Firestone

by Christian, Claudia Hall

  Yvonne smiled.

  “What?” Rodney asked.

  “I knew you’d love him,” Yvonne said.

  They walked down the hall to their room.

  “There’s one thing, though,” Rodney said.

  “What?” Yvonne asked.

  “That boy is not four and a half,” Rodney said.

  “That’s what Jeraine says he is,” Yvonne said.

  “He looks like Jer,” Rodney said. “No question. It’s just . . .”

  “He seems like he’s three or maybe younger,” Yvonne said. “Except he’s so mouthy.”

  “Like Jeraine was,” Rodney said. “Remember?”

  “That boy could talk your ear off when he was two years old,” Yvonne laughed.

  “Just another mystery,” Rodney said.

  Nodding, Yvonne followed him into their room.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Wednesday evening — 8:35 p.m.

  Jill stuck her head out of the nursery and listened.

  The loft was silent.

  No twins crying. No Katy laughter-tears-screams-giggles-conversation. Jacob was working in the office they shared.

  The twins were fed and asleep. Katy had given her last kisses and special hugs and was now sound asleep. Everyone was safe, tucked in, and cared for.

  Jill sighed.

  She wanted to do something — watch a movie, go for a run, head downstairs to talk to Sandy about the Grand Jury and what happened with Seth, call Heather and find out what was happening with Blane, hear the latest about Jabari from Tanesha, or maybe just make popcorn. She couldn’t decide what she wanted to do. She just wanted to do something.

  She’d been taking care of babies for too long. Tonight, she was going to have fun.

  She sat down on the cozy loveseat outside the nursery and tried to pick something. Scooter jumped up onto the loveseat and settled in next to her. He put his head on her lap.

  “Jill?” Jacob came out of his office a few minutes later. “Jill?”

  She was sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he covered her with a blanket and went back to the office.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Wednesday evening — 9:02 p.m.

  “How’s Tink?” Heather asked Blane in a low voice.

  She was sitting on the bed rocking Mack.

  “Asleep,” Blane said. “She and Charlie had a nice time tonight.”

  “After that awful hearing . . .” Heather started and shook her head.

  Mack was asleep in her arms. Blane held his arms out for his son, but Heather shook her head.

  “He just fell asleep,” she said. “Let’s give him a few minutes.”

  Mack opened his large blue eyes. He looked at Heather, and she smiled at him. He looked around until he saw Blane. He laughed like he’d just found something special. Then he looked back at Heather. She rocked him.

  “I’m sorry about Chet,” Blane said.

  “I know,” Heather said. “We can’t take him and have you get your treatment. Risa is looking for a temporary placement so Chet can move here after the first of the year.”

  Blane nodded.

  “How do you feel about . . . everything?” Heather asked.

  “Everything?” Blane asked.

  Heather watched him.

  “I feel grateful for you and my life,” Blane said. “I feel a fierce, heart-wrenching love for our children — Mack, Tink, and our baby boy on the way. I go back to feeling deeply grateful for you. I love you.”

  She smiled, and he sat down next to her on the bed.

  “And of course, Jake and Sam and everything else and all the awesomeness in my life,” Blane said.

  “I know, it’s pretty great,” Heather said. “Do you want to run through the procedure again?”

  “Tomorrow, I’m going to confirm with the doctor that we want to go through with treatment,” Blane said. “I will schedule the procedure in the next two weeks. In the meantime, I’ll wrap up at Lipson, and in my acupuncture practice, and go into the hospital. They will destroy all of my bone marrow. They will then seed my system with Tanner’s cord blood. I will lie in bed and try not to go completely crazy. I will stay there and hope the cord blood reseeds my bone marrow. If not, they’ll try with Bladen’s cord blood.”

  Heather nodded.

  “What are you going to do?” Blane asked.

  “Worry a lot,” Heather said.

  He smiled.

