by Dawn Kirby
When he’d gone over every inch of David’s car, the big dog moved on to Mom’s. The meticulous process he used while investigating David’s car was painstakingly repeated again. Seemingly satisfied he moved on to my car. His ears perked up when he sniffed around my car door. The dog trotted over to Mom’s door, then David’s, and back to mine. Tail wagging furiously the whole time. Whatever he had found made him extremely happy.
My heart began to pound as he turned towards our house. I watched while he sniffed the doorway and then the garage. He stopped suddenly, trotted to the end of the driveway and looked at the house. His eyes flashed yellow, and then went back to their normal grayish color. I gasped, stunned by what I saw.
The dog reacted almost instantly. It was not at all what I would have ever expected. He didn’t even look around for the source of the noise. He already knew exactly where it had come from. I knew because he was looking right at me. As soon as his eyes locked onto mine there was no doubt in my mind that he knew I was standing there.
His eyes flashed bright yellow again. He bared his teeth. I heard low, harsh growls outside the glass. The fur on the back of his neck stood on end. It looked like he was ready to attack full force despite having to climb two stories up to do it.
“Don’t worry,” I said under my breath. “The feeling’s mutual.”
Cold chills ran through me. How one animal could instill that much fear in someone was beyond me. All the sudden, his head jerked towards our neighbor’s house and his tail started to wag again.
Even in the pitch black of night, I could see a skinny young woman. The dark haired, red-lipped beauty stood on the sidewalk across the street, looking towards our driveway. Amazingly, she never said a word to the menacing four-legged creature. She simply snapped her fingers and he went running.
Rattled, I fell back into the bed. I didn’t know what to think about any of this. Mom, David, the woman, or that damn dog. I knew I didn’t scare him, but I couldn’t understand why he saw me as such a threat. That had to be the reason he had reacted that way, right?
I was tempted to go down and make them tell me what was going on, but I couldn’t. They weren’t actually asleep. Mom’s quickening heartbeat and irregular breathing spoke volumes.
I felt like I’d only been asleep for a short time when I heard the front door open and footsteps on the concrete outside. I rolled my head towards the clock on my nightstand. It was well after four in the morning. At first I didn’t care and pulled the sheet over my head. I was simply too tired. Then I remembered the dog. If he had gotten out again I was terrified he would try to hurt somebody.
I jumped out of bed and ran to the window to scan the area around Mom, David and our house. Thankfully I didn’t see any sign of the dog. Sheer relief took me back to bed, but I knew sleep would elude me for at least another hour. I pulled the covers up to wait for the inevitable. After being up pretty much all night, I felt no guilt whatsoever in listening to them. They were talking about me again anyway. Big surprise!
“Do you think she’ll listen to you?” David asked.
“I know she’ll try to be careful,” she told him. “But sometimes Leah gets—”
“Distracted,” he finished for her. “Yes, I know. I noticed it at the store.” Obviously, he hadn’t bought the headlight excuse after all.
“Mia, tell me the truth. What else is there? I already know she’s never been sick. That’s a trait, but it’s not a red flag. A lot of people have that kind of luck. But her hearing is, I’m sad to say above average.” His voice sounded desperate. “Please, tell me everything.”
“Is it safe? She could be anywhere.”
“She could,” he agreed. “But don’t you think if she were here she’d make her presence known?”
“You’re right,” she sighed. “Leah’s- David, she has to wear dark sunglasses during the day though. Her eyes get irritated,” she explained. “At night though. She could find her way out of a dark cave without a flashlight.”
“Mia, even I get tripped up in the dark sometimes.”
Whoa! Wait a minute. Why would that matter? And why was he so interested in what I’m capable of? Better yet, why was Mom so quick to tell him?
“David, if headlights weren’t mandatory, she’d drive home without them,” Mom told him. “Leah doesn’t trip up.”
“How far can she see?”
“I don’t know,” Mom admitted. “I never wanted to find out.”
“I get the feeling there’s more.”
“She’s quiet and very quick. I never know she’s in the room until she’s right there,” she said quietly. “If she gets cut, it heals in seconds. She never bleeds for long, thank goodness.”
“Why haven’t you told me all this before?” he demanded. “We’ve had twenty-two years to prepare for this yet you never said a word.”
“There wasn’t any need to. Leah was safe,” she said defensively. “I hoped, as she got older, her senses would fade away.”
“No, Mia. Time and experience only sharpen them,” he said harshly. “If there’s anything else, I need to know. Do not hide another thing from me.”
Wow! No one had ever talked to my mom like that. He didn’t sound mad though. He sounded hurt. Obviously, my quirks were a pretty big deal.
“She can read people, David,” Mom whispered. “It’s not telepathy or anything like that. At least I don’t think it is. She doesn’t know I see it and I know she won’t tell me how she does it until she’s ready.”
“I know the feeling,” he said gruffly.
“I’m sorry, David. I did what I thought was best.”
“I understand that, but you should have told me all this a long time ago. I might be a little better prepared.”
“Well, I’m telling you now. Leah knows people, without really knowing them.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She knows what kind of mood people are in before they even open their mouth. Somehow she sees into them.”
