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Chapter Thirteen

  It took several hours for Aidan to help Aunt Holly finish placing the last of the thirty plants, wash the boat, and put away all of her gear. She took him on a long walk from the dock and through the forest, showing him some trails she had blazed in the past few years.

  When they arrived back at the cabin it was dusk. Holly opened the hefty door—the one Aidan knew he recognized from his dreams—and the rooms were in turmoil. He half-expected to see the curly green dog waiting for him inside the living room, but Fallon merely sat on the sofa, his legs bent and propped, Dwayne perched on Fallon’s chubby knee. Sounds of rummaging and hurried footsteps filled the downstairs, and the tromping of feet on the wooden stairs told Aidan that his family was in a rush.

  “What’s going on?” Aidan tried to get his brother’s attention, but Fallon just kept feeding his hairless rat and stared blankly ahead.

  Holly was no longer by Aidan’s side, and he figured she must have gone in the kitchen to empty her cooler full of melting ice.

  “Fal?” He stood in front of his ten year old brother who looked up and saw Aidan for the first time.

  “Huh?” he muttered, his cheeks full of buttery puffs.

  “I said, what the heck is going on?”

  His mom flew through the room, curling iron in hand, muttering to herself, “Toothpaste, moisturizer…” and exited just as promptly.

  “Ohhhh,” Fallon lifted Dwayne to his shoulder as he stood. “Mom and Dad are leaving.”

  Fallon leisurely walked across the room, microwave popcorn bag swinging from his hand.

  Aidan followed him into the kitchen, unbelieving what he heard. “Leaving? Why? Did Dad and Quinn get in a fight or something?”

  “No, I don’t think so.” He shoved another fist of popcorn into his mouth. “Mom and Dad said they would talk about it when you got back. They’ve been freaking out since noon. Someone called.”

  Aidan sighed. He knew he could not leave it to his brother to catch any details or perform any reconnaissance. He wished he was at the cabin when all of the action went down; he knew he could have pried some information out of Mom.

  Holly was at the sink, cleaning the cooler, its contents dissolving down the drain. Fallon tossed the popcorn bag at the garbage – it banked off the rim and onto the floor.

  “A phone call?” Aidan thought about his maternal grandparents who lived in Phoenix.

  “Yeah,” Fallon stooped to pick up the bag and placed it in the garbage can and headed to the fridge.

  Aidan quickly followed, prying for more info. “Do you know who it was?”

  Fallon shrugged, his back to Aidan as he pilfered through the fridge, jars clinking as they searched.

  “You’re no help. I swear,” Aidan dashed out of the kitchen and took the stairs two-by-two, Aunt Holly’s voice faintly calling to him to stay downstairs.

  He ignored her and burst into the guest room his parents were staying in during their visit. No one was there, but he saw their half-packed suitcases lying open on the queen-sized bed.

  Not wanting to think about something bad happening to his only living grandparents, Aidan hurried down the hall, telling himself that everything was just fine.

  Grandpa will be okay. Maybe he just had another mild heart attack.

  The door to the room his brother and sister were sharing was ajar, and he heard his parents’ hushed voices inside. He leaned closer to the crack in the door to better hear.

  His eyes closed, Aidan concentrated on their conversation, trying to pick it up, but all he merely heard were words and phrases.

  “Have to do it”

  “Time”

  “Too much”

  “Hard enough”

  Suddenly his mom’s voice rose and he couldn’t mistake it when she sternly said, “Then you can tell them!” Close behind were her footsteps approaching the door.

  Aidan jumped back and spun with only enough time to pretend he was admiring the picture on the wall – a prairie scene he thought may have hung in a Motel 6 at some point.

  ”Maggie!” his dad’s voice called as she swung open the door.

  She stopped short when she saw Aidan standing near.

  ”Aid?” her voice lost its intensity. “You back already?”

  Aidan turned around and saw her smooth out the front of her cleaning apron and take a deep breath.

  Yep, she’s seriously pissed. His mom was always the best at hiding her anger, and had a perfectly prescribed method for relieving tension. A few lung-clearing breaths, a check in the mirror, and she would be back to normal. At least on the outside.

  He managed a faint smile that said, “Yep, here in the flesh!”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re back. Do you think you could be a sweetheart and go get your brother and sister? Wait for us in the living room.” She stepped toward the bathroom.

  Yep, off to primp her anger away.

  He wouldn’t let her get away so easily, though. “What’s going on, Mom?”

  As she turned back to her oldest son, she wiped at the beginning of a tear that rolled down her cheek. After one shaking smile and a quick, “You’ll see in a minute,” she hurried into the hall bathroom, locking the door behind her.

