Loyal and Committed

 

The next morning, Vin called his mother. Why? Who knows? He didn’t do it often, make that first step toward reaching out to them.

“Vincent?” his mother said, answering the phone. “What’s wrong?” He didn’t bother to correct her on his name. It wasn’t worth it anymore.

“Nothing,” he said, feeling the guilt. “I just wanted to give you a call. See how everyone is doing.”

There was hesitation on the other line. “We’re all good. How are you?”

“Good. Better.”

“Really?” she asked, happiness coming through. He hadn’t talked to anyone in his family about what happened years ago. About what caused him to leave the army. A place he’d raced to and said was his dream. Now it was his biggest nightmare.

Physically, he was all healed. There wasn’t much he had to recover from after the blast. Lots of cuts, a broken collarbone, and a concussion. Not Tim, though. Tim didn’t recover from anything. Neither did the suicide bomber. The kid that was crying on the side of the road couldn’t have been more than ten if he was a day. Vin used to wonder if the kid was crying because he was scared, or it was a ploy to get one of them to approach him.

To this day it still made Vin sick to his stomach to remember it. But the casualties were low. Two. Just those two. Lots of injuries, but injuries could be healed.

Once he was released back for duty, he finished out his tour and was done. He always said he’d end his military career when he felt he was losing his edge. He’d failed Tim and in that moment, that was enough for him to know he’d lost his edge. No amount of convincing could make him think otherwise.

“Yeah. I’m getting there. Business is good. I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would. Take a job, set it up, and be done.”

“I knew you would. You’ve always been analytical. You were made for that. I’m just happy to know you’re safe and sound.”

He didn’t think he’d like just walking away from a job when he was done. He’d never been that way before. Always stayed loyal and committed. Those times were long gone too.

He was safe, but he wasn’t sure how sound. More sound than a month ago and definitely more than a year ago. “Getting there. How’s Dad? The girls?”

“Everyone is good. Worried about you and wondering if you’ll come visit at some point. But otherwise, not much has changed here. Grandpa still asks daily when you’re coming back to take over the business.”

“Maybe someday. Not right yet. I like where I am and what I’m doing. But I’m not crossing the possibility off, either.”

“Good to know. Your father has it covered right now. We’d love nothing more than for you to come home, but we also understand the need for you to find what you’re looking for.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

He hung up a few minutes later, glad that he called. Glad to know that he still had their support so far away. No pressure from them. No hovering, either. But support just the same.

It made him think of Piper and her life. Of never really having anyone and wondering how hard that had to be. He couldn’t imagine.

 

***

 

It was still dark when Piper got to work, just like always. She parked in the lot out back and didn’t want to walk around to the front. Not through the alley. Especially not after she heard a bang and jumped, then squealed, running as fast as she could for the back door, letting herself in, then locking the door again.

She had to stop coming in by herself like this. Or maybe see if someone else could come in this early too. But who?

She was shaking, leaning against the door in the dark. Feeling around for the light on the wall.

There were eyes out there. It never seemed to go away. Everything was fine for the longest time, but in the past year, she’d get this feeling like someone was shadowing her. Watching every move she made. Circling around her like a vulture. But they never came out. They never showed themselves. The eyes of a wolf in the dark. That was all she could think of.

And since they didn’t come out, she was going to pretend they didn’t exist. Just like she pretended most of her childhood hadn’t either.

After a few more breaths, she went about the routine she had each morning. Pushing everything else from her mind.

By the time Sam and Nicole were in and working, Piper started to clean up the counters, moving to orders and gathering any trash.

She swung the back door open with her hip, the bag in front of her like a toddler carrying Santa’s loot on wobbly feet.

After she tossed the massive overfilled bag over her head into the dumpster, she turned to leave when bright red letters on the black bin caught her eye, making her think of the eyes of the wolf staring at her all the time. Only this time they were red, like in a horror movie. In the dark, just waiting to pounce when she was weak and vulnerable.

Whore

She just stood there staring at it. She’d never been vandalized before. Never had any problems at all in the two years she’d had her bakery.

When she went to wipe it off, she realized it wasn’t going to be removed very easily.

Worse yet, it was dripping, like blood from an open wound. That was what she saw when she looked at it, and it was what made her skin tingle and her hair stand on end. She swung her head around looking for something. Anything. But there was nothing. No one that she could see. Just cars in the parking lot between the buildings in the back.

Her eyes filled as she ran down the alley to the front of the shop, but again, nothing. No signs of anything other than that word like a bright beacon calling anyone forward that saw it.

Had it been there when she ran to the back door this morning? Did she catch someone in the act and didn’t know? It was so dark and she just ran for the door to get safe inside, not looking around her. She’d never know now.

As she entered the store by the front door, Sam came rushing forward. “What is it, Piper? What happened?”

There was no stopping the tears from falling down her cheeks. Something didn’t feel right and she wasn’t sure what or why. What had she done for this to happen?

Piper shook her head and walked to the kitchen trying to get herself under control. A few minutes later, Sam came back. “Nicole is covering the front. We’re both worried. What is going on?”

Piper grabbed Sam’s hand and pulled her out back into the alley and showed her. “Oh,” Sam said. “It’s probably just some kids fooling around. Don’t let it get to you.”

“Why me, though? Nothing else was marked. Just my dumpster. And why that word?”

“Because kids will be kids and think it’s funny. You remember those days, right?”

“I’d never destroy anyone’s property. You know that. You know why. You know what it’s like,” Piper said.

“I do. I’m with you on that. But not everyone had our life. Why don’t you call the police? Just report it.”

“What are they going to do?” Piper said, sniffling.

“Probably nothing. But maybe it’s happening all over the city and other people are thinking like you. Someone has to take that first step and report it, right?”

“I guess so.”

Two hours later, the police left after doing no more than pacifying her. She knew it and there wasn’t much she could do. But they were thankful she gave them each some goodies to take home as a thanks.

She’d told them about the noise she heard in the parking lot this morning and how she ran to the back door, but they told her it was probably an animal knocking something down. She thought of Smokey, and couldn’t dispute it. She wasn’t in the mood to be told she was making it up. She’d been told that enough in her life.

“What did they say?” Sam asked.

“Not much. No one else has reported anything. They asked if there was anything else going on in my life. I said no.”

She would have loved to tell them how she periodically felt like she was being watched, but she had no proof of anything. They brushed this morning off and they’d brush off her saying someone was following her too. She knew it. Why bother bringing it up?

Sam ran her hand over Piper’s. “It’ll be fine. Why don’t you finish up and go home? Have some dinner with your new beau. Let him relax you a bit.”

Piper giggled, glad Sam was taking her mind off of it. She didn’t think Vin would appreciate being called her beau, but it was a nice thought.

She’d told Sam this morning when she came in about her and Vin. Caught her up to date, because she felt like sharing. Then she told Nicole, and the three of them did what women do and laughed and giggled. It seemed like so long ago she was happy and laughing over her and Vin, and now she just wanted to go home and cry into a bowl of ice cream.

Sometimes life just threw you a curve ball and you had to learn to duck, or catch it and chuck it back. She’d never been good at catching anything in her life.