My eyes welled and I closed them tight, causing tears to roll down my face.
All of our families had been targeted, but the Hawthorne family had been hit hardest of all.
“I keep picking up the phone to call Vera,” Nan said with a sad laugh. “At least they went together. Not sure she could have made it if he didn’t.”
“Bubby’s coming home today,” I told her, using the nickname I’d given my brother when he was born.
“Think he’s already there,” she replied.
“Oh.”
“You gonna go see him?”
“Maybe later.”
“Trix,” she scolded gently. “He’s been asking for you.”
“I don’t know if—”
“I know you’ve seen him,” she cut me off, her voice growing more forceful. “But he hasn’t seen you. He’s been asking for you for days, getting frantic every time someone tells him that you’re not there.”
“What?” I shot up on the couch, turning to face her straight on. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“You’ve been locked up in here, not talking to anyone. Don’t think your parents wanted to make things worse for you.”
“Jesus, that’s stupid,” I snapped, sliding my flip-flops on. “You coming with me?”
“I’ll be over in a little while,” she said, climbing to her feet. “I want to clean up your Gramps’ room a bit before he comes home.”
I raced outside, shielding my eyes with my hands as sunlight hit them for the first time in way too long. There were brothers and their families hanging out at the picnic benches and kids running around in the grass, but I didn’t acknowledge anyone as I jogged past them.
My eyesight went fuzzy for a second as I reached the long grass between my parents’ house and the club, but I shook it off and kept moving. My legs itched as I jogged the distance to the house, but I didn’t let that stop me, either. I’d walked through that long grass a thousand times, and I knew the itch would fade once I was out of it.
Tommy was sitting on the front porch when I reached it, and he came to his feet when he saw me. “Trix—”
I reached out and squeezed his arm, but didn’t slow as I pushed my way into the house.
The living room was full of people, but I only had eyes for one person. Leo’s back was to me, but I could tell by the set of his shoulders that he was wound up—practically vibrating with tension.
“Bubby?” I called, coming to a stop.
His head turned slowly toward me, and a strangled sound left my mouth as his face came into view.
My vision faltered, his swollen and stitched face replaced by my mom’s for a split second, her cheek puffy and both eyes black.
“Sissy?” his voice slurred and his face changed back. I stumbled forward.
When I reached him, I fell to my knees, staring into his eyes.
How could I have left him alone so long when he needed me? I reached a new level of self-loathing as his nostrils flared and his eyes flashed back and forth over my face.
He reached out shakily and gripped my shoulder, raising his hand to my hair, his callused palms catching in the strands.
“Out!” he garbled, raising his eyes from mine. “Ev’rbody OUT.”
The house went silent.
“Leo,” my mom called softly.
“Out!” he screamed, his hand tightening in my hair painfully.
My pop came in from the kitchen and took in the scene, then started ushering the brothers and their old ladies out of the house.
As soon as we were alone, Leo loosened his grip on my hair and ran his hand down the side of my head.
“Okay?” he asked, his eyes boring into mine.
“I’m okay,” I rasped.
“Tried t’get to ya,” he garbled. “Couldn’t.”
My lips trembled as I nodded.
“Okay?” he asked again.
“I’m okay, I promise.”
He nodded slightly and his eyes closed, tears leaking out of the corners. He flinched as the tears hit the stitches along his face.
“Don’t cry,” I whispered, gripping his knees with my fingers.
“Couldn’t get ya,” he mumbled, taking a shuddering breath.
I climbed onto the couch next to him, sitting on my knees so I could put my arm softly around his shoulders. Without hesitation, he leaned into me, laying the right side of his body against my chest, his head resting on my collarbone.
“M’face,” he choked out.
“It’ll heal,” I whispered into the top of his head, kissing it over and over. “I promise.”
He cried silently, his body jerking slightly until he finally fell asleep against me. I leaned backward slowly, pulling my legs out from underneath me gingerly so I didn’t jostle him. I was finally able to rest against the arm of the couch, my legs on either side of him, as he jerked and shuddered in his sleep.
Twenty minutes later, that was how our parents found us.
“Don’t move him,” I ground out, my arms tightening around his chest.
My pop inhaled sharply as my mom stepped forward.