  “Great,” Aidan rushed down the stairs, trying to figure out where Kaylee was hiding.

  She obviously had not been in her room since Mom and Dad were arguing in there, and he had already checked his parents’ empty room. Uncle Quinn’s bedroom upstairs? Not a chance. He kept it locked whenever he was not home; he saw Holly unlock it to get him some swim gear.

  Not in the living room or the kitchen. My room? He ran down the hall and into the office, but his belongings were untouched and the lifeless room gave no answers.

  Aidan grabbed a flashlight off the kitchen counter and hurried out to the deck, the screen door slamming behind his heels.

  As he stood at the bottom step, he flipped on the Maglite and trained its beam on the nearby woods. He hated the dark, especially when he was alone. The thought of going out into the woods to find his sister left him chilled – like the creeping nauseous of unnamed sickness.

  “Kaylee?” he called toward the lake. “Kaylee?”

  One—

  Two—

  Three—

  Four—

  Five nervous steps away from the deck and toward the woods.

  I’m fine. Just fine. Aidan psyched himself up.

  He put the flashlight between his legs, using his free hands to make a megaphone around his mouth. “Kaaaayyyyleeeee!” At least he thought it sounded louder.

  One more try, and I’m going inside.

  The chilly nighttime air tickled on his bare limbs as he rubbed his forearms to warm them.

  “Kaaaayyyy—”

  “I’m right here,” his sister’s voice whispered from behind him in the darkness. It sounded like it came from the covered deck.

  Aidan spun around, flashing the light from right to left, and sure enough, there she sat, huddled on the unmoving porch swing.

  “Are you kidding me?” Aidan huffed as he made his way back onto the safety of the porch, stomping toward his sister who he knew hadn’t said anything just to make him face his fear. But as he approached he noticed Kaylee’s bloodshot eyes, the way she hugged her knees to her chest and stared blankly before her.

  “Kaylee?” He moved the beam of light off of her and onto the warped and worn planks.

  “Wha?” She sniffled and wiped at her nose with the dangling sleeve of her favorite oversized “Vegan-ator” sweatshirt.

  Aidan’s voice softened at an attempt to be the understanding older brother. “What are you doing out here?”

  “Just getting some fresh air.” Another wiped sniffle. “Dr. Michelle’s book on cleansing the soul says you need two hours of fresh air and meditation every day.”

  She went back to staring out past the porch’s banister and slats of wood.

  “Come
on, Kaylee.” Aidan hated begging his sister, but he couldn’t stand seeing her like this either. “Why are you out here crying? And don’t try to tell me you’ve had some kind of epic spiritual experience.”

  He plopped on the empty seat next to her on the swing, the whole bench awkwardly jarring front and back until Aidan put on the brakes with his feet. Kaylee didn’t find his teasing quite as amusing as he’d hoped.

  “Something bad’s going to happen, Aid.”

  She looked over at him and he could see sincere concern in her eyes. It wasn’t the same type of look she gave when pleading for her parents to buy locally and quit supporting corporate America. This was different. Aidan knew that much.

  “What do you mean, ‘something bad’?”

  “I don’t know, Aid.” Her voice cracked. “That’s the worst part!” She buried her face in her sweatshirt-covered hands.

  Girls. Aidan rolled his eyes, but continued delicately. “Why are you feeling this way, then?”

  Suddenly, a rush of blubbering words flowed from her mouth. “Mom and Dad were talking with Uncle Quinn in his room before he left for his meeting. You know, with those skinhead friends of his? He said he would be back after we were in bed, but we all know that means right before breakfast. I mean, you know that he stays out with those crackpots all night and then tries to sneak in at five.”

  Aidan nodded; he knew Quinn’s buddies all too well from the pictures adorning the walls of Aidan’s office – sprinkled throughout the taxidermy victims. All were photographs of white men with militaristic uniforms and toting massive weapons; other pictures of Uncle Quinn behind a podium, shaking his fist at the crowd.

  Kaylee continued, her previous fit of tears quelled for the moment, “Then Mom made a call. Someone called back. Quinn left in his Army suit or whatever. Mom and Dad started arguing in their room, but I couldn’t tell what they were saying. Then Mom started throwing her stuff in the suitcase, and she hasn’t said a word to any of us! All I could get out of Dad was that we would talk about it when you got back with Aunt Holly.”

  Kaylee stared up at Aidan as her last statement hit her brain, exploding on impact. She looked at him as though he was the one with answers, like he was bringing some kind of information from Mom and Dad.

