Spanish Bay (12 page)

“Do you know what happened?” he asked the nurse.

“You’ll have to talk to the sheriff. It’s all a bit unclear still. What are you going to do about your brother? Your parents didn’t have much health insurance, and we can’t keep him here much longer.”

“I understand. I just got here an hour ago. I haven’t been able to get in touch with my oldest brother, and I need to get out to the house to check on my other siblings. Can Frank stay here for the night? I’m sure we can take him back to the house tomorrow.”

“That should work. It’s probably better if you go now, before he wakes up. He won’t understand why you’d leave him here. He’s a smart kid, even though he’s not able to communicate it.”

Chris sighed heavily. “I know. We’ll be back in the morning, first thing.”

“I’ll make sure his discharge papers are ready. And Chris—” her voice shifted again, taking on a more caring tonality “—you can expect a visit from child protective services soon. They’ll want to discuss Frank’s future with you and your sister.”

That final announcement hurt more than the actual death call from Alexandra. Why hadn’t he considered that? Who’d look after Frank? Jack? Jessica? Well, Jack was nineteen, and Jessica almost eighteen, but Frank? He was only six. No way could Alexandra take him in. As for Junior? He was hardly ever home—he didn’t even have an apartment…

Which left Chris as the only immediate family.

The thought of his kid brother ending up in foster care or in an institution, locked up for the remainder of his life, tore through Chris with a force stronger than he could take. When he came around the corner of the corridor leading back to the lobby where the Horners were waiting, the mere sight of them was the proverbial straw that broke Chris’s back. His knees buckled and he fell to the floor, a sobbing six-foot-two mess of flesh, tears and wails.

The Horners ran to him, and Joe picked him up while the nurse looked on, surprised by this sudden onset of emotion. It was so different from what she’d seen from the other family members who had been to visit. She didn’t know how to deal with it and decided that the best course of action was simply to leave the boy to his friends.

“Chris, what’s wrong?” Neil was worried sick, seeing his boyfriend come apart like this. “Is Frank all right?”

“They’re going to take him away. He’ll end up in an institution.”

“Who is?” Sarah asked, confused.

“Social services. They want to talk to me.”

“Oh, honey.” Sarah stroked her hand through Chris’s hair. “That’s just normal procedure. I’m sure your sister will be granted custody of Frank. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. But they have to follow their rules and make sure your brothers and sisters are taken care of, get their meals, have clean clothes and shelter, that sort of thing. It would be negligent of the state not to make sure that Frank is well taken care of. You do understand that, don’t you? That doesn’t mean they’ll take him away.”

Sarah knew, of course, that there was a big chance for exactly that happening, given her first impression of Alexandra. And there was no one else who could provide Frank with a home, given that the eldest one was in the navy and Chris’s younger siblings were still too young—barely adults themselves.

Once Chris was on his feet again, Joe suggested they make their way to the ranch, to check in on Jack and Jessica.

***

It was dinner time when they arrived, but the house appeared empty. Chris knew where the spare key was and opened the front door.

“Jess? Jack? Anybody home?” There was no response, so he let them into the house. “Let me go check upstairs. Jessica often listens to music in her room and wouldn’t hear a bomb fall on the house.” He left and then came back after a minute, shrugging his shoulders. “Place is deserted. Why don’t we get dinner started and hope they’ll show up. Last I knew, they didn’t have cell phones, but I know a few of their friends. I can make some calls.”

“I’ll do the cooking,” Joe offered, “if you show me to the kitchen and where things are.”

“I’ll help.” Neil seconded. “I could get some beds ready for tonight, assuming we’re staying here?”

Chris nodded. “We could have you two sleep in my parents’ room. We’ll need to change the sheets, of course, and let’s see what my room looks like. Neil could bunk with me.”

Chris showed Joe and Neil to the kitchen and left them to get dinner ready, while he and Sarah went upstairs to check on the availability of rooms. It felt weird taking Sarah into his parents’ room, but they were gone, and it was the only bed large enough for two.

Sarah didn’t seem bothered by the prospect, but opened the windows to let some fresh air into the stale room. “I hope you don’t mind?”

