he dump his wrestling career, but his college career as well. He wouldn’t be able to take care of Norah and stay at Duke.
Yeah. It was hitting him hard. College dropout. What the hell?
Dragging himself out of bed, his head heavier than the rest of him, he pulled on yesterday’s jeans and started for Lorraine’s. Until he remembered she drank tea and wouldn’t have a pot of coffee made. Outside, it occurred to him that his bike was parked in the parking lot of his apartment. In North Carolina. Lorraine’s Kia was in the driveway, but he’d have to go in and ask if he could use it. In front of her car, the garage door was closed. Probably housing Brick’s Mercedes. Still, the keys were inside.
He’d walk to get his coffee.
***
He ended up jogging to get his coffee and walked back. When he got in, he found eight missed calls and twenty-one texts on the phone he left on the bathroom sink. His coach and teammates. Noah wasn’t surprised. As he sipped his coffee, the phone rang again. Coach’s name lit up the screen. In an effort to bite the bullet and get it over with, he answered. “Coach.”
“Where the hell are you, Mack? You weren’t in your room. You missed weigh-ins. What the hell?”
“Yeah. Had a family emergency.”
“Who died now?”
Asshat. “Still my dad. But there are still… things.”
“And you couldn’t wait one more goddamned day to take care of them?”
“What the hell for? I’m dropping out anyway.”
“What the fuck? You’re quitting the team?” he yelled.
“I don’t think they allow you on the team if you’re not a student.”
“Mack, what the hell you talking about?”
“I’m dropping out of Duke.” There. He said it. It was now official.
“Mack? Are you high? You can’t drop out, you’re my best wrestler, and aren’t you like the school’s smartest student or something?”
“Yeah, well, shit happens. I have to go.” Noah hung up before he could hear his coach respond, then he took another sip of his coffee and thought he definitely needed something stronger. His new, unfortunately, most-likely, permanent apartment was void of any alcohol. Void of everything really. Everything was back at Duke. He needed to get his stuff. And soon.
Taking his coffee, he sought out Lorraine.
“Morning,” she said from her seat at the kitchen table. “Got your coffee already?”
“Yeah.” He set it down. “I need the keys to Brick’s car.”
“You mean the Mercedes?”
“No, I mean the Porsche that he cracked up. Of course I mean the Mercedes.”
She shook her head. “Right there,” she said, pointing to the key hook by the back door.
“I’m going to Duke to pick up my bike.”
“Wait. Now? You’re driving to North Carolina now?”
“Yeah. You got a better idea on how I can get my stuff?”
“Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, did we?”
Noah didn’t respond.
“Where you gonna put your bike? On the roof?”
“Send your mule to college, did we?”
“Touché,” she said with a raised brow.
“I don’t know, I’ll rent a trailer or something.”
Lorraine leaned forward, resting her cheek on her knuckles. “Are you dropping out of college?”
Noah walked over to the counter and leaned against it. “Can’t stay here and at Duke, unless you know how to clone me.”
Lorraine bit her lip and raised her brow, and when she did, Noah suddenly almost didn’t care he’d just capsized his entire life yesterday. Why the hell did she have to be so cute? “You shouldn’t quit school though,” she said, breaking him from his trance.
“I can’t do both, Lorraine.”
“Why did you come here?” she asked seriously.
“What do you mean? You gave me that letter. Norah’s not going to Connecticut.”
“And you’re sure about this? Because yesterday, you weren't really thrilled about dropping everything, as you so kindly put it.”
“Yeah, well, there's not really much of a choice. Besides, she's my sister. What kind of brother would I be if I just let her go?”
Lorraine’s face relaxed. “Did you talk to the lawyer?”
“Not yet.”
“You don't think there will be a problem with you getting custody, do you?” Lorraine pushed away her mug and sat up straight.
Noah pulled out a chair and sat. “No. Of course not. You’re getting custody of your brother, right?”
“But no one else is asking for him?”
Noah tapped the top of his coffee lid. “The letter said, ‘Because she is the only next of kin,’ she must think I don’t want custody. But I do. So, she has no right. Not if I’m here. I’m her brother, and I’m an adult. There’s no reason I wouldn’t get her.”
Lorraine shrugged. “No. You’re right. Just call the lawyer Monday. You’re nineteen. I don’t see her getting custody over—”
“Twenty,” Noah interrupted. “I’m twenty.”
“Oh. I thought you were still—”
“Had a birthday last week. Twenty.”
Lorraine frowned. “Happy birthday. Norah didn’t tell me.”
“She probably didn’t know. She was only eight when my mom died.” Noah shrugged. “We didn’t do birthdays after that.”
Noah could tell by Lorraine’s expression that she felt bad about that.
“Stop. Birthdays suck.”
“We’ll come with you. Today.”
“What?”
“To North Carolina. We’ll come.” Lorraine stood and brought her cup to the sink, then turned around and looked at Noah. “We’ll take my mom’s Pilot. This way, you can drive your motorcycle home, and I can drive your stuff home.”
She’s crazy. “What? No. I can do this by myself.”
