Bekah sat on the couch, and Ruby crawled into her arms. “What did you want to talk about?” Ruby asked sweetly.
“They want to tell us it’s time to leave. Dad’s not coming home.” Jack was way too mature for his age, and the burden that weighed on his shoulders could be seen through the glistening tears in his eyes.
“But why can’t we stay here?” Ruby bent her head back to look up at Bekah, her eyes filling with fear. “You can’t make us leave!”
“Jack is right, Ruby.” Ezekiel rubbed the back of his neck. “As much as we want to keep you two here, we need to report your father’s absence. He might be hurt or —”
“He’s not hurt!” Jack’s face reddened as the words poured from his mouth. “He just doesn’t want us anymore! He never wanted us!”
“Jack, I’m sure that’s not —”
“It’s true! After mom died, all he did was drink! I had to take care of Ruby! I’m the only one who can take care of her!” Jack burst into sobs, his shoulders shaking violently. “Please don’t take her away, Mr. Gaines. Please!”
Ruby broke out in tears as well. She jumped out of Bekah’s arms and rushed to her brother. Jack pulled her into him and hugged her as they cried together.
It had not gone well at all, and Bekah’s heart shattered into pieces as tears streamed down her face. She looked at Ezekiel to see that he too was crying.
God, please!
How could anyone expect them to do this?
“Jack.” Ezekiel wrapped his arms around the two of them. “Ruby. I don’t want to do this anymore than you do. We have to trust that God will make everything work out.”
Bekah came over and hugged them from the back. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep you together. There are two families right here in town who are willing to take you. You will see each other every day.” Even as she said the words, she couldn’t be sure that was the case. She had no control over what protective services would do once they got involved. She hoped they would want to keep the kids as close together as possible, but she couldn’t guarantee that would happen. But she had to give them some kind of hope.
“I just want to stay with Jack.” Ruby looked up and sniffled. “He’s my brother. Why can’t you keep us?”
“I want to, sweetie.” Bekah looked up at Ezekiel. “We want to. We want to keep you right here with us, but I don’t want to lie to you. That might not be what they choose to do.”
“We are going to do everything we can to keep you together, and if they allow us, we will keep you right here in this house.” Ezekiel wiped away Ruby’s tears. “We just want you to be prepared in case that doesn’t happen.”
“Jack,” Bekah touched the boy’s shoulder. “Do you have any other relatives? Grandparents? An aunt or uncle?”
Jack looked up at her. “We have a grandpa in Indiana, but he’s really old.”
“What about Aunt Karen?” Ruby asked. “She’s really nice!”
“That’s Mom’s sister. But she lives in Indiana too. She didn’t want us either, though. I heard her tell that to my dad.”
What kind of people refused to take in their own family in a time of need? Had Mr. Wilford tried to pawn the kids off on family before?
“I don’t want to go there.” Ruby sniffled. “It’s so far away.”
The chances of them staying with family seemed slim at best. And those relatives were on her mother’s side. Bekah didn’t dare ask about the family on their fathers’ side. They must have known how hard it would be for him to raise two kids on their own, but from what she was hearing, no one seemed to have stepped up and offered to help. Bekah was realizing more and more how blessed her childhood had been.
“Let’s not worry about all of that right now.” Ezekiel tried to smile. “Everything is going to be okay. It will all work out. I’m sure of it.”
“Can I sleep in the house with Ruby tonight?” Jack asked. “It might be our last night together.”
Ezekiel looked at Bekah, and she shrugged. “I don’t know why not. Why don’t we drag the air mattress in from the garage?”
Jack helped Ezekiel bring the air mattress in and Bekah and Ezekiel tucked them in their beds, kissed them, and assured them that everything would be okay. As they left the room, Bekah worried about them. There was just no way to ensure that they would stay together. They all knew it. Even little Ruby was scared. It was all too much to put them through. Bekah needed to talk to someone, and it couldn’t be Ezekiel. She needed to speak to someone who could talk her down, speak reason into her heart. If not, she would do something crazy like loading the kids up into her car and driving far, far away.
Bekah went out onto the porch and pulled out her cell phone. The call was long past overdue. Pressing the button for the number she hadn’t called in years, she waited as the phone rang on the other end.
“Bekah? Is that you?” The sound of her mother’s voice held no condemnation.
“Mom. It’s me.”
“Oh, thank God! Where are you? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Mom. What’s wrong?”
“That Blade guy came looking for you a couple of days ago. He didn’t look too happy. I thought maybe he had hurt you.”
Blade. What a waste of time that had been. “It’s okay, Mom. I’m far away from that idiot.”
“Where are you? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Mom. I just wanted to ... Mom, I’m so sorry.” Bekah’s eyes glistened. “I just wanted to tell you that you were a good parent, and I’m sorry for giving you such a hard time growing up.”
“Honey, that wasn’t your fault. It was mine. You were going through a phase, and I just didn’t know how to deal with it. I was too hard on you. I should have been more understanding.”
“You were always there for me. I understand that now. I just ... I didn’t know how to connect with you. You were always trying to guide me in the right direction, but I didn’t want to listen.”