Chris shook his head, showed her the linen closet and proceeded to his old room. It was untouched. The air was stale, but at least his parents had not completely removed him from their lives, even though the door had probably been closed since the day he had left all those months ago. He did as Sarah had done, and opened the window to let some fresh air into the room, and indeed the house. He changed the bedding and added extra pillows and blankets for Neil. He didn’t even think about letting his boyfriend sleep anywhere else. They were a couple, no matter where they were. It had never been a thing at the Horner house, and it wasn’t going to be an issue here, either, no matter what his parents may have thought about it or what his younger siblings may say. He didn’t care.

Once he was done with his own room, he went to Frank’s room to make sure that everything was ready for the boy’s return. Frank was the only one of the kids to have a room downstairs, in the former dining room, because it was necessary for his wheelchair. Chris had to chuckle, given the fact that he had to carry Neil to their—
wow, have we come this far that I consider it ours?
—apartment, every night and carry him down again, every morning, as he still couldn’t afford to put in an elevator.
Not yet
, he reminded himself.
Soon, and then it will truly be ours.

While he was working in Frank’s room, the front door opened, and Jack came in.

“Chris, is that you?” the young man called out into the room.

Chris walked out to the living room, and the two brothers hugged.

“Man, I’m so glad you’re here. It’s been crazy. Jess is a mess, Alexandra is her usual bitchy self, and Frank is in the hospital. Have you been there?”

“Yeah, we just got back.”

“We?” Jack queried.

“Yeah, my boyfriend and his parents came with me. I hope that’s okay with you?”

“Boyfriend? Cool. Congrats. Can I meet them?”

Chris had to laugh, through the tears of reunion and the renewed pain of the realization of why he was back in the house—the only reason he’d been allowed back into it. It would not be the last time tears would remind him of the reason he was back in Lubbock.

“Sure,” he said. “Follow me. Neil and his dad are fixing dinner. Are you hungry?”

“You bet, always am, you know that.”

They walked into the kitchen, where Chris made introductions. There was an awkward moment, when Jack and Neil shook hands, but when Jack said, “That’s a cool chair you have,” tensions dissipated like steam in hot air.

“Do you know where Jess is?” Chris asked.

“Yeah, she’s with one of her friends from school, Tiffany. She didn’t sleep here last night, she was too upset.”

“What about you?”

“I’m okay. I’ve been busy with the farm. We’ve got crops to harvest, and now with Dad gone, I’m pretty busy. I could use some help tomorrow with the cotton.”

“Sure, let’s see what we can do. Think you could call Jess to come home? We need to talk about the funeral, and there are some other things we need to discuss.”

Jack nodded and left the room, calling over his shoulder, “Nice to meet you all. Welcome to Texas!”

“Wow, Jack seems like a nice guy,” Neil said.

“You mean unlike my sister?” Chris smiled. “But you have a point. He is a good kid, so is Jess. I guess she was just overwhelmed. It’s really just Alexandra. The rest of us are actually quite amiable. Now, what was next on my list?”

There was an air of business around the house; in every corner people were working, getting beds ready, cooking, making phone calls, and the thought of the reason why this odd group was assembled almost got lost beneath the veil of frantic activity. But the second Jessica walked through the door, her face a mess of tears and runny mascara, the veil tore, and everybody was instantly reminded of the tragic death. Six children had lost their anchor in life and were now six orphans who would have to fend for themselves.

“Chris, you’re back!” Jessica cried and fell into her favorite brother’s arms. “I miss them so much…”

Chris’s own tears welled up again. “I know, I miss them, too.”

They remained like this for a long while, with Jack, Joe, Sarah and Neil gathering around them, watching the loving reunion.

“Here,” Chris said finally, “let me introduce you to some folks.” He pointed to Neil. “This is my boyfriend, Neil, and his parents, Sarah and Joe. They came all the way from California to help us.”

Jessica wiped tears from her eyes, smudging her mascara even more. “How do you do? It’s a pleasure meeting you.”

Neil rolled closer and opened his arms. “No need to be so formal, Jessica. Can we be friends?”

Jessica had to smile and bowed down to give Neil a hug. Then she shook Sarah’s and Joe’s hands and smiled at her brother. “You are a lucky one.”

“I think dinner is just about ready,” Joe said. “Let’s eat and talk. You guys have a lot of things to discuss.”