  “They just told me to get you and Fallon in the living room. Pronto.” He stood up, ready to escort his sister back inside.

  “Aid, what do you think it is?” Kaylee whispered.

  Aidan shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s Grandpa again.” He didn’t want to tell her that what was really in his mind was that the auburn-haired woman probably called and told Mom all about the affair.

  Kaylee drew her lips tight as she thought. “Maybe. I just don’t have a good feeling about it.”

  After giving Kaylee a few more minutes to compose herself, the two went back into the kitchen. He pulled Fallon from the third juice which he noisily slurped down until the boxy walls collapsed under the pressure.

  All three of the Tanner children waited uncomfortably in the living room. Even Fallon knew something wasn’t right, no matter how many bites of Twinkie he packed in his squirrel cheeks.

  Dad was the first one in the room, an unsure smile on his face as he sat in the rocking chair across the room.

  “Aidan, Kaylee, Fallon?” He looked at each of the children in turn. “Your mother will be out here in a minute, and we need to talk to all of you about some very serious things that have come up.”

  This can’t be good. Aidan’s heart thumped in his chest.

  ”As people grow older, sometimes things happen that are out of our control.” Their dad leaned forward, rubbing his sweaty palms together. “We aren’t perfect. We make certain choices, and we live with the consequences.”

  So Mom knows about her?

  Aidan wanted to jump up and fling it in his father’s face and let him know that he had known all along. But as he peered over at Fallon’s confused face and his sister’s quivering bottom-lip, he knew he couldn’t do it. This was his dad’s job to explain – however clumsily.

  Mom tiptoed in the room and stood at Dad’s shoulder, her face newly powdered. She no longer wore her requisite apron.

  She touched their dad on the shoulder, offering her assistance. “What your father’s trying to say is… we’re going to have some big changes this week and next.” She inhaled deeply. “Grandpa had another incident. He’s in critical care. So, your father’s driving me to Spokane tonight to take a flight to Phoenix.”

  Without thinking, Fallon spouted, “Is Gramps going to die?”

  Mom looked like she were about to erupt into sobs again. Aidan elbowed Fallon in the ribs.

  Dad intervened. “No. He’s not dying. He’ll be okay, but he’ll need some time to recover. Grandma just can’t handle all of the lifting, cleaning, and decisions on her own. So, your mother is going down to help out until Grandpa is feeling a little better.”

  “Oh,” Fallon nodded and stuffed half of his fourth Twinkie in his mouth.

  “And there’s another thing,” Mom continued, sitting on the arm of the rocker. “Dad’s driving back home to take care of the packing.”

  “Packing?” Aidan burst in. “Packing for what? Where is he going?”

  He glared in accusation at his father.

  “I’m coming back here.” His dad stared steadily back. It was the first words they had with each other since their argument in the woods.

  “We’re all moving up here, Aid.” Mom gently smiled like she was announcing they were going on an exotic family vacation.

  “Yep.” Their dad leaned back in the rocker. “Your aunt and uncle offered me a job taking care of the books for their business, and since I haven’t had very many takers closer to home, we thought we’d give it a go.”

  “Moving up here?” Kaylee’s surprise cleared up her tear-splotched face in an instant, replacing it with shock. She clapped her hand over her mouth and looked at Fallon and Aidan.

  “So why aren’t all of us going back with you, Dad?” Aidan folded his arms across his chest and sat back.

  “Things will just move along a lot faster if I take care of things. I’m going to have to put the house up for sale with Cousin Tim, and get all of our stuff packed up.”

  Fallon jumped to attention, “Don’t you touch my aquarium!”

  Their dad chuckled and held up a hand to stop Fallon. “Don’t worry, Fallon. I’ll have a moving company help out with everything. You guys will just stay up here with your aunt and uncle until I get back in a few weeks.”

  Aidan couldn’t believe he was going to say it, but he said it anyway, “What about school? You’re just going to have me start at a new school right before the end of the year?”

  Dad wasn’t amused, his jaw tightening despite his relaxed position in his chair. “Aid, I appreciate your desperate concern over your academics, but you’ll be helping around the cabin and the farm for the rest of the school year. Kaylee and Fallon will go to school in Winchester. It’s too late to transfer you in and still earn your credits, but I hear they have some online classes where you can make up your second semester.”

  “Online?” Aidan looked around at everyone in the room, but none of them made eye contact with him except his dad. It seemed as though no one wanted to acknowledge that which seemed all too clear to Aidan. “So, let me get this straight. I don’t even get to say goodbye to any of my friends? All of the work I’ve done over the last year to be the first sophomore president of the robotics squad is just flushed down the crapper? Not only that, but I’m also going to have to give up all of my grades back home to start all over online?”

