The Reunion (6 page)

S
ue, I got a favor to ask you.”

Sue looked up from the counter. “What is it, Aaron? I’m pretty busy.”

“It’s about what happened yesterday, with that young girl in Lot 31.”

“I saw you heading over that way this morning.”

“Well, that door’s busted again.”

“She change her mind about calling the cops?”

“Not exactly, but that’s why I’m here. We got to talking, and we’re both thinking she’s not safe to stay in that trailer anymore.”

“I agree. That’s why I think we should call the cops on that fella. The way he came at her with that knife, then came at you too? They’d lock someone up for that in a heartbeat.”

“I know, but she’s not wanting to take that route. It gets her having to deal with the guy for months. You’d have a trial and all that. She wants to be free of him once and for all. That’s how I read it. Anyway, there’s something else.” He looked over toward the back office in the corner, the one where she did all her paperwork. “Could I use that phone a few minutes? She gave me the number of her folks in Georgia.”

“She’s had enough then, ready to go home?”

“Seems that way, if they’ll take her back. I told her I’d call for her. Might be hard for her to hear it herself if they said no.”

She sighed. “I guess it’s all right.” Aaron lifted a part of the counter up and walked past it. As he laid it back down, Sue noticed the bruises on his knuckles. “You put ice on that hand?”

“I did yesterday and part of last night. It still hurts pretty good, but I’ll be all right.” There was that nice side of Sue, asking him how he was doing. She went back to whatever she’d been writing, and he walked back to her office. He set the piece of paper on the desk and dialed the number Heather had given him. It rang three or four times.

“Hello?” It was a woman’s voice.

“Hello, ma’am. I’m hoping I got the right number here. Would you know a young girl named Heather, about seventeen years old?”

“Oh no, Heather? Is she all right? Is this the police?”

“No, no. Nothing like that. She’s all right. Just spoke with her not a half hour ago.”

“Oh thank you, Lord,” the woman said. “I’m so relieved. We haven’t heard from her in so long, I . . .” It sounded like she had started crying.

“Are you her mother?” he asked.

“Yes. Can you hold a minute? I want to get her father in here. Can I put you on the speaker so he can hear?”

“Sure, I guess.” He heard a bump, then nothing, then a few clicks.

“George is here, Heather’s father.”

“Hello, sir, do you know where our daughter is?” George said.

“I do. She actually said it would be okay if I called you.”

“Can’t she call us herself? Is she all right?”

“She’s all right,” Aaron said. “She’s been through a pretty bad time, but she’s not hurt. But I’m not feeling too good about her staying here in our trailer park after what happened yesterday.”

“Oh no, what happened?” her mother said.

“Maybe it would be best if I took a minute or two and explained things. But from hearing you already, would I be right in assuming you’d be okay if she came home?”

“Oh yes!” her mother said tearfully. “We most certainly would.”

“Definitely,” her father said. “We’ve been praying for her every day since she left. It’s . . . it’s been tearing me up inside.” Sounded to Aaron like he was choking up. “It’s partly my fault . . . mostly my fault. She was causing all kinds of trouble, wouldn’t listen to a thing we said. But I was too hard on her.”

“We both were,” her mother said.

They took turns explaining to Aaron what had happened, but he knew Sue wouldn’t be okay if this went on too long. He jumped in and interrupted them as nicely as he could. “That’s you folks’ private business,” he said. “I ain’t here to judge. But you need to let me tell you what happened. I’m sure when I do, you’ll agree, we need to get her home as quickly as possible.”

“Sure, go ahead . . . I’m sorry. We don’t even know your name.”

“It’s Aaron. Aaron Miller. Okay, well, here’s what happened.” Aaron laid it out pretty straight over the next five minutes. They both gasped several times. He left out the part about him beating on the boy, only mentioned he was able to stop him and put him out. Heather’s mom started crying again when Aaron got to the part about her being pregnant.

As soon as he was through, Heather’s father said, “Thank you so much for calling us, Aaron. I’ll get in my car right now and drive down there to pick her up. But I don’t even know where you are. You said north Florida?”

“Yeah, it’s a little trailer park along the Suwannee River, about thirty miles east of Gainesville. She said you live a little north of Atlanta. I’d give you the address, but I’m thinking it’s going to take you six or seven hours to get here, and I don’t want that boyfriend coming back while she waits. What I’d like to suggest is, let me call my church, tell the secretary what happened. The church is only fifteen minutes from us. They’ll probably send someone over to pick her up, let her wait for you at a church member’s home. No way that boyfriend would find her there, and once you get her, she’ll be safe for good. She told me she’s never told him anything about you.”

