When He Falls

by Michelle Jo Quinn

  Maggie drove us to the airport hangar, where a sleek jet awaited us. I'd flown coach and first class, but I'd never been in a private plane before. When I stepped in, the luxurious finishes took my breath away.

  "So, this is how the one percent fly," I murmured.

  "What did you say?" Maggie turned to me, eyes wide with happiness. She'd flown in this plane before, even though she had never told me. The way she maneuvered inside it told me she was comfortable in this environment. It suited her.

  I shook my head. I couldn't exactly tell her I thought it was ridiculous to own a luxury plane like this when I was about to spend two hours in it to head home. I opted for, "This is nice."

  Maggie took my hand and led me to one of the seats. As soon as we settled in, Alex and Chase emerged from the front of the plane.

  I wasn't surprised to see them, after all, I was on the Laurent family property. And I wasn't shocked that they came out with Alex's clothes all ruffled. Chase looked put together though in a tight black dress, a leather jacket and high heels. Even with the tough exterior she presented, she was a beautiful woman. They stopped and stood in front of us, hands clasped between them.

  Alex spoke first. "Should be ready to go soon. We uh...just checked the cockpit to make sure everything's in working order."

  Chase didn't bother to make excuses. So, what if they were screwing in the cockpit? Her demeanor dared me to challenge her. She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded at me. "Maggie's been in here before, Zach. Follow me to the back, and I'll show you the rest of the plane."

  This was new. I thought Maggie would have done that with me, but as it seemed, she was more than happy to relax in her cushiony seat. I gave her a kiss before getting up to follow Chase. We continued on, past one of the bathrooms, some sort of kitchen, and right into a bedroom, which was bigger than my bedroom at home.

  "Wow. This is great. I've never seen--"

  "Yeah yeah," Chase interrupted. "Listen, Zach--" She poked two fingers on my chest, and turned even more serious than I'd ever seen her. Was I in trouble? "--that girl out there is my family. I only have a mother, but Maggie and Nica are my sisters. They're my family." She stepped closer, boxing me in between a cabinet and the bedroom door. "You break her heart, and I'll break you. You know I'm your biggest fan, but I will kick your ass if you so much make her cry once. Just once."

  Entertaining as it might sound, it was almost heartfelt. I understood what it was like to have friends as part of your family, and wanting to protect them as much as I possibly could. With what Maggie had briefly told me about Chase, I didn't doubt that she could do a bit of damage on me. She strikes me as a dirty fighter. And more importantly, I would never fight back. I wasn’t my father. I didn't beat up women.

  "There's nothing to worry about, Chase." I raised my hands up as a sign of surrender, then brought them over to my heart. "I would never hurt Maggie. You can count on that."

  She regarded me curiously, peering at me through thick lashes. Her lips pursed. One of her eyebrows shot up to her forehead. Chase meant business. So, did I. I let her process the whole situation in her mind. Her features smoothed a bit before she stepped back. I released a quiet exhale. This was only the beginning.

  "Good. Now, how about a drink?"

  "That would be great."

  I followed her out of the bedroom and back to our seats. Maggie was talking to Alex when we returned. Alex shot me a look of understanding, and I offered a curt nod in reply. Maggie was lucky to have people like them to protect her, especially after what her ex, the dingbat, had pulled. If I'd been there, I would have made sure he'd be sipping through a straw for the rest of his life.

  Maggie held my hand once I settled in. "It's such a huge plane, isn't it?"

  I titled my head to one side, lifted our entwined hands up to my lips and kissed her knuckles. "It's magnificent," I said, but truth be told, I wasn't talking about the plane.

  She snuggled closer to me, propping her head on my shoulder and slyly kissing the side of my neck. I groaned and adjusted the instant bulge in my pants. Chase and Alex sat across from us, and I sent them a side glance. Maggie was going to get me in a ton of trouble. But it would be worth it. She was worth everything.

  Surprisingly, Alex and Chase bade us farewell once we landed in a private hangar at McCarran International Airport. Only then did Maggie tell me they were en route to New York City, where Alex's sister lived. Chase pulled Maggie aside while I shook hands with Alex, thanking him for the ride.