  “Now, Aid,” Dad sternly interrupted. “You’re talented with computers and all of that stuff. You’ll be fine. Besides, we all have to make some sacrifices – some more than others – but we really have no other choice.”

  “Yes, you do! You could have me go back with you and at least finish out
the year. I could stay with someone.”

  “Aid.” His dad leaned forward, readying to stand.

  “I could stay with one of my friend’s families,” Aidan pleaded, tears fighting to break free.

  “Aid,” his mom now begged with him to stop.

  He stood up, arms gesturing for emphasis. “I’d be able to help pack up our stuff!”

  “Aid, it’s not that easy.” Her worried brow and the desperate look on her face finally broke through his railing. “We don’t want to impose more than we have to on our family, and we need you here to help with your brother and sister. Aid, please, don’t make this difficult.”

  He couldn’t protest to his mom. She never asked much of him, and when she did, she was always the model of politeness and care.

  Aidan sat back down once it was obvious that Mom and Dad had more to say, but Aidan sat with his arms crossed, giving his dad the stink eye.

  Dad explained the logistics of the move and took lists from the kids of items they wanted him to bring back in the minivan so that they wouldn’t have to wait for the moving truck to be packed, driven, and unpacked. Aidan didn’t say anything and just sat on the couch until he was excused to go to his room.

  He sat on the futon, staring at the white and green soccer ball he twirled between his hands. The swirling colors kept his mind at ease from the restlessness that the day’s news had caused. When the bedroom door opened, Aidan knew who it was before he spoke.

  “Aid?” His dad walked over and sat next to him on the futon. He pulled a box out from behind his back and handed it over to Aidan.

  Aidan stopped twirling the ball and set it on the ground so he could see what his dad was bribing him with now.

  A webcam.

  “What’s this for? I don’t have a computer up here. It will take forever for you to unhook mine and get it up here. Thanks anyway.” Aidan set the box on the ground and went back to spinning the ball.

  His dad leaned forward, trying to catch Aidan’s eyes which continued watching the rotating sphere. “Well, I already talked to Quinn and he said you could use his old computer in here. He hardly ever uses it since he has one at the nursery. I thought that you could use the camera to chat with your friends from home. You can also use it for those classes you’ll need to take.” His dad urged him, “Go on, check it out.”

  Aidan once again picked up the box just to humor his dad so he would leave, wondering what piece of garbage his dad bought at the food stop in Winchester. He eyed it suspiciously.

  Probably something only compatible with a Commodore 64.

  “I had it overnighted from GeekTech after our little misunderstanding. I know you like their stuff, so I just bought the best one they carry.” He stood and put his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels.

  “Thanks. I guess.” Aidan casually opened the box and pulled out the bubble-wrapped bundle.

  Neither said a word as Aidan unwrapped the camera, set it next to his side and started flipping through the thin instruction manual.

  “Aidan?” His dad crouched down to meet him eye to eye. “I really need you to man-up for the next few weeks.”

  Not more gung-ho macho talk from his football days.

  Aidan kept skimming pages in the manual, pretending to be engrossed in the specs.

  “Your mom’s under a lot of stress, and I’m under enormous pressure to provide for all of you. I just want a decent life for the family. You know,” he half-laughed, “that does include you.”

  “I know.”

  “Well, I guess what I’m asking, is that you be the man of the house while we’re gone. Quinn will be in and out, but with his doctor appointments, running the business, and going to his meetings… well, he’s real busy. He won’t be here all of the time, and I just need to know that you’ll be here for everyone. You know, really be here and not just slug around?”

  Aidan cringed at hearing one of his dad’s many terms for sitting around and doing nothing: bump-on-a-wall, lazy turd, clawless sloth… the list went on.

  For a moment Aidan thought of causing a tiff by threatening to tell Mom about the other woman if he didn’t get his way. But none of that would help, and it would only hurt his mom. She definitely didn’t need any of that right now. “Okay,” Aidan replied.

  His dad rose to leave the room, his goal accomplished, and Aidan saw his father’s face alight as if someone relieved him of a one-hundred pound burden.

  An hour later, Aidan waved goodbye to the minivan as it pulled out of the gravel driveway and onto the dirt road. His brother and sister rushed back inside after saying their goodbyes, but Aidan stood watching the minivan’s departure as long as the moonlight would allow.

  Aidan wrapped his sweatshirt around him tighter, keeping owl hoots and lake breezes away.

  “Be safe,” he whispered to the fading taillights.