  “Tink’s going to help me with Mack,” Heather said. “Jill and Sandy are going to help too. Sandy’s going to pick up Tink from school and keep her at her house until I can come get her. Jill and Honey will help with Mack so I can stay with you as much as I can. I know Jake, Sam, and Aden are going to be there too. We’ll do what we can to keep our lives going. But we’ll miss you horribly. I’ll miss you horribly. When the month is over and you’re disease free, you’ll come home to us and our lives.”

  Heather smiled.

  “Our whole world revolves around you, Blane,” Heather said. “You have to get well.”

  “My whole world revolves around you,” Blane said.

  They hugged around Mack. When he didn’t stir, Blane picked him up and took him to his crib in the corner of their room.

  “We should get to sleep,” Heather said. “Tomorrow’s the start of some very big days.”

  Blane held out his hands, and Heather let him pull her from the bed. He hugged her tight.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  “You made all of this,” Heather whispered. “You just have to get well . . . You just have to.”

  “Then I will,” Blane said.

  “Everything starts tomorrow,” Heather said.

  “Tomorrow is going to be a very good day,” Blane said.

  “I hope so,” Heather said.

  “Me too,” Blane said.

  Chapter Two Hundred and Eighty-nine

  Tomorrow night!

  Thursday morning — 10:53 a.m.

  Heather pulled into the parking lot on the old Lowry Air Force Base. She drove past the Wings over the Rockies Museum to a nondescript two-story building labeled “Lowry Air Force Base.” She waited for a car to pull out before parking in front of Endorphin Fitness. The spin class was just finishing up, so she waited in the car.

  She and Blane had seen his doctor early this morning. The doctor had gone over the risks of Blane’s procedure again. When they agreed, again, to do the procedure, he had them sign all of the waiver forms. The process had begun. They had left the office and were standing next to her car in the parking lot when the doctor’s assistant tracked them down.

  There was an immediate opening at the hospital.

  Blane could start the procedure on Saturday or wait at least a month to get in. They’d both nodded, smiled, and bravely agreed to start on Saturday.

  Blane would go into the hospital tomorrow night.

  Blane would be in the hospital for a month starting tomorrow night.

  Tomorrow night!

  Heather’s mind repeated these statements over and over again. He’d held onto her hand for dear life the entire drive out to Lipson Construction. She’d kissed him goodbye and watched him walk to the building.

  He was going to be in the hospital tomorrow night.

  He’d stopped at the doorway to Lipson Construction and turned to look at her. She’d raised her hand to wave goodbye. He’d smiled and gone inside.

  “He’s being brave for me,” Heather had said out loud. “I’ll be brave for him.”

  She’d put a smile on her face and driven out here.

  The spin class was over and gloriously fit women spilled out of the building. They laughed with each other in sweaty bliss. Someday, Heather would take a class like that. Someday, she would laugh in the same kind of sweaty bliss.

  “Maybe when Blane is better.”

  Her mind repeated her usual rationale for not doing things. After all, she had a toddler, a baby on the way, a new teenage daughter, a house, a job, not to mention Blane’s acu
puncture practice. She had plenty to do without . . .

  Blane was going into the hospital in thirty-one hours.

  Her heart seized with panic. She lowered her head to take a few deep breaths.

  Anxiety is the worst thing for the baby.

  She heard Blane’s voice. He’d repeated this like a mantra when she was pregnant with Mack. This time, they just laughed about it. They were old pros at babies now. She smiled and got out of the car.

  She waited for another sweaty woman to leave the building and went inside. Turning left, she went into the room filled with spin bikes.

  Abi the fairy, Fin’s partner and Tanesha’s thirty-year-old-looking great-grandmother, was talking to a couple of women at the front of the room. Heather waited in the doorway until Abi was free.

  “Heather!” Abi said. The tall, fit woman with milk-chocolate skin waved to Heather. “If you’ll excuse me, my friend Heather is here. We’re going to lunch.”

  The women gave Heather a big smile and left the room together. Abi gave Heather a quick, sweaty hug.

  “How are you?” Abi asked.

  “Blane . . . um . . .” Heather started.

  Abi nodded. Her hand touched Heather’s arm, and Heather knew Abi understood everything.

