I'll Stand By You

by Sharon Sala

  “Yes,” Dori said and disconnected.

  She looked back at Luther, who was chewing on his fist. He was hungry. She had to get busy before he started to cry. She looked around for the diaper bag and dug through it until she found baby wipes and a diaper and quickly got him changed. There was a baby bottle with water in it inside the bag, which was a blessing because she’d need that bottle for milk and hoped Johnny Pine had some to spare.

  She picked Luther up and settled him on her hip as she went to look for the kitchen. To her surprise, there was a light on under the door to Johnny’s room and one under the boys’ room, as well. She didn’t know their routine, but he obviously started early to get the boys to school and him to his job. Her estimation of his diligence to do right rose even higher.

  She paused and knocked on his door, then stepped back.

  * * *

  Johnny woke before daylight and shut off the alarm, then sat up on the edge of the bed in the dark, thinking about the day ahead. He grabbed his cell phone and sent his boss a text, telling him he would be a few minutes late getting to the job site, but that he’d cover it by working through his lunch hour, and then he grabbed a pair of jeans and headed to the bathroom.

  After a quick shower and shave, he headed to the kitchen to make coffee then went to wake up the boys.

  Sometime during the night, Beep must have had a nightmare, because he was sound asleep in Marshall’s arms. The poignancy of the moment was not lost on him as he reluctantly woke them up.

  “Hey, guys…time to get up,” he said gently as he turned the light on by their bed.

  Marshall sighed as he opened his eyes and then shook Beep. “Get up, Beep.”

  Beep groaned.

  Marshall pushed him aside and headed for the bathroom while Johnny sat down on the side of the bed to talk to Beep. The bruises were fading, but he still had to be careful of his ribs and even still wore the protective mask for his nose to school.

  “Hey, buddy, come sit in my lap,” Johnny said and pulled him out of the bed for a quick hug.

  Beep was rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he leaned against his big brother’s chest.

  “I had a bad dream,” he said.

  Johnny pulled him a little closer. “Tell me.”

  “I dreamed our house was on fire.”

  Johnny sighed. He couldn’t regret taking them to the fire last night because of Dori, but he wasn’t surprised this had happened.

  “Do you remember about the house that did burn last night?” Johnny asked.

  Beep nodded. “The woman and the baby are in Mama’s room.”

  “Yes. Wasn’t it lucky we had a place for them to stay?”

  Beep looked up at Johnny and frowned. “Is she gonna stay here?”

  “Not forever, Beep. Just until she figures out what to do next. You saw her crying, right?”

  “Yeah. Her house burned up.”

  Johnny nodded. “Yes, but she was crying because her grandfather died last night too.”

  Beep’s eyes widened. “Like Mama died?”

  “Yes, dead like Mama.”

  “I’m sad for her,” Beep said.

  “So am I, buddy. So we need to be patient and nice to her, okay?”

  “Yes.”

  Johnny scooted him off his lap. “Thank you,” he said. “Now get in the bathroom and get washed, but remind Marshall to be quiet. We don’t want to wake up the baby. I’ll make breakfast in a few minutes.”

  Beep nodded and went to join his brother in the bathroom while Johnny made their bed and then laid out clean clothes for them to put on. Then Johnny headed back to the kitchen to make oatmeal and make sure there was milk for the baby.

  As soon as he had the oatmeal cooked, he put a lid on it to keep it warm and had just returned to his room to finish getting ready. He had a T-shirt in his hand when he heard a knock on his door, and he pulled it over his head on the way to answer the door.

  It was Dori.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you had some milk for Luther’s bottle.”

  Johnny smiled as he reached out and rubbed his hand over Luther’s soft curls.

  “Yes, ma’am, we sure do,” he said. “We also have oatmeal, if he can eat it.”

  Dori breathed a quick sigh of relief. She’d been worrying about food for Luther, and this would work until she could get to a store.

  “Yes, it will be perfect. Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome. Give me a second to put on my boots, and then I’ll walk you to the kitchen and show you where everything is at.”

  Then he looked down at her feet and saw that she was barefoot.

  “We need to get something on your feet,” he said and dug a pair of socks out of a drawer. “Here, these will be too big, but they’ll feel better than walking barefoot on these old floors.”

  Dori held the socks and waited while he put on his boots, then he took the baby so she could put them on.

  “They feel good. I keep saying thank you, but the truth is there are no words for how much this means to us,” she said.

  Johnny handed her the baby and then resisted the urge to brush a stray lock of hair from Dori’s forehead.

  “So, you’ve thanked me, and I’ve said you’re welcome and I am happy we could help. Now let’s go see about the milk and oatmeal.”

  Dori followed him into the kitchen in her sock feet while Luther kept trying to chew on her hair. Everything went in his mouth these days, but she drew the line at hair.

  “The milk is whole milk. Is that a problem?” Johnny asked.

  “No, that’s what the pediatrician has him on.”

  “Does it need to be heated?”

  “As long as it’s not ice cold, it’s okay,” she said.

  Johnny filled the bottle and put it in the microwave without putting on the top.

  “About fifteen seconds will take the chill off,” Dori said.