Technically, I see around them and then only sometimes.
“I don’t know how she does it, but she does,” Mom told him. “Every now and then she’ll say someone in the store is angry or worried. After I go over and talk to them, I know she’s right.”
“I have only heard of one other woman that could do something like that,” he said warily. “Usually, if we want to know something we just take a peek inside.”
“What is it then? How does she do it?” Mom asked him.
I wanted to know what he meant by ‘peek inside,’ but I wanted to hear his explanation about the other woman even more. If he knew how to explain the hazes, I was more than willing to listen. The smells I finally understood thanks to them, but the hazes were still a mystery.
“Fallon, a woman Donovan used to spend time with, could see all kinds of colors around people,” explained David. “He said the colors allowed her to see their moods. Red meant anger. White, I think he said, was happiness. He told me once that she spent years trying to understand and perfect the ability. Maybe Leah relies on something like that.”
Well, at least I was right about the mood thing.
“How is that possible?” Mom asked slowly.
“You of all people know what’s possible,” he said. “Does anyone else know?”
“Only Drew, and only about the obvious,” Mom told him. “They’ve been close since they were seven years old.”
“Is he trustworthy?” he asked coolly.
“She is, yes,” Mom clarified for him. “David, Leah is not a little girl anymore.”
“I know,” he said. “Will her friend keep her secret?”
“Drew has never said a word to anybody before. I don’t see that changing now,” she assured him. “If anything, she would help us protect her.”
“She’ll need it. Leah’s got it all and then some, Mia. There is no way Judith would know it, but I’m afraid it doesn’t matter anyway. The fact that she’s alive will be enough.”
Aha! I
finally had the woman’s name! Now if I could figure out what she’d done and why it concerned David so much, I’d be in a much better position.
“We have to tell Leah,” Mom said urgently, “and soon.”
“We will. Right now I have to go. I’m pushing it as it is.” He kept his voice soft and soothing. “Tonight I’ll come back and we’ll tell her together, okay? Until then keep her out of the store. That will be the first place they’ll look.”
“If anything happens I’ll let May know,” she told him. The car started up. Not long after I heard the car door slam shut and the window roll down. “Please, be careful.”
“Keep Leah safe,” he said to her. “And Mia, don’t leave it open when I leave.”
As he drove off Mom whispered something I couldn’t understand and started to cry. She lingered in the driveway for a bit before she retreated to the safety of the house. When she shut the door behind her I heard the deadbolt lock for the first time in my life. That unfamiliar action drove the point home for me. No matter how much I hated the secrecy, all they were trying to do was keep that woman away.
I’d find out why later. Then we could deal with it and Mom could finally move on with her life. Maybe she’d even start seeing David in the open. He may not be the one she longed for, but he was alive and he did love her. Every touch, every word he spoke, whether in anger or otherwise was spoken with the tenderness of a lover.
As expected, mom’s crying got worse when she shut the door to her room. She cried harder than she ever had before. I could only assume she felt guilty about being with David. Knowing her, she felt as though she’d betrayed my dad’s trust in her. I honestly didn’t see it like that. For a few hours she had been a normal, vibrant, happy woman.
Without even seeing her, I knew she was wrapped in her robe, holding onto her engagement ring, crying. She’d fall asleep with tears in her eyes like she does every year. March first always starts out great for her, but when the night’s over, misery consumes her. I went to the bottom of the stairs to wait like I have so many times before. Mom didn’t know I had an annual ritual as well. I’d never had the heart to tell her. Crying herself to sleep was her way of mourning, and I let it be. Seeing that she was okay was mine. When she finally drifted to sleep, I’d go in and make sure she’s covered up; the ring is still in her hand.
My heart breaks for her more and more. Listening to her only proves how alone she really is. Sure she has me, but I’m not always enough. There are places she needs comfort. Places I can’t touch. The man she needs is the one person she can’t have. My father was long gone and as much as I wish he would, he could never come back.
After a few minutes of steady, ragged breathing, I went in. I found her the same way I always did- in a fetal position on top of the covers.
I eased over to the bed and I stepped on something small and hard. Her ring. It wasn’t unusual for it to end up on the floor from time to time. I picked it up and quickly slid it back into her hand. Her small hand tightened around it immediately.
It was a beautiful ring. Mom had shown it to me once when I was sixteen. As far as she knew that was the first time I’d ever seen it. She said the sapphire was for her and the emerald was for my dad. The two sat on either side of a beautifully cut princess diamond. The stunning stone was meant to signify their everlasting commitment to one another. A lifelong commitment she still clung to.
Slowly and carefully, I eased the covers up around her. When I noticed the little mosquito bite on curve of her neck, I got a little satisfaction out of it. I knew good and well it would be itching like crazy later. Not that it hadn’t already. The tiny bite had the beginnings of a fresh scab. It served her right for keeping me up all night, whether she knew it or not.
I moved away from the bed and out of her room quietly, softly closing the door behind me. Once I was back in my room, I drew the shades and fell gratefully into bed. After a few minutes of tossing and turning, sleep finally took me.
