by Krystal Wade
“Freeze!” a man shouted from somewhere deep within the shadows. “Don’t move.”
Walter raised his hands over his head but kept walking, growling.
“Now, drop the gun!”
“Looks like you win, Haley,” Walter whispered, “But that doesn’t mean I can’t take one more on my way out.”
He lowered the gun slowly.
Haley held her breath.
A little lower.
The gun almost by his side.
Pause?
Not pausing, aiming at Niles.
Haley struggled to get free and warn someone, but she didn’t have time.
Walter pulled the trigger—
And missed.
The cops rained shots on him. A bullet hit Walter’s leg, his shoulder, his stomach. He fell, got back up, then lifted his gun and pointed.
A bullet pierced his arm, the gun thudded on the dirt, and cops swarmed the area. One man turned Walter over and checked his vital signs and muttered something to his partner.
Let him be dead. Please.
Taking a shallow breath through her nose, Haley found Chris and met his eyes. He cast a sideways glance at Gran.
Be strong. Haley looked.
Gran nodded, a small indication she was all right. But what really mattered was she was alive.
Haley took in the state of everyone else. Christine, Niles, Richard—even Joce—all of them alive. Bright floodlights blinked on all around them, and paramedics rushed onto the scene with their latex gloves, stretchers, and serious gazes. They loaded Joce onto a stretcher first as she stared at Haley, immediately poking Joce’s arm with a needle and hooking her to an IV.
Haley’s heart soared high above this mess, well into the future, a future without an abusive dad. A future with a sister who knew, she knew about Mom. And Gran and Chris and friends.
“You’re going to be okay, miss.” A paramedic cut through the gag in Haley’s mouth. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
“Get them first. All of them.” Haley leaned her head back against the tree. Everything would be okay. Everyone was safe. “Then come for me.”
“There’s more than one of us here.” The paramedic cut through the zip-ties. “I’m not leaving you.”
“Chris?” Mr. Charming ran through the trees with a woman carrying a flat stretcher-like board next to him. “Chris? Where’s my son?”
Mr. Charming spotted Haley and kept running until he reached her, then fell to his knees. “That son of a bitch isn’t the only one who knows how to track phones.” He grabbed her hand and kissed it. “You’re moving in with me, sweetheart. I’ll give you a home, a family.”
Home. Not a house, a home.
Haley screamed as the paramedics moved her onto the flat board and strapped her down. She took the deepest, calming breaths she could through her nose and breathed out her mouth, chasing away the stars dancing in her vision.
Mr. Charming pat Haley’s shoulder. “Oh, and Gran, too.”
“Thank you.”
“No, Haley. Thank you. You saved all of our lives.” He squeezed her hand and let go, then went in search of Chris. Mr. Charming’s shoulders relaxed as soon as he saw him and they made eye contact. He returned his attention to Haley. “Your mother would be proud.”
aley trembled everywhere. The inside of the Cessna wasn’t anywhere near as warm ten thousand feet in the air as it had been on the ground. She pressed her nose against the bubble window and swallowed hard at the sight of the brown grass below, far, far below.
Tiny.
Like a speck.
Who was Haley kidding? The cold barely registered.
How had Chris freaking Charming convinced her to do this? To jump from a perfectly good airplane with an instructor attached to her back?
Because he’d sat on the granite countertop in the kitchen and begged. “Please, please, Haley. I swear you’ll love it. I swear you’ll never experience anything else like it. Flying, Haley. It’s like flying.”
She crossed her arms, but Chris slid off the counter and pulled at them, a crooked smile lighting his face.
Those eyes, those bright blue eyes, staring at Haley… electrifying her heart.
“What will you give me if I go?”
Chris held tight to Haley’s wrists, tugged one arm, took a step closer, tugged the other arm, took another step closer. Their bodies touched, not pressed hard to each other, touching enough to brush when taking a deep breath. This wasn’t reckless and rushed, or frantic rubbing because they were afraid of being caught. This was time, tenderness, respect.
This was love.