“Why? This’ll be so much easier. Plus, for the next two days, I’ll actually know where Carter is every single second.”
Yeah, okay, ain’t that the truth? “Well, I guess it would be easier.” But all of them? Was Noah ready for a Griswold family adventure?
“Of course it will,” Lorraine said, clapping her hands together. “I’ll go wake them up right now.
Noah groaned. She was a strange one, but he kind of liked the way she did things that had to be done. Like taking the train into Penn Station to get an answer from him. And stepping up when her grandmother had to leave; she was scared, but she didn’t ship the teenagers down to Florida like she could have. She kept them here, where they belonged. And now, taking the trip to North Carolina, because it made it easier on him. She may be crazy, and she may be a klutz, but Lorraine took charge. Noah liked that.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“I don’t understand why we all have to go to North Carolina just to get some stuff.” Carter sulked in the backseat, inconvenienced by his sister dragging him out of bed on a Saturday morning.
“I told you,” Lorraine said, “Noah has to drive his motorcycle back, and I thought it’d be nice to do something as a family. Besides, it’ll be fun,” she looked over at Noah in the driver’s seat “to get to know each other. All of us.”
Noah glanced in her direction and couldn’t help notice the small dimple set just above her smile. The sun streaming in through the windshield gave her olive complexion a golden glow. Noah shook his head and returned focus to the highway.
“So, what kind of music you guys wanna listen to?” Lorraine started fussing with the radio dial.
When no one responded, Noah looked
in his rearview mirror. Ear buds.
“Guess they got their own music to listen to,” Lorraine said, her smile fading.
“Put on what you like,” Noah told her. “I’m not much for music anyway.”
“You don’t listen to music?” Lorraine asked, shocked, as if Noah was breaking a Ten Commandment.
“No. I don’t.”
“What do you listen to when you’re driving?”
“The wind. The road. I ride a bike. Don’t need music.”
Lorraine nodded. “What about when you’re working out?”
“My breathing.”
“When you’re studying?”
“I don’t study.”
“Aren’t you, like, a top student or something? Brick used to tell us you were, like—”
“I don’t study,” he repeated.
“Oh. ‘Kay.” Lorraine found a clear station and left it in place—some country tune to which she quietly sang along.
When the song finished, Noah smirked. “Country fan?”
“All-music fan.”
“Cool,” he figured.
***
Several country songs and many miles later, Noah pulled into a gas station to fill up the tank.
“I’m going to get some M&Ms,” Lorraine announced. “Anyone want anything?”
“I’ll come with,” Norah said.
“Can you get me a Monster and sour cream & onion chips?” Carter mumbled.
“You?” Lorraine asked Noah.
“Coffee. With milk. Please.”
“Nothing to eat?”
“Not hungry.”
“‘Kay.”
Lorraine and Norah shopped the convenience store for their goods, and on their way out, they spotted a really hairy little dog tied to a gate to the right of the gas pumps. “Oh. Look at that dog,” Norah cried.
“Oh my gosh,” Lorraine said on a gasp.
With their drinks and snacks in hand, Lorraine and Norah raced over to the shaggy dog.
“Hey, little guy,” both girls said simultaneously as they maneuvered their food to leave a hand open for petting the pup.
“You girls want him?”
“What?” Lorraine stood as she answered the gas station attendant.
“Someone left him here ‘bout a month ago. Never came back.”
“Did you take him to a vet? See if he’s chipped?” Lorraine asked, while Norah continued to pet the dog.
“‘Course. He’s not. Brought him to the shelter, but they said they didn’t have room and told me to go to another one. Figured I’d keep him after that, but it’s just me, and he has to stay tied up while I work.”
“Poor dog,” Lorraine whined before seeing Noah strolling over.
“What’s the hold up?”
Lorraine handed over the drink tray so she could pick up the dog. “This dog was abandoned. This man wants to give him to us.”
“No. We’re not taking the dog.”
“No one was asking your permission,” Lorraine said, annoyed. Though she was only considering taking the pooch home, Noah’s sudden bossy tone changed her mind. “I’m taking this dog home. Tying him up like this is just wrong.”
“Whoa, hey, I did what I could,” the gas station man defended himself.
“Oh, I, know. I wasn’t implying that you didn't. I’m sorry.”
“Please can we take him, Noah?” Norah asked.
“Yes, we can,” Lorraine answered before Noah could.
“We don’t need a dog. It’s time to go.” He turned and walked toward the car, while behind him, Lorraine untied the dog and picked him up in her arms. By then, the gas attendant had said, “Do what you want,” and followed Noah toward the pumps.
“You’re really taking him?” Norah whisper-shouted, excited, but weary of her big brother’s reaction.
“We need something to make us smile,” Lorraine said proudly, as she got in the car, her new pooch on her lap, a huge pout on the driver sitting next to her.
“Bitch,” he whispered under his breath.
Lorraine took a quick look at the underside of the dog. “Nope. He’s a boy,” she said straight-faced, although very much aware that Noah was talking about her and not the dog.
He rolled his eyes, but Lorraine saw the corner of his mouth quirk.
Carter sat up. “What the hell is that?”