  When Johnny set the timer, Luther squealed. Johnny looked back at the baby and laughed.

  “He knows what that means, doesn’t he?”

  Dori’s eyes welled with tears. “Granddaddy always did that. He’s used to being taken care of by a man.”

  Johnny sighed. He hadn’t meant to remind her of what she’d lost.

  The microwave dinged.

  Johnny took out the bottle and handed it to Dori.

  “Check it and make sure it’s okay.”

  She tested it with her finger and nodded.

  “It’s perfect,” she said, screwing on the lid and cradling Luther before poking the bottle in his mouth.

  He grasped it with both hands, the look on his face so intent it made her smile.

  Johnny saw the love on her face and his heart skipped a beat. Despite her sleep-tousled hair and borrowed clothes, she looked beautiful.

  Before he could let that thought take wing, he heard footsteps in the hall and knew the boys were on the way.

  “Brace yourself,” he said. “Here comes the hungry horde.”

  Chapter 8

  When the boys saw Dori sitting at the table with the baby, they stopped in the doorway and glanced at Johnny, as if waiting for permission to enter.

  “Oatmeal is ready,” he said. “Sit down.”

  They bolted toward the table, pushing and shoving to get to their chairs, which was their usual morning routine.

  “Can I have raisins?” Marshall asked.

  “May I, and yes,” Johnny said, tossing a handful of raisins into Marshall’s bowl and ladling some oatmeal over them, just like he did every morning.

  “I don’t want no raisins,” Beep announced, just as he did every morning.

  “You don’t want any raisins, and I already know that,” Johnny said, then glanced at Dori and grinned. “Do you have any particular re
quests for your oatmeal?”

  “Sugar and milk?”

  Johnny grinned. “I can handle that,” he said as he gave the boys their oatmeal.

  Witnessing a bit of their regular morning routine was delightful. Not only had he been the knight in shining armor she needed last night, but he also seemed to be a good father figure too. Then she realized he was dipping the same amount of oatmeal into each bowl, one spoonful at a time, and she didn’t want to think she would be taking food they needed to eat.

  “Do you have enough?” Dori asked. “You guys are going to school and to work, and I don’t mind skipping.”

  Johnny paused, struck by her gentle spirit.

  “We have enough oatmeal,” he said and dipped the rest of the oatmeal into two bowls, one for her and one for him.

  “So, here’s the routine,” Johnny said. “I drop the boys off at Before and After. Miss Jane takes them to school and then picks them up afterward and keeps them until I get off work. We’ll all be home just after five. However, after I drop them off this morning, I’m going by the supermarket to pick up some stuff for squirt. Make me a list of what he needs and—”

  “I have some money in my purse. I’m not sure how much, but I’ll give it to you, and there’s more in the bank.”

  “Dori. It’s okay. We’ll work all this out. But right now we’re dealing with immediate needs, and that little guy in your arms doesn’t care who pays for what. He just wants a dry diaper and food in his belly, right?”

  Dori sighed.

  “Yes, you’re right. If you have paper and a pen, I’ll write down just the necessities.”

  Johnny brought the pad and pen from beside the telephone and slid it across the table.

  Beep watched her writing and then glanced up at Johnny.

  “Can we add cookies to the list?” he asked.

  Johnny knew if he bought all of the other stuff for the baby, there wouldn’t be any money left for cookies but didn’t want to say so in front of Dori.

  “We’ll see,” he said.

  Beep caught the look and hushed. He knew what that meant—no money. He glanced at the baby and went back to eating.

  Dori might have seen the exchange but for the fact that Luther had finished his bottle and had become very interested in the spoon going into his mother’s mouth. She’d given him baby oatmeal, but he’d never had the real thing. When he grabbed her spoon on the way to her mouth, the boys giggled.

  Dori smiled. “He’s a pig,” she said.

  The boys giggled again, watching as she pried the spoon out of Luther’s fingers.

  “Bite?” Dori asked as she put the spoon at Luther’s mouth.

  He opened wide. She gave him the oatmeal and grinned when his eyes widened in surprise. His lips literally smacked when she pulled out the spoon.

  “Well, that was a success,” Dori said. “I’m guessing it was the sugar.”

  “I like sugar too,” Beep said, watching curiously as Dori spooned another bite into the baby’s mouth.

  Johnny got up to fill his coffee cup to hide a smile. Beep was seriously interested in their new guests, which was good. He hadn’t had much to smile about since the recess incident.

  “Hurry up and finish, guys. We need to hustle.”

  The boys cleaned up the last of the oatmeal and carried them to the sink, washed and rinsed the bowls, and put them in the drainer, then ran to get their backpacks.

  Dori was impressed again by their willingness to help.

  “Do you want coffee?” Johnny asked.

  “Maybe half a cup,” Dori said as she gave Luther another bite.

  “Got the list finished?” Johnny asked as he set the coffee out of Luther’s reach.

  She pushed it toward him.

  “Oh wait. I need to go get the money. I’ll be right back.”

  She flew out of the kitchen with the baby on her hip so fast he didn’t have time to stop her. She came back within moments with her purse, emptied out what cash she had, and pushed it across the table.