“Easy. I’ll stop asking you.” He dragged a finger up the scar on her right arm. “Isn’t that gift enough?”
Haley shivered. “We’ll see.”
“I’ve never felt someone tremble with so much fear.” Martin, Haley’s tandem instructor, rubbed her shoulders. “You’ll be screaming with pleasure in no time.”
Why did that sound sexual?
Chris doubled over laughing, and Mr. and Mrs. Charming weren’t much more mature.
Great. Haley was about to jump out of an airplane with a bunch of perverts, perverts she couldn’t imagine living without.
“Oh, hell. I realize what I said. Sorry, Haley.”
“Don’t worry about it, Martin.” She glanced back at the middle-aged man and faked a smile. “From what I understand, we won’t be able to hear anything but wind in a few minutes.”
Martin nodded and chuckled softly. “Relax. You’re lucky, Haley. It’s a gorgeous, warm day, beautiful blue skies with plenty of sunshine… in the middle of March.”
Means nothing.
Chris pat Haley’s knee. “Ready?”
“All right, folks. You’re in for a real treat today. Time to put on those gorgeous goggles, check those harnesses and jump out of this bad boy.” One of the younger crew pulled a string and opened the thin, plastic door, smiling with way too much energy for what they were about to do. Stupid kid. He didn’t know any better.
Don’t give him the finger. Don’t.
Martin stood, did their once over, then walked them to the door. “You can still back out.”
Haley glanced at Chris. If he’d been any more excited, he would have been squeeing like a little girl. “Not giving up now, Martin. Let’s go.”
The Charmings chanted, “Three, two, one, jump.”
Martin jumped.
And nothing but noise, loud, thunderous noise filled Haley’s ears. She screamed but couldn’t hear it and laughed, and laughed, and laughed. She didn’t feel like she was hurtling toward Earth at speeds she’d rather not think of. Haley felt free, alive, exhilarated, like she was flying.
Reaching out, she pretended she was Superman saving the world.
Falling.
Falling.
Falling.
Free.
Thank you, Chris.
Haley looked up, and Martin gave her the thumbs up, but she saw Chris and his parents, all holding hands and falling together.
Haley would do this again; she’d do this again and again and again until she qualified to go alone. Then she’d fall with Mrs. Charming, Mr. Charming…
Haley would fall with Chris.
She laughed. She’d already fallen with Chris.
She just couldn’t say it while living under his roof. Not until Gran finished physical therapy for her leg and could handle a home of her own, of their own.
Chris broke away from his parents and waved.
And then Martin deployed the chute. They sailed through the sky, the ground growing closer, more detailed. Cows grazed brown fields still under winter’s spell. Cars that looked no bigger than toys drove down farm roads, dust trailing behind. Birds soared through the sky.
The air felt so good, so clean and clear and perfect.
The ground rushed closer, and Martin pulled the toggles to guide them to the dropzone.
“Ready?” Martin asked.
Haley nodded, even th
ough her insides screamed, let’s go again!
They hit the ground as if they were a feather, light, soft, perfect.
Martin unlatched their harness, and Haley jumped up and down, adrenaline rushing through every vein.
“Haley!” Jocelyn ran across the field, waving like a lunatic, Christine two steps behind. “Oh my God. You jumped out of a plane!”
“Loo-boo, you did it!”
Haley barreled toward them and jumped, laughing as they all toppled to the ground. “Next time, you’re both coming with us!”
“Does that mean there will be a next time?”
Haley bolted upright and redirected all the excitement to Chris. His cheeks were blotched with red, and his smile could start a fire. She launched at him. “Yes. Yes, a thousand times yes. Except I want to go alone—or without an instructor like you guys so we can free fall together.”
“That can be arranged.” Mr. Charming removed his helmet and slicked his hair back.
Jocelyn inched closer. She’d clung to Haley ever since they woke up in hospital beds next to each other. Joce needed a transfusion, food, hydration, but other than that, she was fine. If needing a counselor to help overcome the trauma of losing Dad to a rehabilitation center, six months incarceration, and him no longer having parental rights, the long-term effects of night terrors created by Walter, and adjusting to a completely different lifestyle could be deemed fine.
