The group cautiously made their way into the house. The rain was still coming down strong all around them. Jack attempted to keep them dry as best as he could with his meager umbrella as he unlocked the front door and thankfully let the three in out of the rain.
“All right guys,” Jack said as he hung his heavy black trench coat on a hook by the door, “have a seat.”
Christopher, with Kylie in hand and James following behind, got to the couch. All three sat down with heavy eyes, and even heavier hearts. Christopher looked over to James; he looked as he did that first time in Aunt Lynn’s car. He looked as though he was there, but really wasn’t there, like he was back inside his own world in his head, blocking out all the pain of this one. Honestly, he couldn’t blame him.
“Well…,” Jack started, sitting down on the ground in front of them all, his hands folded in his lap, “…this is how things are going to work for a while.”
“Are we staying with Aunt Lynn for just a short while?” Christopher asked, hoping that the answer was so. He couldn’t imagine how his life would be if he was forced to go and live with her, especially with how burdened she had seemed on the way down there.
“No,” Jack abruptly replied, bringing a hand up to his beard. “You will be staying with her until you are ready and old enough to move out on your own.”
“Damn,” James whispered as he shook his head. “Isn’t there anyone else?”
“I know that she can be very difficult to deal with. I’ve heard some stories from Bones,” Jack said. “You have to realize, though, that she was going through a pretty bad divorce, and she still is.”
“Still…,” Christopher said, shaking his head once more.
“I know she may or may not be a good person,” Jack said, continuing, “however, I will make sure that you are both treated as best as possible. I will personally see to that.”
“When will we have to leave?” Christopher asked, sounding very concerned. He had a small idea in the back of his head and feared that it was not just an idea but the cold hard truth.
“Tonight…,” Jack said as he shook his head, knowing that he was saying something that was not going to go over well. “She wants to head back tonight.”
Christopher turned to Kylie, his eyes growing heavy again. It just wasn’t fair, it wasn’t enough time. Besides, who knew how long it would be until he got to be with her again? There were too many things to say, and too many more moments he wanted to share with her. This news was just another topping on the crap-cake that was becoming his future. First he found out he was going to live with Aunt Lynn, and now he was losing Kylie. Christopher wondered what he had done to deserve all of it.
Kylie squeezed Christopher’s hand tightly. She tried to let out a little reassuring smile, but failed and almost started to cry again. “I’m sorry,” she said
“I’m sorry,” Christopher repeated, wanting to say a whole lot more, but not being able to find the words.
“I don’t want to go today,” James said, sounding very frustrated and rather angry. “I don’t see why we have to just because she wants to.”
“Bones wanted you taken care of if this should ever happen,” Jack answered as calmly as he could. He came off as though the whole situation was just depressing him more and more. “So, Aunt Lynn agreed to take you both in. Besides, she needs family too. Remember how Bones lived alone, and he needed you to be here to be with him? Just think of it that way. She’s still a person.”
“I bet Bones had to pay her,” James replied meanly, shaking his head.
“Funny you should say that,” Jack said. “She will get some help. I’m not sure if you were aware of this or not, but Bones was by no definition a poor man. In fact, he was rather well-off. So she will get a small amount of money. However, the rest of the large amount remaining will go to the both of you, when you are old enough.”
“He left us everything?” Christopher asked, confused.
“He did,” Jack answered with a nod. “I will take care of the house while you both are away, but this house is yours as well. When you are old enough either of you are welcome to take over, or sell the place. Whichever suits your needs.”
“I can’t believe he did that,” James said.
“Can you really not?” Jack asked, rubbing at his beard once more. “After all, look how happy you being here made him. Think about it. He had this planned before you even got here.”
“I wish we could just live here now,” Christopher said as he sat back in the couch, amazed at all the information he was being given. Bones had left them everything. Just the thought of it completely dumbfounded him.
“I wish I could grant that wish,” Jack said, “I really do wish that I could do that for you. But this is just how it is going to have to be for a few years.”
“So three years,” James said as he brought a hand to his mouth, as though in deep thought. “We can come back here in three years.”
“Yeah,” Jack said with a small confident smile on his face. “And Kylie…”
“Yes?” Kylie asked.
“Bones had it arranged for you and your mother to take care of Kate and Poppy,” Jack said, “And, of course, he has left you quite a sizeable amount of money for their well-being as well as yours. Are you all right with that?”
“I would love to,” Kylie said, both awed and shocked. “I had no idea.”
“I know that there is a lot to be sad about right now,” Jack said as he folded his hands in his lap once more. “I know that things don’t look like they can be good again. It’s a common thing to feel that way, especially after everything that has happened. I just want you all to know that your grandfather cared for all of you, and that he wanted every moment from this moment on to be as good as it could possibly be.”