At around nine thirty my eyes forced themselves open. I was still tired, but the scent of fresh coffee brewing was tempting. It was going to be a long day. After last night one cup just wasn’t going to cut it.
I kicked off the covers and walked downstairs. Mom was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the paper, dressed and ready for work. Looking at her, you’d never know she’d been up most of the night. She was as calm and relaxed as if it were any other day.
“Morning, Mom.”
“Morning, Leah,” she said, without looking up from her paper. I grabbed a cup from the cabinet and poured myself some coffee. “Careful, it’s hot.”
“Thanks, I wouldn’t want to burn myself,” I said casually, savoring a quick drink behind her back. It was very hot and it felt wonderful. “What time do you want me to come in today?” I poured my second cup and went to sit down at the table with Mom. “Monday should be fine,” she answered. Her eyes stayed on the financial page. “You deserve a day off.”
“Mom, it’s Friday. That would give me three days off, not one,” I said. “You know as well as I do it’ll be busy.”
“I can manage fine, Leah.”
“Drew won’t be there today. She has a test to study for.” “If I get swamped, I’ll give you a call.” Even I knew she was just trying to appease me. “I promise.”
“You promise?” She nodded her head and continued to read the paper.
“Hey, Mom,” I said playing with the cup in my hand. Time for unpleasantries. “Can you please put down the paper and look at me?”
“Sure baby, what’s up?” she asked pushing the paper aside.
“After you left last night some people came in.”
“Okay. And?”
“They came in about an hour after you left. There was a man and a woman.” Until then I hadn’t realized how scared I had been. “They wanted. Well they were asking—”
“Honey, just spit it out,” she said impatiently.
“They were looking for me,” I finally said.
Her only reaction was a quick flinch. On the outside anyway. Inside her heart was racing. “Have you ever seen them before?” she asked. Her hands were shaking as much as her voice.
“No ma’am,” I answered. “And I don’t ever want to see them again. Once was plenty.”
“You said there were two?” I nodded. “Can you remember what they look like?”
Unfortunately I couldn’t forget. “The man had black shaggy hair and eyes. About Drew’s height. I think he works at the factory. He was wearing the company’s work shirt anyway. The lady with him called him JD.”
“What about the woman? Did you happen to catch her name?” “No, he never used it,” I told her. “She’s a red head. Hazel eyes. Rail thin. Maybe a couple of inches taller than us. I’m just really glad she was there.”
“Why would you say that?” She reached across the table and squeezed my hand. Her rosy scent vanished.
“That guy was dangerous,” I told her. Her eyes widened. Her body tensed. “He didn’t hurt me, Mom. He just scared me.”
“I’m so glad you’re alright. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you,” she said, dropping her shoulders in relief. “What did you tell them?”
“I made up a fake name and pretended not to know you all that well. The lady thought I was just your employee. I don’t think he bought it though. The only reason he left was because Drew drove up.”
“You did good baby, it bought us some time.” It seemed as though she was speaking more to herself than to me.
“Only a little. She said they’d be back,” I warned her. She smiled at me and patted my hand reassuringly.
“I can handle a couple of nosy people. You just relax and enjoy your weekend. Don’t even think about coming to the shop unless I call you,” she said cheerfully. “Go buy yourself something nice. Summer’s coming and I’m sure you’re gonna need a few things for vacation.” Her eyes warned me not to argue.
When she got up to put her cup in the sink I p
ulled the paper over and opened it up. I had plenty of time to kill after all. Before she left the room, she kissed the top of my head. The smile on her face trying to hide the fear in her eyes.
Several minutes later she came back to the kitchen ready to walk out the door. I noticed she had the deposit bag stuffed in her purse. That was one less thing for me not to do.
“I’m gonna get going. David gave me a new accounting program and I want to install it before I open up,” she said. Cell phone, white knuckles- noted. I knew she’d be on the phone the second she got in her car. Maybe sooner.
“How was dinner?” I expected a smile at the least, a blush at the most. She did neither.
“Same as always. We ate, went over the numbers and left,” she said. “He dropped me off at the store at around twelve-thirty, and I came home and went straight to bed. Business can be exhausting.”
Wow, talk about denial! Apparently dear ole Mom either forgot I could hear extremely well or she’d lost her memory. “Mom,” I said softly. I wanted to tell her I knew. Let her know I was okay with it, but I couldn’t. For whatever reason she’s decided me knowing wasn’t important. “Have a good day.”
“You too, baby,” she said smiling. She picked up her briefcase and left. “May? It’s Mia,” she whispered. “Can you hang on a second?”
The car door slammed shut and the motor turned over. She turned up the radio. I guess she thought all the noise would make her sound proof. It didn’t. Not even Drew’s deafening volume level could keep me from hearing what I really want to.
“Okay, I’m back. It’s started,” she said quickly. Once again May was on a landline “Leah just told me a couple came in last night looking for her.” There was a short pause. “No, she lied. The man’s name is JD. May, she said he was dangerous.” Her voice was terribly strained and leaning on the shrill side. “No, he didn’t hurt her. She just knew somehow.”