  “I need to clean up a bit,” Abi said. “Do you mind? It will just take a sec.”

  Heather nodded.

  “What do you think of Jabari?” Abi asked.

  She went down the row of exercise bikes. She sprayed them with cleaning spray and quickly wiped them down with a towel.

  “He’s adorable,” Heather said. “If he weren’t Tanesha’s, I’d probably keep him for my own.”

  “I know!” Abi said. “I can’t understand what’s wrong with his mother, but then, I’m kind of glad she’s so awful.”

  Abi moved to the next row of bikes.

  “I know,” Heather said. “If she were normal, he wouldn’t be here. Tanesha says her mother is over the moon with him.”

  “Yvonne?” Abi smiled at the mention of her granddaughter. “Yes, Jabari is just what Yvonne needs. He’s a lost puppy in need of lots of love. What do you think will happen?”

  “Why don’t you . . .?” Heather waved her hand around.

  Abi laughed and pointed to the floor to ceiling windows.

  “I’d rather the world didn’t see me,” Abi said. “Plus, it’s nice to use my hands a bit. Now tell me . . .”

  “About Jabari?” Heather asked. “Oh, I think he’ll move in with Jeraine and Tanesha, and be very happy. Tanesha is so strong. It’s what he needs, really. He’ll become strong like she is, and soft of heart. My guess is that he’ll forgive his mother someday. But I doubt if he will ever live in Atlanta again.”

  Abi looked up from the last row of bikes and nodded.

  “But I’m no . . . uh . . . What is it you call Delphie?” Heather asked.

  “Delphie is a powerful oracle,” Abi said. “I’ve never met an oracle with that kind of power. Liban says that she remembers one, but it was a long time ago — ancient Greece or something like that. We are lucky to know her, and she is lucky to be so protected. It’s amazing, really, what the Marlowe-Lipsons have done for her. I’m glad.”

  Abi tossed her hand towel into the laundry bag and set the spray on the floor. She picked up the bag and carried it out of the room. Heather stood in place. Abi’s head leaned back into the doorway.

  “Come on,” Abi said. “We can talk privately and then we’ll go to lunch.”

  “Lunch?” Heather felt dumbfounded that Abi would spend time with her.

  “You’re my great-granddaughter’s best friend,” Abi said. “Of course we’re going to lunch.”

  Abi flashed Heather a smile strikingly similar to Tanesha’s, that Heather followed her out of the room. They went into the back where Abi started throwing towels into the machine.

  “I love these machines,” Abi said. “Just adore them. I do the towels at every location I work at just so I can play with the machines.”

  Heather smiled.

  “You have no idea how lucky you are,” Abi said.

  Abi closed the door to the washing machine and stood up.

  “You’re worried about Blane,” Abi said.

  “I came to ask you if you could help with . . . uh . . . his procedure,” Heather said. “You know, like Jill fixed his liver.”

  Abi looked confused. She shook her head.

  “Jill didn’t fix Blane’s liver,” Abi said.

  “Well, Liban,” Heather said. “You know, Jill got wishes and—”

  “Did Jill say she healed Blane’s liver?” Abi asked.

  “No, but—”

  “Jill didn’t heal Blane’s liver,” Abi said.

  “Who did?” Heather said.

  “You did,” Abi said.

  “What?” Heather asked.

  “You really don’t know?” Abi asked. “Fin said you had no idea, but I was sure you had to know. I mean, how could you not know? Huh.”

  Abi gave a slight shrug and walked out of the back room. Heather had to trot to catch up with her. Abi picked up her purse and phone from behind the desk, and they left the building. Abi locked the door.

  “I can drive,” Heather said.

  “Great,” Abi said. “I just had Fin drop me off this morning before he went to school.”

  “Why?” Heather asked.

  “I don’t like the whole driving thing,” Abi said. “Fin loves it, but I—”

  Heather opened the passenger side of her Subaru and went around to the driver’s side.

  “I’d rather fly,” Abi said. “Plus, I knew you were coming.”