“That’s a good plan, Aaron. I don’t know how we can ever thank you for what you’re doing here.”

“Well, I’m happy to help. I’ll feel a whole lot better when she’s on her way back home.” As soon as he said it, he felt that troublesome feeling inside, the one he’d been feeling since his talk with Heather a little while ago.

“Can we talk to her?” the mother said. “You think she’ll talk to us?”

“I think she will now,” Aaron said. “I’ll go right over and tell her what y’all have said, soon as I call my church and set that up. She’ll need to get her things together, but I’m sure she’ll want to talk to you now. She’ll probably call you on her cell phone.”

“Thank you, so much,” the mother said.

“You’ve been doing the Lord’s work, Aaron,” Heather’s father said. “I wish I could meet you and thank you in person. Will you be there at the church when I arrive?”

“No, I don’t think so. Got way too much to do around here. Fact is, I better get back to it now before I get in trouble with my boss.”

They said a few more nice things to each other, and Aaron hung up. He called his church office next, and they were more than happy to help Heather out. Then he briefed Sue and headed over to tell Heather the good news.

As he strolled across the park toward Lot 31, that disquieting feeling was there again. This time he knew what it was. A scene replayed in his head of Heather telling him she was sure her parents hated her now, and him assuring her they probably would forgive her and take her back. Turned out, he was right.

He was thinking about how much he wished he could say the same thing about his own family situation. Wishing there was some way he could get back with Karen and Steven again. But it was no use; it wasn’t the same thing. It was too late. He was no teenage runaway. And he hadn’t been gone just a couple of years. He’d been gone a few decades.

And the way his ex-wife Betty talked when he’d tried to come back the last time, she’d made it clear they wanted nothing more to do with him. They had brand-new lives now. The kids had a real dad, even called him Dad. Had a normal family life going for many years.

“It’s too late, Aaron,” she’d said. “Much too late. I’m glad you’re feeling better about yourself now, and you finally got off the streets. But this isn’t your home anymore, and this isn’t your family anymore, either. It’s best you leave well enough alone. The kids don’t even ask about you anymore. Haven’t for years.”

Tears rolled down his face as the scene and words replayed in his head. It had happened over twenty years ago. Still hurt worse than anything he’d ever felt.

K
aren Miller pulled into a local Tex-Mex restaurant to grab a late lunch with her older brother Steve. She loved him probably more than anyone else on earth. He was only eleven months older, but throughout their lives he’d been all that an older brother could be. Especially after their mother had died and Greg left her.

As she pulled in beside Steve’s white Lexus, Karen wondered why he’d asked to meet with her. Steve was a business attorney and usually extremely busy during the day.

She walked through the restaurant doors and informed the smiling hostess that her party was already here. It didn’t take long to find him; they’d met here many times, and Steve always sat in the same area, just like at church. He smiled and waved her over. She took off her coat but left her sweater on, then slid the coat and her purse into the booth and sat beside them.

“I already ordered the chips and salsa,” he said. He barely got the words out when the waitress walked up and set a big bowl of chips and salsa down. Then two large glasses of soda.

“These are both Diet Cokes,” the waitress said, looking at Karen. “Is that all right? Your husband said you liked yours with lemon.”

“Husband,” Karen said. “You think I’d marry this guy?”

Steve laughed.

“I’m sorry, I just thought—”

“Don’t apologize. He’s my brother. But he knows what I like to drink. Diet Coke with lemon is just fine, thanks.”

“Do you need a few minutes to order?”

“You mean he didn’t do that for me?”

“I would have,” Steve said. “But you get two or three different things here.”

“He’s right,” Karen said. “But I don’t need any time. I’m in the mood for that chicken strip salad today.” She handed the menu back to the waitress.

“Nothing for me, just the chips and salsa,” Steve said. The waitress walked away.

“You already ate, didn’t you?”

“Had lunch with a client. Sorry. I know you hate eating alone.” He reached for a chip. “But I’ll keep eating these.”

Okay
, Karen thought.
He’s not even eating lunch.
“Is everything okay?”

“What?”

“Is Aileen okay, the kids?”

“Yeah, everyone’s fine.”