“No more of that, honey. You were a teenager. The world has yet to understand teenagers, no matter how we try. But I was hard on you.” She paused. “You were always so talented, and I tried to suppress that. I thought ... well, I wanted you to set practical goals for your life. Making it in the world of stardom seemed like an unbelievable feat. But honey, you have talent. You—”
“No, Mom. I get it. And I’ve learned the hard way that ‘starving artist’ is not just a cliché. I get it, Mom. It took me a long time, and up until recently, I ... I met a man. He’s a good guy, and he’s taught me a lot in a short time that family means more than anything.”
“Oh? Tell me about him. I think I like him already.”
“His name is Ezekiel. He’s ... uh ...”
“Don’t tell me he’s a criminal. Escaped convict? Drug dealer? What?”
Bekah laughed. “Worse.”
“Worse? Bekah, what is he? A serial killer?”
“He’s the son of a preacher.”
“What! Have you gone crazy?” Her mother laughed.
“He’s a wonderful man, Mom. I think I love him.”
“Well, I have to say ... that was the last thing I expected to hear coming out of your mouth. A preacher’s son.” Her mother quieted. “That sure is something else.”
“I know you’re not really religious, Mom, but I have learned so much about God and forgiveness.”
“It’s not that, Bekah. I grew up in church. I often wished I’d have raised you with the same solid foundation.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t have been so wayward?” Bekah asked only partially joking.
“Perhaps.” Her mother laughed. “But you’ve always had a flair for the dramatics.”
“About that. Mom, the reason why I wanted to talk to you is because I need advice.”
“And you called me? This must be some man!”
Bekah laughed. “Not about him. It’s something else.” Bekah told her mother about everything that had happened since the time she left Blade in the hands of the police up
until the conversation with Jack and Ruby that night.
“Well, this is a lot to take in. I’m excited that you have found a position where you can use your talent, but the kids, I don’t know what to say, except that you are doing the right thing by getting the police involved.”
“They’re so scared, though. I can’t imagine what they must be going through.”
“It’s a hard situation, I’m sure. Doing the right thing is not always easy.”
“You’re not helping me here, Mom. I need you to talk me down like you used to because to be honest I’m tempted to load these kids up in the car and take them far away from here just to keep them together.”
“Bekah, I haven’t been good at talking you down since you were a little girl. Since you turned twelve, you seemed to take my advice and do the exact opposite, but I want you to think long and hard before you do anything irrational.”
It was true. If her mother told her to do one thing, Bekah was sure to do another. But somehow, in the last couple of weeks, Bekah had grown up.
“Bekah?” her mother said when she didn’t answer.
“I’m here, Mom.”
“Bekah, listen to me. You have something good going on. You have a man who obviously loves you, a job you adore, and you have me. You will always have me. But if you go and do something stupid, as much as I love you, I won’t be able to help you.”
“But they’re only kids! Who do they have if they don’t —”
“Bekah!” Her mother’s voice was stern as it had been growing up and Bekah had made a stupid choice. “Now listen to me. At some point in your life, you’re going to have to stop trying to react to the situations around you. You have always worn your heart on your sleeve. You care for everyone ... but you need to stop trying to solve everyone else's problems.”
“But —”
“Remember when you were in the third grade, and you came home and told me that your teacher was making racist remarks toward another child?”
Bekah remembered it clearly. She hadn’t said the word racist. She didn’t even know what that was at the time. “Yeah. A little black boy in my class. He was the only one in the class, and when someone asked the teacher why she taught at our school instead of where she lived, she pointed to him and said ‘Because there are too many of them.’ I was so mad that I cried.”
“And you came home and told me. You were so upset.”
“And you went barging up to that school. You yelled at everyone from the teacher to the principal. I was so proud to be your daughter.”
“You’re a sweet girl, Bekah. You have a good heart. But when you have your mind set on something, no one can change it. I need you to stop thinking you can save these kids all on your own. There are rules in place to protect children. Child services will do their best to keep them together. You have to trust.”
“Mom?”
“Yeah, honey.”
“What happened to my dad?”
Her mother sighed. “He’s a small-time actor in Hollywood. Never really made it into any big roles.”
“What!” Bekah almost dropped the phone. “Wait, is that why you didn’t want me to —”
“You got your talent from him. Also, your stubbornness, but we’re not going to talk about that.”
“What happened? Why was it such a big secret? Why did you never tell me?”
“We were in high school. We dated on and off, and he had big dreams. Just like you, he was determined to make a career in acting, and he wanted me to run off with him.”
“But you didn’t?”
“No. I’ve always been the more practical one. I wanted to settle down. Raise a family.”
“Why did he never come to see me?”
“He never knew. By the time I found out I was pregnant with you, he was already gone. I tried to contact him. Once I found him. You were less than a year old. I left you with your grandparents and set out determined to make him step up and be a father. It took me a week to find him, and when I did, he was holed up in a small apartment with five other guys who were trying to make it in the same business. He’d gotten himself into recreational drugs, and well, the moment I saw him, I knew there was no way I wanted him in your life. He was a dreamer, Bekah. And I wasn’t. My only dream was to take care of you.”
