21 Hours

by Dustin Stevens

  The heavenly aroma of charred meat hung heavy in the air.

  Beyond the picnic tables were several large clusters of folding chairs, nearly all of them filled with parents drinking tea and lemonade. They conversed amongst themselves and watched the children, several of them pointing or laughing.

  How in the world a three year old could know so many people was beyond me. I was ten times her age and could count everybody I would invite to a party on one hand.

  "Unka O! Unka O!" a little voice squealed from across the yard. I looked up to see Annie running towards me as fast as her little legs would carry her, sunlight bouncing off her white-blonde curls. She ran with arms stretched out in front of her and I set the box down on the ground and lifted her up high into the air.

  "I heard that somebody had a birthday today," I said, using a voice I reserved only for her and my dog before she passed. From the deck several heads turned and openly stared at us. I couldn't be sure, but it even kind of felt like the conversation died away for a moment, everybody turning to see who the guy in jeans and cowboy boots was. "You wouldn't know anybody like that would you?"

  Annie dropped her teeth over her bottom lip in a smile and bobbed her head.

  "And tell your uncle how old you are today," a familiar voice said from across the deck. Annie held up her fingers in front of herself, smiling wide. Lex matched the smile and approached from the side, wrapping her left arm around my waist in a half hug. "Hey there, didn't expect to see you here today."

  "Somebody told me there was going to be a party," I responded. "And kind of suggested I had a duty as an uncle to be around a little more."

  Lex stepped back and said, "I think you've more than fulfilled any duty you might have, but I am glad you came. Another all-night drive?"

  "I stopped in Des Moines," I said, smiling. Sometimes it was a little eerie how well she knew me.

  Annie wriggled a bit in my arms, her attention span already beginning to wane with adult conversation. I gave her a big kiss on the cheek as she squealed again, then set her down to disappear into the tangle of children playing on the lawn.

  Lex and I both stood and watched her for several seconds, smiling. "How's she doing?" I asked.

  Lex sighed and bobbed her head once. "She's doing alright. She's a kid, they're resilient. She's lucky she hasn't reached the age of hanging on to things too long yet. A couple of times she's asked questions about it, but she seems to still be herself."

  I nodded. While getting her home alive was the most important thing, getting her home in the same pristine condition was a close second.

  "How you coming along?" Lex asked. "I see the cast is gone."

  I held up my hand revealing a small tan brace, but thankfully no cast. "Damn thing was a real annoyance on the ranch. Twice I got it wet and had to have it redone. After that I just told them to give me a brace and be done with it. They were as tired of seeing me as I was them, so they agreed."

  "And your other hand? Your arm?"

  I held up the nub of my pinkie, the end of it covered with fresh skin stretched tight. The line where it closed was still very apparent, but what was left of it did move. "Healing," I said. "Arm still aches a little, but it's coming along. Nothing that time won't fix. Ricky?"

  Lex folded her arms across her torso. "He's getting better. He's up and walking again. Still has horrible headaches and is really sensitive to light. The doctors say it'll take time, but he'll get there."

  "Is he here?" I asked, looking past her to the people lined up on the deck. A few were still watching us, though most had turned back to their previous conversations.

  Among those staring were the Borden’s.

  "He's upstairs," Lex said, twisting and motioning up towards a second story window overlooking the lawn. "He can't take the sunlight, and he's still really sensitive about the way he looks."

  "That bad?"

  "It's going to take several reconstructive surgeries to get him looking the way he did," Lex said. "I know he'll be glad you're here though. I told him everything that happened once he woke up. He was sick he couldn't do anything, but he was genuinely thankful for everything you did. You should go up and see him in a little bit."

  "I will," I said. I knew what happened would never completely change the way Ricky and I felt about each other, but it would remove some of the lingering animosity. We didn't have to be best friends, but we could at least share a common affection for Lex and Annie. We'd both proven that time and again.

  To guys, that was enough.

  "Mama around?"

  Lex smiled. She knew I was changing the subject, but was kind enough not to call me on it. "She'll be here at four once she's done at the diner. She have any idea you're here?"

  I matched the smile. "You really think I would have spoiled the surprise by telling her?"

  Our mother, for all her wonderful qualities, was a horrible liar and even worse at keeping secrets. Both were well known facts that she received endless ribbing for.

  "That's true," Lex said. Her smile then shifted to mischievous. "I have a bit of a surprise for you too." She turned back over her shoulder and scanned the crowd, her eyes settling on someone resting on the far opposite corner of the deck.

  I looked around her to see Watts sitting in a lawn chair looking every bit as out of place as I did. "Aw hell, what's she doing here?"

  Lex turned back and smiled. "She's been around a lot the last few weeks, become something of a family friend. I think she showed up today hoping you'd be here, but you'll never get her to admit it."

  "None of that," I said, giving Lex my exasperated tone. She'd been trying to play matchmaker for me since we were kids. None of them ever worked out very well. "We pass at being civil to one another. That's good enough."

  "Oh, I don't know," Lex said. "You know how women like the bad boy types."

  "I also know cops don't generally go for the ex-con types," I countered.

  Lex raised her eyebrows, but let it go. She looked out over the back yard and watched Annie running in circles with two other girls. All three were giggling, not a care in the world. "I'm just saying, having another reason to get you home more often wouldn't be such a bad thing."

  I slid an arm around Lex's shoulders and together we walked up on to the deck, past the tables of food and presents and by the grill still steaming. I took in the banner hanging along the back of the house wishing Annie a "Happy Birthday" and watched as the little one continued to bound across the yard. "With or without her, I have plenty of reasons to get home more often."

  Lex dug her fingers into my ribs. "Is that a fact? We're going to be seeing more of you around here moving forward?"

  I paused as Annie stopped mid-stride and smiled, sunlight settling on her golden curls, and waved to us. We both returned the gesture without thinking.

  "I'm here now aren't I?"