“Thank you…,” Christopher whispered as he took a few moments to go through everything that he was hearing. “Thank you, grandpa.”
“Yes…,” James whispered as he nodded his head in agreement. “Thank you.”
“For everything,” Kylie added.
Jack rose to his feet and picked up his suitcase and umbrella from the floor. He brought his hand up to his face and pushed the sleeve back with the other, revealing his silver watch. “So…,” he said, examining his watch. “It’s about two-fifteen now. Kylie, your mother said she’d be here to get you at seven.”
“All right,” Kylie whispered sadly.
“And Lynn…she should be here a bit after five,” Jack said, walking to the door. “I’ll be back to talk to Lynn, but right now I’ve got some pressing business to attend to. If there is anything that you would like to take of Bones’, please feel free to do so. Other than that, just wait here and I will return.”
“All right,” Christopher whispered as he slowly got to his feet. There just didn’t seem enough time left, and since that he knew the exact moment Lynn was expected to arrive there seemed even less of it. It was as though things were just moving too fast, as if this day would be gone and over before he knew it. Then, he and James would be gone from Pine Hallow, and Kylie would be on her way home, and then to Nevada. It seemed like such a bad ending to everything. Everything seemed to be so hopeful just the day before, now it had come to this.
After Jack left, Kylie, Christopher and James made their way nervously about the house. They did not know what they should do, or even what they could do. It seemed so strange to Christopher that Bones would not come walking into the door later, or that this whole house was now Christopher and James’, or at least would be in the future. It’ll never feel the same, Christopher thought. It would never even be the same without Bones there. He was like the heart of the house. He was what made it their home, even if it was just for a short period of time.
Christopher had decided on a few things to take with him. Nothing big really, just a few items that he had remembered—one of them being a pink oven mitt with small white jalapeño peppers on it. He remembered it back from that first morning there, with Bones
’ unsuccessful first attempt at breakfast. He took a few other items and small things, and then packed them away.
In his bedroom, Christopher scanned the area for anything he might have wanted. However, he found that all of the important things were the memories and the people involved in them. It had never been about material items; he had not even unpacked in all the days he was here. It was strange to think that he would eventually have to unpack, just somewhere else.
Confident that he had all that he wanted with him, Christopher looked about him room one last time. He had not spent much time there, yet that did not make it any easier for him to leave it. His heart heavy, he slowly shut the door behind him for the last time and quietly made his way down the stairs.
“Did you get all of your stuff?” Kylie asked. She was sitting on the couch in the living room, stretched out and exhausted from both sadness and lack of sleep.
“Yeah…,” Christopher said as he pointed over to his suitcases. “Everything I own.”
Kylie nodded in reply, her eyes looking heavy and sad. “How did it come to this?”
“I don’t know,” Christopher said as sat next to her. “We did so much; we figured so many things out. Yet, in the end…in the end we ended up losing so much.”
“You haven’t lost me,” Kylie whispered as she drew Christopher forward, kissing him on the lips. “You’ll never lose me.”
“Then I’ll never feel lost,” Christopher replied, letting a small smile slip past his sad exterior. “I’ll always think about you, and I’ll always want to be with you.”
“We’ll always have this place,” Kylie said, “Even if we’re not here together, we will always have this place in our hearts to remind us. When we’re older, it’ll be here for us to come back to.”
“That’s true,” Christopher whispered as he leaned in and kissed Kylie again.
“I’m all packed up,” James announced as he made his way down the stairs, suitcases in each hand. “Oh, sorry….”
“It’s okay,” Kylie said quickly as she broke away the kiss, blushing.
James joined Christopher and Kylie, sitting down upon the floor and laying back, his head against the coffee table. “I can’t believe it’s going to go like this,” he said.
“That’s what we’ve been thinking,” Christopher replied as he looked to the ceiling.
“It won’t be too long now,” James said, “She’ll be here soon.”
Chapter 17: In Conclusion
Christopher, Kylie, and James sat in silence as a firm knock came from the other side of the door. They didn’t have to guess who it was, for all three knew it was Aunt Lynn.
James trudged over to the door, in no hurry whatsoever to see her again. He paused, as though readying himself for her presence, before opening the door to let her in. “Aunt Lynn,” he said, greeting her disapprovingly.
Aunt Lynn rushed in, giving James a great big hug and confusing Christopher and Kylie, who both watched from the couch.
“I’m so sorry,” Aunt Lynn said, although from past experiences Christopher had a hard time believing it. Maybe he was just so angry with her in the first place he couldn’t even see any sign of sincerity in her. “I’m so sorry that he’s gone.”