Bekah tried to take in her mother’s words. No wonder she’d always tried to sway Bekah into any direction other than acting. No wonder she’d been so against Bekah following her dream. It all made sense now. Her mother had been protecting her. From herself and from her father.
“Thank you, Mom.” There were no other words necessary.
“If you want his name —”
“No. I don’t think I do.”
“Okay, honey. If you ever change your mind, just let me know. Maybe he’s changed since then.” Her voice didn’t sound sure.
“Maybe someday.”
“So, what have you decided about running off with the kids?”
Bekah let out a soft chuckle. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll just have to trust God to take care of the situation.”
“Good idea, Bekah. Call me and let me know how it turns out. It’s so good to talk to you without you hanging up the phone on me.”
Bekah grinned. “Yeah. It does feel good. Thanks, Mom.”
“I love you, Bekah. No matter what you think, I never stopped loving you.”
“I know, Mom. I love you, too.”
Chapter 28— Ezekiel
Ezekiel woke up the next morning with the sun. He’d slept the entire night fitfully, worried about the outcome of the day. He’d tried to be more like his father and leave it to God, but still he feared.
Making a cup of coffee in his one-cup coffee maker, he sighed and sat down at his desk. Today was the day they would call the police and make the report. Jack would be so worried, and Ezekiel was concerned for both of them. He couldn’t seem to get over the fact that he was letting a lot of people down here. Jack and Ruby were adjusting so well and Bekah — every time she gave him that pleading look, Ezekiel wanted to die. None of it was fair, and he was attached to the kids too.
Ezekiel sipped on his coffee for a while, showered, and got dressed. His mother would make them all a big breakfast that most likely no one would eat, but they would spend one last time together as a family, and that was important.
Slipping on his shoes, Ezekiel headed for the door. But before he could reach it, a vehicle pulled up onto the street in front of the house. Had his father already called the police? He looked out the window to see a man almost fall out of the driver's seat of a large truck. Fury shrouded Ezekiel’s sight.
How dare that man show up two weeks after abandoning his children and in obviously no condition to care for them? Ezekiel grabbed his cell phone and rushed outside as Mr. Wilford staggered up the driveway.
“Mr. Wilford?” Ezekiel called.
The man looked up. “You got my kids?” His voice was slurred, choppy, his face beet red.
“Mr. Wilford, why don’t you go home and sleep it off. We can talk about your children after you are able to think clearly.” Ezekiel had no intention of releasing Jack and Ruby back to him.
“I want them now! You do-gooding son of a preacher! Gimme my children!” He stumbled forward almost face planting in the cement. He caught himself and stumbled back to his feet. “Gimme my children!”
Ezekiel lifted his phone and dialed emergency services as Bekah came running out of the house.
“I got me a shotgun in that truck. Do I need to get it out, preacher boy?” Mr. Wilford pointed a shaky hand to his vehicle.
The operator answered.
“Ma’am, I need a police officer here as soon as you can.” He gave the woman his name and rattled off the address.
“What seems to be the problem Mr. Gaines?”
“There’s a man here threatening me with a shotgun. He’s drunk and —”
“We don’t have your children, Mr. Wilford.”
Ezekiel turned to
Bekah, wondering why she would say that after they’d left notes at the man’s house letting him know they were there.
“Sir.” The voice came through the line. “We have an officer in route. Can you tell me more about this man? Why is he threatening you?”
“Bekah, get back in the house!” Ezekiel said as Mr. Wilford did an about face, nearly falling again and stumbled back to his truck. He was either leaving or getting his gun and Ezekiel couldn’t chance that he was leaving.
“Sir? Sir? Are you there?”
“I’m here.” Ezekiel watched Mr. Wilford as he bent down over his seat. Was the gun under there? “I think he’s getting—” He stopped and watched. Mr. Wilford leaned back upright, climbed into his truck, and started the engine. “He’s leaving. I think everything is okay.” The truck roared to life, jerked, and Mr. Wilford squealed away.
“Sir. Are you sure?”
“Yes, ma’am. He’s gone.”
“Mr. Gaines, the police will be there any moment. You will need to make a full report of the incident.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” It looked like they wouldn’t be able to have a nice breakfast before calling the police after all. They were already on their way. Ezekiel disconnected the call not waiting for further instructions.
Bekah ran back out of the house. “Ezekiel, they’re gone!”
“What!” He had thought she was just bluffing. “Where are they?”
His mother and father rushed out onto the porch, hand in hand, their faces wrinkled with worry.
“I don’t know. They aren’t anywhere in the house. I was just coming to get you when — was that Mr. Wilford?”
The police vehicle showed up before Ezekiel could respond, but the answer was obvious anyway. The look on Bekah’s face told him she already knew.
Officer Warren stepped out of the vehicle and ambled up the driveway. Ezekiel had gone to school with the man’s son. Terrence Warren had been a handful for his father, and the man hadn’t been able to contain him in his high school years. All that had turned around though after high school and Terrance had ended up joining the force himself.
The Act of Falling Page 14