  “Now, what can I do for you? I’ll be here all day. Please let me help,” she said.

  He started to say nothing as he pocketed the money, and then realized he would be denying her a way to give back.

  “The floors always need cleaning. There’s a broom and mop out in the utility room.”

  “What else? I’m good at all kinds of things, I swear—laundry, washing windows, changing beds, whatever you need.”

  “Can you cook?”

  She nodded.

  Johnny hesitated to add to her day, but she’d asked.

  “We eat really basic food because I don’t cook a lot of different things, but there’s some hamburger meat thawed out and you can look through the pantry for what else is here and do what you want with it.”

  “I can make a meat loaf,” she offered.

  “That would be great,” Johnny said and then glanced at the time. He needed to hurry, but he hated to leave her alone.

  “You have your phone, so—”

  “Officer Pittman gave me Granddaddy’s cell phone. He carried it out of the house before he—”

  When she stopped and looked away, he kept talking, giving her time to regain her composure.

  “Give me your number and I’ll write my number down, and if you have a problem or need help, you call me, okay?”

  She added the phone number to the grocery list and then watched him copy down his number for her. As he did, she noticed the healing cuts and skinned knuckles on his hands. She didn’t even know where he worked.

  “What do you do…for a living, I mean?”

  “I drive a dozer for Clawson Construction.”

  “That’s a good job. How did you learn to do that?” she asked.

  “My dad used to work for Mr. Clawson before he got sent to prison. I hung out with him a lot back then, and Mr. Clawson taught me the rest. He’s been a lifesaver for me and the boys. Look, I hate to walk out on you, but I’ll be back soon with the stuff on your list. Hang in there, okay?”

  Dori blinked, willing herself not to cry.

  “Thanks to you, we’ll be fine. You made sure of that.”

  “See you soon,” he said and hurried out of the kitchen, yelling at the boys to hurry up as he went.

  She took another bite of oatmeal and then gave the rest to Luther. As soon as they were gone, she went back to her bedroom and made the bed, then found a big blanket in the closet and took it to the living room to make a pallet for Luther to lie on. She gave him a teething ring from the diaper bag, covered him up with his little blanket so he wouldn’t get cold, and turned on the television to distract him, giving her time to call the police station. Someone there would surely tell her where they’d taken her grandfather’s body. Her hands were trembling as she sat down nearby and made the call. The phone rang three times before someone answered.

  “Blessings PD, Ames speaking. How may I direct your call?”

  “Uh, this is Dori Grant. I’m trying to find out where they took my granddaddy, Meeker Webb, last night.”

  “Miss Grant, this is Avery Ames. I want to offer my condolences. I am sorry about your grandfather.”

  Dori was trying to control her emotions, although her shaky voice gave her away.

  “Thank you, Mr. Ames. The reason I’m calling is…I don’t know where he is.”

  “Let me check the ambulance logs. Yes, here they are…um, they took him to the hospital, and then Harper’s Funeral Home picked him up.”

  “Harper’s. Is that the one on the hill above the Catholic church?” Dori asked.

  “Yes, that’s the one,” Ames said. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  “No, and thank you for your help.”

  She hung up, got the phone book, found the number to Harper’s Funeral Home, and made t
he call. She knew Mrs. Harper. She came into the restaurant at least twice a week with her daughter for lunch. Dori had washed the dishes Mrs. Harper had eaten from many times. Now Mrs. Harper was going to do something for her.

  “Harper’s Funeral Home.”

  “Mrs. Harper, this is Dori Grant.”

  Evelyn Harper’s voice immediately softened. “Dori, sweetheart. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for all you’ve lost. How can I help you? What do you need to know?”

  Dori started crying. She didn’t want to, but there was no way to say all this because the words were choking. “I have to bury Granddaddy, and everything we owned burned up. What do I do? Do I need to come there and pick out a casket? I need someone to help me.”

  Dori didn’t know Evelyn was fighting back tears. All she heard was the kindness in her voice. “Honey, let me tell you what I know, and then we’ll go from there. Meeker had already picked out a casket and paid for his funeral. His headstone and burial plot are already in place because it’s where your grandmother is buried. If you want flowers, you’ll have to contact the florist, but you know they’ll do anything you want. As for his clothing, will you trust me to do that for you? I grew up with the man. I’ve seen him in church enough times in my life to know what he liked to wear.”

  “In the circumstances, that is good news,” Dori said and then wiped her eyes and nose and cleared her throat. “We don’t have any other family, so there’s no need to delay the service. Can we do this say, day after tomorrow? That will give me time to get some clothes for Luther and me.”

  “Absolutely. The whole day is open. Would you prefer morning services or afternoon?”

  “I don’t know,” Dori said. “Which is better?”

  “Day after tomorrow is Saturday. I’d say afternoon, maybe 2:00 p.m. I’ll call the preacher and have him get in touch with you for details. Oh, just so you know, Meeker wrote his own eulogy. I have it on file.”

  Dori frowned. “I never knew any of this. I can’t believe he planned so far ahead.”

  There was a moment of silence and then Evelyn sighed. “You didn’t know about his heart?”

  Dori gasped. “What about his heart? He never said a word about anything being wrong.”