After releasing James, who was staring at her in speechless confusion, Aunt Lynn quickly made her way over to Christopher, wrapping her arms tightly around him. “Christopher…I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m so sorry for everything that has happened. Now, who is this?” she asked of Kylie.
“I’m Kylie…,” Kylie said, regarding the strange woman as she introduced herself to her.
“Christopher’s girlfriend,” James quickly added.
“Oh!” Aunt Lynn exclaimed, and then extended a hand. “Pleased to meet you then.”
“Pleased,” Kylie quietly answered, as though she had nothing more to say to this woman that Christopher and James had spoken so poorly of.
“So are we ready?” Lynn asked, eyeing Christopher and James’ luggage. “You’ve got everything I see.”
“We have to wait,” Christopher said. “Jack Olen isn’t here yet. He said he needed to talk to you. Besides, Kylie’s mother won’t be here until seven, so…”
“…not good to leave her all alone,” James finished.
“Oh, right!” Lynn said, trying to sound more upbeat. “Of course we can wait then.”
“Good, ’cause we weren’t really asking,” James said, sounding arrogant and rather rude.
“Right,” Lynn said, confused. “Anyway, if we need to wait then I’m happy with that.”
“Christopher, Kylie…,” James said as Lynn sat down on the couch with a heavy sigh, “…I could use some help upstairs. I’ve got some stuff in my room I need to bring down.”
“Yeah,” Christopher said, noticing that James’ suitcases were already fully packed.
“Sure,” Kylie added.
The three of them bolted up to James’ room, shutting the door behind them.
“What’s up, James?” Christopher asked with his back to the door, a concerned look on his face.
“Oh, nothing,” James said with a small, mischievous grin. “I just can’t stand that woman. I didn’t want our last hours here spent with her. Besides, we have the whole car ride back for that.”
“Nice,” Kylie said, letting out a little laugh. It was the first time Christopher had seen her look the slightest bit happy the entire day.
“I can’t believe we are going to live with her,” Christopher said, shaking his head. “She’s so damn fake all the time.”
“Yeah,” Kylie agreed. “I didn’t know if she was really upset or just good at pretending to be. She’s really hard to judge; in the way she acts, you can’t tell what’s real or not. I’ve never met someone like that before.”
“You’re lucky, then,” James said as he folded his arms across his chest.
At that moment a small thumping came, interrupting the conversation.
“Is that the door?” James asked, his eyes straining as if he was trying to concentrate.
“It might be my mother,” Kylie suggested with a tone of sadness. “I’ll go down and check.”
“Christopher you wait here…it’ll give us a good excuse to come back up if it’s just Lynn screwing around with stuff,” James said with a little laugh.
“All right,” Christopher said, plopping himself down on James’ bed as he and Kylie left the room, shutting the door behind them.
Christopher waited around for a few moments, wondering what was going on downstairs. If someone was at the door James and Kylie would have quickly come to get him. He slowly got to his feet, pacing around the room. He stood before the window, and for a second he thought he saw a light out in the woods. That would be impossible, though; no one in their right mind would be out there in this storm. He strained at the window, searching the area outside. It was so difficult to see outside with the bedroom light turned on. He made his way to the light switch panel next to the door and shut the light off. He was halfway back to the window when Kylie came bursting through the door.
“Christopher!” Kylie exclaimed. She was out of breath and wet from being out in the rain.
“What?” Christopher shouted, grabbing Kylie’s arms. “What’s happened?”
“It’s James,” Kylie whispered, still trying to catch her breath. “He’s run away!”
“What?” Christopher asked, as he started to make his way out of the room. “Why would he do that?”
“We were on our way downstairs to see if anyone was here,” Kylie said, attempting to keep up with Christopher. “We overheard Lynn on the phone. That’s what the banging noise was. She knocked it over trying to find it or something.”
Christopher paused for a moment, and then turned to Kylie. “What did she say?”
“We caught the end, but it was something about how she got all this money to take you guys in,” she said, trying to get all the information out as quickly as possible. “She said Bones dying and lea
ving her that money was the nicest thing he’d ever done for her.”
Christopher shook his head. He didn’t believe what he was hearing. That just seemed impossible, and yet he expected no less, not from Lynn. “That monster,” he whispered as he marched to the front door.
The rain was hard and pouring outside, some of it getting into the house and wetting the carpet. Christopher looked around for some kind of light source, and then, remembering his head-mounted light, he opened up his luggage. He rummaged around, throwing his clothes to the floor. When he found the light, he grabbed it and rushed outside.
“I tried to catch him,” Kylie whispered as she and Christopher both ran out into the darkness and rain. “He wouldn’t stop for anything.”
Window in the Earth Trilogy Page 25
