09-19-2018, 09:50 PM
Well, that felt good.
Definitely, good. Like a nice warm towel on sore muscles. Maybe a foot rub. Watching a good movie (with popcorn, because seriously, popcorn).
He just looked at Cayli, back and forth between them all. His baby sister should be playing with makeup and deciding what dress to wear to the spring dance, not watching her heart be ripped in half repeatedly. As much as Jay wanted to glue the shattered pieces of her innocence back together, he couldn’t. Tears welled glassy across eyes blue as a bright, summer sky. The same color as his own. Ones that were beginning to burn with heat himself.
When his shoulders slumped, he cringed. None of them would comply unless they had more to go on. Dragging them from the hospital. Throwing them in the car. Abandoning the house.
How to even start?
“You know I was special forces.”
His mouth went dry.
“A mission, my last mission, I – uh…” darkness, flashes. Some near; others distant. They crawled out of the ocean that night: a dark beach. Not a single sound of boots on the sand; only that of crashing waves. Salt curled his nose. Sand cool after a sizzling day.
The SEAL team split off, a different entry point. A different target. The same mission.
He looked his mom in the eye. When he told her and aunt sarah he wanted to go shopping with them at the Des Moines mall on the day after Thanksgiving, those same drawn, weary eyes looked at him with disappointment. Mostly for not telling her his true intentions. For using her as an excuse to find a recruiter’s office.
She was looking at him now, lips drawn to a thin line. She’d endured so much over the last year. Years, really. When he graduated, mom, dad and Cayli flew to San Diego to watch his presentation. They took a picture together and mom hugged him so tight, whispering that she was proud. And it was like everything was forgiven. Her blessing.
He couldn’t tell them that he killed Andres in cold blood. “Someone important died who wasn’t supposed to die. It was my fault,” he swallowed. It was as close as he could come to the truth. He dared not look at the preacher.
“That someone had a family. A brother, specifically. Bad guys, all of them.” He looked Cayli in the eye, “they were all bad guys. Every single one.” He thought about the girl that he saved; wondered what she would grow up to be with a family like that. “Well, they want revenge. They want you, Cayli.” He crossed to her, grabbing their shoulders protectively. “I will stop them. With every last shred of me, I will protect you.”
“Take Jensen’s offer. His wife is governor of Texas. There’s no place safer I can think of.” He’d beg if he had to. Really didn't want to have to kidnap his own parents.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, mom nodded. Jay grabbed her bony shoulders and gathered her and Cayli into his arms. Cayli felt so small against him, but the top of her hair bunched under his chin anyway. She’d gotten taller than he remembered. Relief felt like an odd companion after the past few days.
His eyes floated upward about then. Movement down the hall. Dad was coming. For once, it was good timing. “Fill dad in. We’ll leave as soon as you’re packed.”
He watched them disappear into their room a few moments before plunging into his own. His own belongings were neatly laid out, including the Custody uniform, but it would only take a minute or two to pack again.
Definitely, good. Like a nice warm towel on sore muscles. Maybe a foot rub. Watching a good movie (with popcorn, because seriously, popcorn).
He just looked at Cayli, back and forth between them all. His baby sister should be playing with makeup and deciding what dress to wear to the spring dance, not watching her heart be ripped in half repeatedly. As much as Jay wanted to glue the shattered pieces of her innocence back together, he couldn’t. Tears welled glassy across eyes blue as a bright, summer sky. The same color as his own. Ones that were beginning to burn with heat himself.
When his shoulders slumped, he cringed. None of them would comply unless they had more to go on. Dragging them from the hospital. Throwing them in the car. Abandoning the house.
How to even start?
“You know I was special forces.”
His mouth went dry.
“A mission, my last mission, I – uh…” darkness, flashes. Some near; others distant. They crawled out of the ocean that night: a dark beach. Not a single sound of boots on the sand; only that of crashing waves. Salt curled his nose. Sand cool after a sizzling day.
The SEAL team split off, a different entry point. A different target. The same mission.
He looked his mom in the eye. When he told her and aunt sarah he wanted to go shopping with them at the Des Moines mall on the day after Thanksgiving, those same drawn, weary eyes looked at him with disappointment. Mostly for not telling her his true intentions. For using her as an excuse to find a recruiter’s office.
She was looking at him now, lips drawn to a thin line. She’d endured so much over the last year. Years, really. When he graduated, mom, dad and Cayli flew to San Diego to watch his presentation. They took a picture together and mom hugged him so tight, whispering that she was proud. And it was like everything was forgiven. Her blessing.
He couldn’t tell them that he killed Andres in cold blood. “Someone important died who wasn’t supposed to die. It was my fault,” he swallowed. It was as close as he could come to the truth. He dared not look at the preacher.
“That someone had a family. A brother, specifically. Bad guys, all of them.” He looked Cayli in the eye, “they were all bad guys. Every single one.” He thought about the girl that he saved; wondered what she would grow up to be with a family like that. “Well, they want revenge. They want you, Cayli.” He crossed to her, grabbing their shoulders protectively. “I will stop them. With every last shred of me, I will protect you.”
“Take Jensen’s offer. His wife is governor of Texas. There’s no place safer I can think of.” He’d beg if he had to. Really didn't want to have to kidnap his own parents.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, mom nodded. Jay grabbed her bony shoulders and gathered her and Cayli into his arms. Cayli felt so small against him, but the top of her hair bunched under his chin anyway. She’d gotten taller than he remembered. Relief felt like an odd companion after the past few days.
His eyes floated upward about then. Movement down the hall. Dad was coming. For once, it was good timing. “Fill dad in. We’ll leave as soon as you’re packed.”
He watched them disappear into their room a few moments before plunging into his own. His own belongings were neatly laid out, including the Custody uniform, but it would only take a minute or two to pack again.
Only darkness shows you the light.