Jericho ~ Present
I SAT UP AND LOOKED around, momentarily disoriented as I took in what was happening around me.
My living room was full of people.
Jackson and Kayla were on an air mattress, still asleep, and Dru was sleeping in the chair next to the couch, her head tilted in what looked like an uncomfortable position. Newt was in her lap, staring back at me with his green eyes.
I shifted into sitting and looked into the kitchen, where Hector and Millie stood, working together on what I assumed was breakfast.
I picked my phone up off the table, hoping for a text or missed call, but there was nothing. With a sigh, I stood and stretched quietly, so as not to wake anyone else. We’d been up pretty late last night, everyone having rushed over after I called Jackson to let him know what was happening.
Needing fuel, I headed into the kitchen.
“Hey,” I greeted, crossing to kiss Millie lightly on the head. “Did you get any sleep?”
She shook her head and gave a small smile.
“I baked a lot.”
“You should go lay down, try and get some rest.”
“I can’t,” Millie said, her eyes full of worry, and I hugged her briefly before giving a slight nod.
“What about you? How long have you been up?” I asked Hector as I filled my coffee cup.
“A little while,” Hector replied. “We thought we’d make everyone breakfast.”
Before I could turn, Millie stopped me and held my cup, then she sprinkled something in it and said, “Here.”
“What’s that?”
“Cinnamon.”
“In my coffee?” I asked, about to toss it and get another cup.
“Just a touch,” Millie replied. “It’s a little sweet, and a little spice, to bring the flavor up a notch. It’s good for you, just try it.”
“Uh, thanks,” I said, then left them to do their thing and went out onto the patio.
Once outside, I sat down on the chair and took a tentative sip.
“Huh, that’s actually pretty good,” I murmured.
I wondered where Natasha was and what she was going through, and wished she were there beside me.
I heard the door open and turned to see Dru coming through it, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and coffee mug in her hands. She crossed in front of me and sat on the loveseat, moving her head from side to side as if her neck were bothering her.
“Morning,” I said.
“Morning,” she replied softly, looking out over the railing as she took a sip. “Hear anything?”
I sighed.
“No, not yet.”
Dru nodded and said, “She’ll be okay.”
“Yeah,” I agreed softly. “My mom’s a junkie and overall disappointment, but I can’t see her harming Natasha. She wants money, and thinks this is her best shot at getting it. I just hate the thought of her being out there, alone with my mother, doing God knows what.”
I felt the back of my eyes burn and struggled for control.
Dru’s hand hit my back and began rubbing it in small, circular motions.
“She doesn’t have anything. Her purse, her jacket . . . shoes,” On that last word, I choked and took in a deep breath.
“You know, when our dad left, Natasha was young. Too young to fully understand what was happening. Millie was devastated. She’d been Daddy’s girl, and they’d done everything together. And when he left like that, Millie sat outside on the stoop, all night, waiting for him to come back. She was crushed when he didn’t. At first, she blamed our mom, and eventually, she became numb, pretended he’d never even existed. Me, on the other hand, from the second he left, I blocked it all out. All emotion, all thoughts of him, all the memories. I went on as if nothing happened. I guess my way of coping, was not coping at all . . .” Dru paused, causing me to look at her profile, then she shook her head and continued, “But, Natasha? Natasha got mad. She saw what his leaving did to Millie, to Mom, and I guess in a way, to me, and she hated him. She was the one to help us all adjust. She’d crawl into bed with Mom when she was sad, help distract Millie in the kitchen when she needed it, and she allowed me to live in my fantasy land where life was still perfect and we were all happy. Natasha’s always been the strongest of all of us. She’s going to be okay,” she said again, this time with conviction.
I reached out and took her hand in mine, and we sat there, drinking our coffee, giving each other support.
After about ten minutes, Millie popped her head out and said, “Breakfast is ready.”
“Okay,” I said, shooting Dru a grateful smile as I released her hand and stood. “Thanks, Dru.”
“Anytime, that’s what family is for,” she replied, then went through the door as I held it open for her.
Once we were back inside, I realized everyone was now awake and my house was a bustle of movement. Everyone was helping take the food, dishes, silverware, and drinks to the dining room table, and then we all found a place and sat.
Unsure of what to do, but feeling like I should say something, I looked around the table at Natasha’s family, and my best friends, and said, “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you all came the second you heard about Natasha. We’re going to get her back, and I know together, we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she’s okay. I’m thankful for all of you, and for this meal that Hector and Millie made to give us all the strength we need to get through the day. So . . . let’s eat.”
It wasn’t quite a prayer, but since the only praying I’d ever done was when I begged God to help me make it through another day as I child, I thought it was pretty good.
We began passing dishes of eggs, potatoes, breakfast meats, pancakes, and really, more food than an army of men could have eaten, and dug in. Mostly, we listened as Kayla chattered about the dreams she’d had the night before, but it was a nice distraction, all the same.
My phone rang and I stood, pulling it from my pocket to look at the screen.
“It’s Mick.”