“Am I in trouble?”

“What? No.”

“So why are we here?”

“Can’t a brother take his little sister out for lunch?”

“But you’re not eating lunch.”

“Okay, that’s—”

“And you’re a busy attorney who gets paid an obscene amount per hour.”

“It’s not obscene.” He smiled. “Well, maybe a little. How does that even matter?”

“You’re taking time away from your busy day, losing money, to meet with me. And it’s not even for lunch. Something must be up.” She sipped her Diet Coke.

“Nothing is up, honest.” He reached for another chip, dipped it in the salsa. “These are
so
good.”

“Steven, tell me. Why are we here?”

“It’s just . . . Gail called, told me about your lousy date the other night and . . . she thought you could use a little TLC. After asking her a few questions, I agreed. That’s all this is.”

“That’s all?”

“Really. I just wanted to see how you’re doing. Aileen and I’ve been talking about it, and so I decided I should just ask you myself.”

Karen was so relieved. Now she could eat. She reached over and dipped a chip in the salsa, then in a small bowl of ranch dressing.

“So, how are you doing?”

“I don’t know how I’m doing. And the date, by the way, was no big deal. You might even know him. He’s an attorney too. Ken Morrow.”

“Ah, a young guy. I don’t know him personally but know of him. Seems nice.”

“A nice
young
guy.”

“Well, Karen, you know that kind of thing doesn’t matter so much anymore.”

“No, I guess it doesn’t. But it bothers me. Not what others do so much, it’s just . . . I don’t know. It didn’t feel right to me.”

“You think it bothers you more because of Greg? Since he left you for someone younger?”

“I don’t know. Maybe,” she said. She sat up in her seat as the waitress stopped by and dropped off her salad. “This looks delicious. I’m so hungry.” After a quiet prayer of thanks, she cut up the chicken strips. “I don’t think it really matters, because I couldn’t see myself with someone like Ken if we were born two days apart.”

Steve laughed. “Okay, so he’s not your type, I get it. But I have to tell you, it was encouraging to hear you went out with anyone. It’s been a long time.”

Karen nodded, finished chewing. “Dates like that are the reason why. Spent the whole day preoccupied over it, went home, got all dressed up, redid my hair . . . and for what?”

“I know,” Steve said. “It can be a messy business, finding the right one. Aileen said the other night how glad she was that we’re not still out there, searching. We get to just sit on the couch and look at each other. No work, no fuss.”

“Is that supposed to be helpful?” she said, smiling.

“Sorry, guess not. I was trying to empathize.”

“I know you were.”

“Aileen’s had her eye on this guy who’s just started volunteering in the church bookstore.”

Karen laughed. “And you’re okay with that?”

“What?” Then he got it. “No . . . I don’t mean she’s interested in him herself. She was thinking about him for you. She said he seems about the right age. No ring on his finger. So she—”

“Please, Steve, no. Thank her for thinking about me but . . . no. I’m not interested in people trying to set me up on dates. Not Gail, and not you guys.”

“But Karen, it’s been four years since Greg left—I really do wish you would have let me kill him, you know.” He was smiling. “We haven’t seen you show any interest in anyone since.”

“I know it’s been four years,” she said. “I just haven’t met anyone that interests me yet.”

“Are you even looking?”

“No. I guess I’m not.” She took a bite of her salad so she wouldn’t have to elaborate.

“All right, I get the hint. New subject. Thanksgiving. You’re still coming over, right?”

After she swallowed, she said, “Have you heard anything about Stevie? Any chance he’ll be coming home from Afghanistan?” Stevie was Aileen and Steve’s oldest son.

“Karen, you’re the only one who still calls him that. He’s been going by Steven since high school.”

“
Steven
then,” she said.

“No, he won’t make it home for Thanksgiving. But we got an email from him yesterday. He’s getting over two weeks at Christmastime. He’ll be home on December 16 and won’t have to head back till January 3. And this time he won’t be heading back to Afghanistan but North Carolina.”

“Really? That’s wonderful. I pray for him all the time, you know.”

“Thanks. We do too.”

“He looks so much older in those pictures.”

“He does,” Steve said. “We’re so proud of him.”

“Well, I’ll definitely be spending Thanksgiving with you guys.”

“Good,” he said. “Then it’s settled.” He took a long sip of his Diet Coke. “You know . . .” He got a mischievous look on his face. “You can bring a friend with you if you want.”