  "We'll be back for Maggie whenever she chooses to return," Alex said.

  Throughout all of the excitement, I never asked Maggie when that would happen. How long would she stay? I was too afraid to ask. All I wanted to do was concentrate on our time together here. Just us. Like how it used to be.

  At the mention of her name, Maggie came bounding back and kissed Alex on the cheek. "Thanks again, Alex. I'll give you guys a call later."

  "Don't forget to check in with your sister. Nica will have my head if you don't."

  "I promise," she said with a bright smile. She had put her hair up into a bun on top of her head and peeled off the light sweater she had on in the plane. Summer in Vegas was no joke.

  After all the farewells, we walked over to my friend Edison, who stood by a 1999 Dodge Ram 2500, with his mouth agape. I grabbed my bags and Maggie's and threw them in the bed of the truck, trying to avoid the recently painted body that was too hot to touch.

  "That's some ride, brother." Edison whistled, gawking at the jet. Edison was Patton's new recruit, but I'd known him from the underground fights. He was two years younger than I, had a killer upper cut and a jaw made of marble. But he was a lady's man and his preference to older, married women got him into more trouble than Patton could stomach.

  "Courtesy of Maggie's brother-in-law." I placed my hand on the small of Maggie's back. "Edison, this is Maggie Stewart. Maggie, this is Edison, my brother from another mother."

  Edison took his cap off and shook his thick blond hair. He showed off an incomplete set of teeth when he smiled. He was damned proud of each missing tooth, and refused to get them sorted out. I knew for sure Patton would have him measured for veneers before he ever stepped into the ring. I was lucky enough to still have all of mine.

  "Nice to meet you, Maggie. I've heard a lot about ya."

  "You have?" Maggie and I simultaneously asked. We looked at each other and laughed. Although mine was on the edge of a nervous chuckle.

  Edison stammered a reply, "Ah...yeah...Bailey's been...ah...talking about you two since...ah...she came back."

  I should have known. I would have to have a chat with Bailey next time I see her. Her yammering about Maggie could cause problems.

  "We should go, Maggie. Ma's waiting. Hop in, and I'll drive."

  "Okay. Is this yours?" Maggie asked, pointing at the truck.

  "Sure the hell is." While Edison settled in the back seat, I helped Maggie on the passenger seat, then I ran to the driver's side. The engine turned over, and the truck roared to life. "We'll have to drop off Edison, pick up something to eat then head out to Ma's." I didn't wait for a reply before gunning the truck out of the hangar.

  While we drove with the air conditioning on full blast, we ate burgers and fries. Maggie would feed me fries, and after every bite, I'd lick her fingers. She'd giggle. God, I loved the sound of her laughter. I ran in my head every scenario I could do to keep that smile on her face. Every scenario. Most caused my pants to tighten.

  "It's good to see a girl eat," I commented when she finished off her burger, fries and a large milkshake.

  She licked the salt from her fingers, and it fired up my boxers. I swerved a bit and shook my head when Maggie laughed. "I was so hungry, and it was so good."

  When she looked at me, there was a small spot of BBQ sauce from her burger on the corner of her mouth. I quickly leaned in and licked it off. She tasted amazing.

  Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes fluttered. The blush crawled all
the way down her neck. I wondered if it spread out all over her body. That was something I needed to see.

  Later. Always later. I had to remind myself we had an important visit. But later, yes, we'd be alone. Just Maggie and I. The thought didn't help the throbbing inside my boxers. I groaned and grunted and kept quiet for the rest of the drive, listening to Maggie's chatter of the things she'd like to see.

  With the nervous current flowing through me, I tapped a finger on the elevator wall while we ascended to Ma's floor in the nursing facility. My heart thundered in my chest. It had a lot to do with Maggie. How would she react when she meets my mother again? Would Ma recognize her at all?

  While Ma and I were on the run, hiding from my father, we often had to sleep in the car, with the few belongings we brought with us. There were times when only I ate for a day. And during the harshest times, neither of us would have anything to eat at all. Sometimes it lasted for days. When those times came, Ma would recollect the good times she and I had. A lot of those happy memories included Maggie and her family. Ma would often describe Maggie as an angel who fell from the heavens. I knew even then that Maggie wasn't just a sign of hope for me. Ma held on to that too.