They walked into the kitchen, where Neil had set the table for them. Joe brought a couple of pots over.

“I wasn’t sure how you normally do things in your house, but to minimize the need for dish washing, I left the food in the pans.”

Chris was curious. “What did you make?”

The answer appeared on the table. “Spaghetti and meat sauce. There were lots of tomatoes and hamburger meat in the fridge, so I figured I’d use that before it goes bad, and I found spaghetti in the pantry. I hope it’s okay?”

His announcement elicited more tears from Jessica. “It’s my favorite. How did you know?”

Joe gently stroked her cheek. “Honey, I didn’t, I just used what was available. I don’t presume to cook as well as your mother did.”

Jack blurted out a laugh. “Oh, trust me, Joe, that’s an easy task. Jess was referring to a high school meal. Mom’s cooking was awful.”

And the entire Miller delegation at the table laughed, sharing a common memory from their childhood.

DINNER WAS DELICIOUS, and time passed quickly, with the family discussing the plans for the memorial service, sharing memories of their parents, grumbling over Alexandra’s attitude and complimenting Joe’s cooking. Chris was grateful he’d been dealt such a great hand in life, despite the bleak outset when he’d left Lubbock.

“Before I forget, we need to monitor the phone. I’ve left a message with the navy. They wouldn’t tell me where Junior is, but they’ll have him call here as soon as possible. Depending on where he is, that could be in the middle of the night. And there’s one more thing we need to discuss…”

This was the part of the evening that Chris had dreaded the most. Neil immediately sensed as much and grabbed his hand under the table.

“We can expect a visit from social services in the coming days. It’s mostly about Frank, but Jessica, you don’t turn eighteen until next year, and I’m sure they’ll be asking questions about you, too.”

“Do you think they’ll make me move away?”

Sarah answered. “I doubt it. You could petition for emancipation. After all, it’s only what, five months, before you turn eighteen? I’m sure they’ll let you stay if, for instance, Jack promised to look after you. I think their main concern will be Frank.”

Jessica nodded and smiled at Jack. “I promise to be good.”

Jack rolled his eyes and grabbed another spoonful of food. “This spaghetti is really delicious, Joe. Thank you!”

Joe laughed. “You’re welcome, Jack.”

Jessica was concerned though. “So I get that I’m kind of off the hook, but what about Frank? Do you think they’ll take him away?”

Chris’s face turn ashen at the thought.

“Do you think there’s a way to convince Alexandra to look after him?” Neil asked.

Jessica scoffed. “Alex? Look after Frank? No way. She barely looks after her own. I know social services have been on her case for months. I can’t imagine anyone in their right mind would leave another child in her care, and certainly not someone with special needs.” She shook her head, dismissing the notion as ridiculous.

Neil looked at Chris and saw something rush across his face, but he couldn’t determine what it was. Pain? Realization?

“Let’s see what they have to say,” Sarah said calmly. “Social services isn’t just a policing force, they can also offer help and assistance. Who knows, maybe this is exactly what someone like Alexandra needs to ask for help, straighten up and become a better parent?”

Jack was still munching on his food and he quickly swallowed so he could speak. “Sorry to disillusion you, Sarah, but there’s no way my sister will ever look after Frank, no matter what. She’d pay people to take the kids she has off her back, if she had any money.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Sarah said. She lowered her gaze, realizing that maybe Chris’s fear of losing his brother to an institution was not completely unfounded.

“Do you have any aunts or uncles who could look after him?” Joe offered, clutching at straws.

“I’ll look after Frank. No one else will. He’s my brother, he’s my responsibility.”

Everyone stopped eating and stared.

“You can’t be serious, Chris!” Sarah beseeched. “This is no joke. Think about it for a moment. Looking after someone like Frank is going to require a lot of sacrifices, a lot of time and effort. You just took over a café, you work ten to twelve hours every day. How do you expect to look after a child? A child with special needs no less? And what about Neil? You’re just starting on your journey together. You can’t demand that he sacrifice his life for you.” She regretted the last words as soon as they crossed her lips. “I’m sorry, boys, that’s not what I meant. But please, Chris, think about this. You’re young, you’re at the beginning of a very promising business career. Don’t throw it all away.”