  “How?” Heather asked. “I thought future prediction wasn’t something fairies were very good at.”

  “Oh, we’re not,” Abi said. “Delphie told me you were coming last night after dinner.”

  “She did?” Heather asked.

  “Of course she did,” Abi said. The fairy put on her seat belt after Heather pointed to it. “Thanks. I always forget about these restraints. Modern life has odd complications.”

  Heather smiled.

  “Can you help Blane?” Heather asked. “He’s going to go in tomorrow night and—”

  “I can,” Abi said in a vague tone. “What do you think he needs help with?”

  “He could die,” Heather said. “I mean, he could have died of liver problems or Hep C or AIDS, but now the doctors are killing off his bone marrow. If Tanner’s blood doesn’t reseed his bone marrow, he will die.”

  “I see,” Abi said. “What are you going to do about that?”

  “Me?” Heather asked. “What are you talking about? You’re always so straight forward and cool. Today you’re acting like . . . Mari.”

  Abi gasped as if Heather had said something horrible. Heather glanced at Abi, and the fairy laughed.

  “I guess I am.” Abi smiled at Heather. “I find riding in cars a little unsettling. Could we pull over and walk a bit? Then we’ll eat something super yummy, like one of those great salads or . . .”

  Heather pulled over next to Crestmoor Park, and they got out.

  “What did you mean that Jill didn’t heal Blane?” Heather asked. “I mean, I know about the wishes and Liban and . . .”

  “When fairies affect a human being in any way, there’s a kind of sparkle or dust around the human for the rest of their life,” Abi said. “Take your Tiffanie, for example. Jill asked Liban to heal her seizures. Tiffanie will have that sparkle around her head for the rest of her life. Have you seen it?”

  Heather shook her head.

  “Some humans can,” Abi said. “Blane doesn’t have that kind of sparkle around him.”

  “Who healed his liver, then?” Heather asked.

  “Why, you did,” Abi said.

  “I did . . .” Heather scowled. “What? I’m not a healer like Jill or able to move things with my mind like Jake or fairy-kind like Tanesha or a warm Earth mother like Sandy. I’m Heather, just Heather.”

>   “Mmm,” Abi said.

  “Will you tell me what you mean?” Heather asked.

  “Of course,” Abi said. “Do you want to know?”

  Heather nodded.

  “You have a great power to love,” Abi said.

  “To love?” Heather asked.

  “Blane’s liver was healed with love,” Abi said. “Your love protects him, strengthens him. Every medical interaction has been enhanced a hundred-fold by your love.”

  “My love?” Heather asked. “Then what did Jill ask Liban to do for Blane?”

  “I wasn’t there,” Abi said. “If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say that she asked Liban to protect Blane in this process, keep him safe.”

  “Why didn’t she heal him?”

  “Because Liban would have told her what I’m trying to tell you,” Abi said.

  “What are you trying to tell me?” Heather asked.

  “That you wield the most powerful force in this world,” Abi said. “More powerful than fairy magic, more powerful than an oracle, more powerful than all of the forces of this world combined.”

  “I do?” Heather asked.

  Abi nodded.

  “What force do I wield?” Heather asked.

  “Your love,” Abi said.

  Heather gave her a doubtful look and they walked in silence for a moment. Then Heather stopped walking.

  “What are you talking about?” Heather asked.

  “You’re friends with some amazing women,” Abi said.

  Heather nodded.

  “Jill is the daughter of a Titan and a great human healer from a long line of healers going back to the ancient land of Rus,” Abi said. “Sandy is the child of a music prodigy, a man able to translate God himself into sounds we can enjoy, and the incredible human Andy Mendy. Tanesha is the daughter of a full-blooded fairy and a powerful human. And then there’s you.”

  “I know,” Heather said. “I’m lucky they’re friends with me.”

  Abi laughed.

  “My mother is no Anjelika or Yvonne,” Heather said.

  “Your mother is very normal,” Abi said. “That’s true. She’s human, like Rodney, or Andy Mendy.”

  Abi nodded.

  “Ever wonder about your father?” Abi asked.