  With Maggie being here with me, ready to face my mother, would she be able to bring another light in our lives?

  I pushed Ma's door open. A sun-filled room and Nurse Debbie greeted us right away in her sing-songy voice. "Look who's here!"

  She offered a smile at Maggie, but when she turned to me her smile edged on pity. It wasn't a good day. Nurse Debbie rounded the bed and shook Maggie's hand. "This your friend, Zachy?" I nodded but stared at Ma. "Nice to meet you. I'm Debbie. What's your name, dear?"

  "Maggie. Maggie Stewart. It's a pleasure to meet you, Debbie."

  "Pleasure is all mine, darling. Zach doesn't bring a lot of his friends over." I caught a knowing glance from Debbie. "She just had her lunch. She should be good and up for a few hours, but she might get a little tired later this afternoon. How long will you be staying?"

  "Few hours," I answered.

  Debbie clapped her hands together. "Well, I'll leave you to it. If you need anything, just ring me." She leaned over to Ma, resting her right hand on my mother's. "Lisa, I'm going for now. You have your son here, and he brought a friend. Isn't that nice, dear?"

  Ma barely sent her a glance. Her head was turned to the windows, out into the sun-drenched afternoon.

  "Thank you, Deb."

  As soon as she was out of the room, all I could do was stand and observe. Maggie seemed comfortable, even though she'd never been here before and it had been years since she'd seen my Ma. Maggie pulled the strap of her small purse over her head and placed it on top of a drawer. Then she sat beside Ma on the bed.

  Her fingers delicately swiped hair off Ma's face, tucking it behind her ears. "Hi, Mrs. Faustino. It's me, Maggie." I wanted to tell her not to bother. Even on good days, my own mother barely recognized her only son. "Did you have a good lunch?"

  For a few seconds, I stopped breathing. I crossed my arms over my chest to make sure Maggie didn't see how heavy my heart pounded. Maggie looked up to me and gave me a "relax, will you?" smile. So, I did. Maggie was a natural. She had a way about her that kept people at ease.

  "I didn't like the Brussels sprouts." I heard the words spoken, but I didn't want to believe it. Ma replied to Maggie's question. It brought me off my feet and onto the foot of the bed with them.

  Maggie's gaze flittered quickly to me then back again at Ma. "Oh? I'll let them know that you don't like Brussels sprouts. They can taste a bit off. Would you like to watch tv? Or we can play cards. I'm sure they have a deck I can borrow."

  With bated breath, I waited for Ma to respond. Maybe Debbie was wrong. Maybe she was having a good day. Maybe today I get to have my mother back.

  Ma cocked her head to one side and stared at Maggie. I mean, really stared, like she was trying to figure out where she knew her. Her hand twitched on her lap, then she lifted it and pointed at the book on the table.

  "She likes to be read to," I told Maggie. And both women turned to me. Ma looked like she was shocked to see someone else in her room. Her brows furrowed. Her lips tightened into a straight line. She didn't recognize me. With the ache so acute in my heart, I smiled at her. It took a few moments for her to relax and give me a small smile in return.

  Standing to fetch the book, Maggie flipped it over her hand, screwing her lips. I knew what she was thinking. "She likes this? You've read her this before?" A little tease played on her lips and flickered in her eyes when she faced me.

  I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, a few too many times. I tried getting her another book, but that's one of her favorites." It was a romance with a few too many erotic pages. I'd skipped a few chapters every now and then.

  "This should be fun." Maggie perched back on one side of the bed. "Mrs. Faustino, would you mind if Zach sits with us, maybe he can brush your hair, while I read you this book?"

  Ma slowly turned to me, then back to Maggie and nodded. Maggie handed me a brush from the side table, and I moved to the head of the bed, behind Ma. I fluffed her pillows and helped her lean back. And while Maggie turned to a tattered page, I brushed the tangles out of Ma's hair. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been able to be this close to Ma without her cursing me out or worse, without fear in her eyes.

  I admired Maggie's soothing voice while she read passages from the book. She brought life to words. At some point, I'd stopped brushing Ma's hair and just sat there with her, drawn to the sweet voice of Maggie Stewart. Then a miracle happened.