“A dog, Carter,” Lorraine deadpanned.
“Looks like a big rat,” he continued.
“He’s cute. And he’s an orphan,” Lorraine said at once, “like us. And he needs someone to take care of him.” Her tone, unwavering, shut them all up. So much so, that no one said another word for nearly two hours, when Carter finally said, “I need to take a piss.”
When Noah pulled over, all four of them had to relieve themselves, but Noah made a point to tell Lorraine she’d have to wait for one of them to get back before she could go. “Someone’s gotta stay with the dog,” he snickered.
“Fine,” she said. “I don’t mind waiting with Sunny.”
Noah, already two steps closer to the bathroom, stopped in his tracks and turned. “Sonny? Like Sonny-boy?”
“No. Like the Sun.” Lorraine pointed up to the sky.
“Sunny morning?” Noah snorted, making Lorraine frown.
On their way back from the bathroom, Noah, Carter, and Norah had their hands filled with food. “Got Sunny a burger. Figured he was probably hungry.”
Lorraine took the paper-wrapped sandwich from Noah and couldn’t unwrap it fast enough for Sunny, who barked pleadingly at the beef. “Thanks,” she said to Noah as she fed her dog the burger .
“Go to the bathroom,” Noah said as he slid the leash off Lorraine’s hand.
“I won’t be long.”
“Rain,” Noah called to her retreating back.
When she turned, Noah and Sunny were next to her, Noah’s hand extended, a ten dollar bill lolling from the tips of his fingers. “Get yourself lunch.”
“I’m good. I have my own money.”
“Suit yourself,” he said and returned to the car.
Lorraine went in and out and was back in the car within five minutes. Sunny on her lap, Lorraine closed her eyes and slept the rest of the ride down.
***
“What’re you looking at?” Noah said playfully when he glanced at Sunny sitting on Lorraine’s lap. His focus on the road, he continued talking with the only other awake living being in the car. “Today’s your lucky day, huh? Don’t know what possessed her to take you home, but...something tells me that’s normal for her. Taking in strays and being kind to the underdog.” Noah took a quick look at Sunny again. “We’ll have to clean you up, bud. Can hardly see your eyes. And you do look like a big hairy rat. I don’t care how cute she thinks you are. She’ll take care of you, though. I don’t doubt that.”
Sunny took in three tiny breaths and let them out in an exaggerated sigh.
While he drove, Noah tried to ignore the commotion going on in his head—a sudden cacophony of unfamiliar, and unwanted, thoughts—Lorraine smells so damn good. Her breathing sounds like a kitten’s purr. He just up and quit wrestling and college without prior thought. Why? Norah needed him. Yes. Was it his responsibility to take care of her. He was sure Aunt Margaret would raise her fine. Better than he could, most likely. But...Lorraine sure did smell really, really good. No. Norah. Norah needed him, and he was doing this for her. But his career. Wrestling or not, he had a plan to work in aviation. Designing airplanes and engines and that was the plan. He wondered when he’d first developed that plan. And why? Truth be told, he’d never given it a thought. It was a plan he’d made once. Noah never thought things through. If an idea came to him, he’d go with it, never giving it a second thought. Probably the reason why, after watching Lorraine walk away at Penn Station yesterday, he’d packed up his bag and left.
So, why was he giving anything a thought now? Noah hated obsessing over things. He hated the effect it had on his emotions. Shit. Lorraine smelled too good. H
e opened the two front windows to let in some cold air before his emotions affected something else too.
“Ruff, ruff,” Sunny barked.
“What are you complaining about? You’re already on her lap.”
“Ruff.”
Noah chuckled. Lucky dog.
***
When Lorraine woke up, the driver’s seat was empty, but the backseat wasn’t. “Where are we?”
“Some hotel,” Carter answered. “Noah said he’d be right back.”
“Oh.” Lorraine opened the car door. “I’m taking Sunny for a walk.”
“Sunny. Sunny and Rainy. Cute, Rain,” Carter mocked.
“Shut up, Carter.” She got out and slammed the door, quickly regretting naming the dog Sunny. She was so stupid at times. Most times. “Let’s stretch your legs, boy.”
“Hey. Taking Sunny for a walk?” Noah said behind her a few minutes later.
Lorraine turned. “Noah. What are we doing here?”
“We’re in Durham. I booked us a room. Two double beds. You and Norah. Carter and Me.”
“What about your house?”
“We are not staying in my college house. I just want to get in and get out. They’re all in New York, but...no. We’ll stay here.”
“I need to get bags or something. The dog pooped.”
Noah laughed. “Sunny took a shit and you couldn’t pick it up?”
“Where can I get bags?” she asked, unamused.
“I’m sure there’s an empty bag somewhere in the car. But you’re going to have to hide the dog in your purse or something. They don’t allow pets.”
“Hide the—what if he barks?”
“Fortunately, I haven’t heard him bark much. And he’s little, so do your best.”
“Fine.”
“C’mon. Let’s go get the kids and go to the room.”
“The kids,” Lorraine murmured, lingering behind Noah as Sunny marched alongside his new human.
***