The counselor helped Haley and Joce’s relationship, though. She encouraged Haley to open up about the painful memories locked inside and encouraged her to tell Jocelyn every detail—and the counselor encouraged Joce to do the same. The woman also encouraged them to visit Dad, but only Joce had found the courage to do that.
Haley needed more time.
A lot more time.
Years. Maybe.
She still visited Mom, though. No more sleeping out there. No more late night visits. Just regular stops when flowers needed to be pruned, or when Haley felt the need to say hello. She’d always remember Mom, her life. Haley would always celebrate it. Forever.
And Walter? He died. One of the cops who rescued everyone in the woods shot him a little too close to his heart; the cop had been the real Officer Lyttle’s partner, whom he’d found dead in the back of Walter’s truck.
“Our ride’s here.” Mrs. Charming hooked an arm around Joce and dragged her toward the van that would take them back to their cars.
“So, Haley-loo-boo.” Christine hung back and walked with Chris and Haley.
“Yes, Wonder Woman?”
“I will never be known as anything else.” She beamed—Richard created a monster. “So, about tonight—”
“Don’t back out.” Haley bumped hips with Christine. “We’ve met every Saturday for five months. Don’t. Just don’t.”
“But I have a date.”
“With Richard! You can’t both back out.”
Chris tugged at Haley’s belt loop. “Your best friend wants to go out on a date. Don’t take that away from her.”
Haley sighed. “Fine.”
Every Saturday for the last five months, Richard, Niles, Chris, Haley, Jocelyn, Gran, and Christine had met in the theater room in the basement and watched movies, ate popcorn, told stories, and cried—there was a lot of crying. They shared their pain.
More like gave it away.
Haley cherished Saturdays.
“Love you, babe!” Christine climbed into the van and scooted over to make room.
“Did she say yes?” Joce asked, sitting backward in the seat to get the scoop head-on.
“Damn straight she did.” Christine winked. “Girl loves me almost as much as she loves—”
“Christine!”
An hour later, Haley, Chris and his parents sat around the fireplace with mugs of steaming hot chocolate and waited for Gran to return home from physical therapy so Saturday night could start.
Richard called to make sure Chris was okay with the date. Niles called and asked Joce out for a movie—and everyone said no. Not tonight. Too many people backing out already.
Joce pouted the rest of the afternoon. She and Niles had formed a bond as they waited to die in the cellar of Walter’s fixer-upper torture chamber. They both cried when Haley poured her soul out to Chris, because of all the secrets this girl they both loved held, all the pain. Niles cried because he understood that Haley didn’t belong to him, never would, not after that. He understood moving on was essential. Joce cried—well, that’s obvious.
The door swung open, and bright white light poured in around Gran. She walked in, cane free, limp free, crying and holding up a set of keys over her head. “I’d say I’m home, but that’s not true anymore.”
“What?” Haley looked at Joce, but she shrugged. “Gran?”
“Look at me! I’m all better, and with the help of a good friend, I was able to close on that house a little early.”
That house. That house was the same house Haley and Joce were born in, the same house Mom built, that Dad had sold and moved them out of. Home.
That house sat three doors down.
Haley kissed Mr. Charming’s cheek. “I know you’re that good friend.”
He held up his hands. “I plead the fifth.”
Mrs. Charming kissed him too.
“What? Don’t look at me.” Mr. Charming laughed. “As much as I like these kisses, I have to admit that I’m afraid to help you ladies out much. You usually turn it down, like you did my offer to get you back into Deerfield Academy.”
Haley and Joce decided that in a world full of change, they didn’t need any more. So they stayed at Frontier, and Haley worked hard to improve her grades.
Mr. Thompson didn’t mind.
“And that offer will remain open-ended. Education is important.”
Gran tsked. “I bought you a house—well, technically you girls own the house—can’t I have a kiss?”