  When Maggie read a thrilling part of the story, Ma gasped and held onto my hand. She squeezed it and didn't let go. Maggie noticed it too and paused for a beat to share this special moment with me. Ma's hand was soft and thin and fragile in mine. Her skin was pale and wrinkled. She tangled her fingers with mine and leaned closer to my chest. This caused a burn inside me, and the prickle of tears under my lids. I took a soothing breath in, smelling the delicate fragrance in my mother's hair. Men don't cry. But at that moment, I wanted to say fuck the rules. My mother just held my hand.

  Maggie continued on for a few more pages, then she stopped.

  "What's wrong?" I asked in a low voice.

  She pressed a finger to her lips. "I think she's sleeping."

  I tilted my head and peeked. Sure enough, Ma's eyes were closed. She still held my hand and had her head leaning on me.

  "I don't want to move." No, I didn't. I wanted to stay there protecting my mother for the rest of my life.

  Maggie stood and placed the brush and book on the side table. "She'll be more comfortable lying down, Zach. Does she take long naps?"

  "I don't know."

  "Well, you might be stuck like that for at least an hour." Maggie fiddled with Ma's blanket, pulling it up higher.

  Reluctantly, I agreed. I loosened my hold on her hand, and Ma relaxed hers. Then I guided her head down onto the pillow. She looked peaceful.

  "Do you want to go? You must be tired," I said to Maggie when I straightened.

  "I could use a shower. The heat really got to me," she whispered her reply, and moved around the bed, clutching her purse in her hands.

  Ma's eyes flickered open, then her pressed lips separated. "Are you leaving?"

  She wasn't asking me. She was asking Maggie.

  "Yes, but we'll be back tomorrow. You should get some rest."

  Ma nodded and tucked her hands under her head. Before she closed her eyes again, she said, in her own, natural voice and not of a woman who had been too tired to deal with the world, "Good. I can't wait until my son meets you. He'll take a liking to you."

  Maggie gasped, and the look in her eyes was something I didn't ever want to see from her. Pity. But she opened her mouth to ask, "What's your son's name?"

  Ma opened one eye. "Zachary. Zach. He's only ten, but he's a real sweetheart." Then she snuggled in deeper under her blanket.

  All the hopes, the little miracles
that happened today were crushed by her simple answer. I spent hours with my mother, right beside her, and in that time, she never knew who I really was.

  For about fifteen minutes, the only sound between Maggie and I was the rumbling of the truck. I didn't like this silence. It was the type that brought too many complications later on. Or too many questions that, from experience, I didn't know the answers to. Maggie didn't look uncomfortable. But she wasn't comfortable either. I could see her glancing my way once in a while, but she never said anything.

  She pitied me. I didn't want that from her.

  At a red light near my apartment, I couldn't take it any longer. With a heavy sigh, I told Maggie what only a few people know. "It's not the first time that's happened." She didn't say anything, but she turned, pressing her back on the passenger side door, to face me. I continued but didn't risk a glance at her. "It's been a while since Ma knew who I really am. In her mind, I'm still a young boy. Sometimes when she sees me though, she thinks I'm my father."

  The lights turned green. I gripped the wheel harder, and Maggie reached out to release one of my hands and intertwined it with hers. She was letting me know that she was listening. That I could tell her anything and everything and I would still find her there beside me.

  "When they first diagnosed her, they said she had early onset Alzheimer's. Then I happened to meet this doctor, a neurosurgeon, at some fancy party Harckwick had. I just...I told him about my mom and her history. Everything, you know." I paused to look her straight in the eye. The pity was gone. Replaced by compassion. "His theory is that Ma could have NPH. Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. One of the side effects of head trauma or brain injury. It has similar symptoms to Alzheimer's. But it's treatable."

  I made a turn, and after a couple of miles, I parked in front of a large gate. Flicking the switch clipped on my visor, the gate opened. After parking the car, I kept talking, "There is hope for her. I was able to save enough money to pay for all the necessary tests to prove that she has NPH. The results have been good in a way. It is leaning more toward NPH rather than Alzheimer's. All I need now is money to pay for all her treatments."