Laughing, Haley and Joce ran at Gran and loaded her cheeks up with kisses.
“Okay. Okay. Enough.” Gran kissed them each once. “Can we go already?”
Haley glanced back at the Charmings, at their quiet nature, their knowing, kind smiles, the leather sofas in front of a wall of windows with a fire blaring next to them.
She’d miss this, miss Chris, joking.
But now she could move forward.
Tell him how she felt.
“Go,” Chris said, waving. “We’ll be right behind with all your stuff.”
Her stuff? “You knew?”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Of course he knew. Why’d you think he got you of the house today?” Gran pointed out the door. “Now, let’s go get settled.”
They hopped in Gran’s new minivan—it helped transport students for her knitting club—and drove to the boxy yellow house. Home wasn’t a sprawling mansion like the Charmings’. Mom’s place revealed her farming roots: two long rectangles connected to form an L shape. A porch in the back, lots of windows, wood trimming throughout, and modest appliances in the kitchen. A wood-paneled barn with a tin roof sat off toward the back of the property. Mom used to keep chickens and goats in there.
Haley breathed deeply. No more hyperventilating from anxiety attacks. No more techniques needed. She’d overcome so much.
“You gonna sit in the car all day, or do you plan to come inside, darling?” Gran stood at Haley’s window, ponytail off to the side and hanging over her shoulder. “I’m proud of you, you know?”
“Proud?”
Gran smiled and cupped Haley’s cheek. “You could have gone so many ways after all this happened to you, but not only have you thrived, you’ve helped your friends thrive too. You’ve helped Christine overcome her pain and leave her addiction behind, to find love in a new boy. You’ve helped your sister, your father, that boy, yourself… me.”
A tear escaped. “You, Gran? What help did you need?”
“I was beyond bored. Good grief, what would I have done with my life without having all the stories to tell
?”
Haley snorted. “Oh, Gran. Have you been eating greasy burgers again? You’re not thinking straight.”
“Sounds yummy.” Gran pat her belly. “Let’s go to Champney’s later. But first, you and Joce need to go pick your rooms!”
“Here goes.” Haley stepped onto the gravel driveway and listened to the birds sing, the wind caress the trees with hope of spring, new life. She inhaled. Home. Home. Home. She ran and threw open the red door, then took the stairs two at a time. Haley heard memories: Jocelyn and Haley playing tag and giggling, Dad and Mom playing tag that ended in kissing, Berkshires parties, the house full of guests, TV, birthdays, laughter, love—
“Welcome home, darling.”
Gran.
“I love you.”
“Moving party’s here!” Christine!
Haley ran down the stairs. Everyone stood in the empty foyer with boxes in hand, things they’d purchased over the last few months: clothes, shoes, books, wall-hangings.
Chris met her eyes and grinned.
“Oh, no, Loverboy.” Christine took the box he held and placed it on the floor next to a cat carrier. Christine had brought Dad’s stray cat, one other thing he’d cared about and then gave up on. “You are here to look hot while taking care of the manual labor. You too, Dick. Go.”
The boys obeyed. When Christine was on a roll, she was on a roll.
Haley loved non-high Christine. Well, she loved high Christine. She loved everyone with their problems and without.
Three hours later, all the boxes were unloaded from the moving truck the Charmings had somehow hidden from Haley and Jocelyn, the mattresses were set up, the pizza had been devoured, and the sodas run dry.
Haley fell back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. It needed a boy band poster. And the doors needed streamers or Christmas lights. The curtains needed pink. Decorating was in order.
Another day.
“Knock, knock.” Chris stood at that door, holding the orange tabby, that same grin lighting everything up. Could Haley keep him there permanently? No need for Christmas lights with him standing there. “Wonder Woman’s gone. So is Dick, Daddy Dollars and Mommy Dollars.”
Christine’s nicknames for everyone.
Haley sat up. “You’re still here, Loverboy.”
He took a seat next to Haley, put the cat on the edge of the bed, and linked fingers with hers. “I am, Haley-loo-boo.”
