Kirk looked up at the
clock next to the driver, “How late are they open?” He asked.
“Well, it’s one of
those trendy upscale places, I believe it is open rather late.” She looked over
at the two beside her, “I hope they let you two in dressed the way you are.”
Kirk looked down at
his clothes. He wore a button up shirt, striped with tiny designs in it and a
pair of dark blue jeans. When he looked back up at her, she was staring at
Taylor.
Taylor turned to her,
“What.” He said lazily.
“Nothing.” She
sighed. She thought it a shame that a beauty like he was chose to wear the most
worn out, tired looking clothes. When the cab stopped outside an old brick
building, Beatriz handed the driver a bill and shooed the other two out. “Hurry
up, we don’t have much time.” She said. Kirk and Taylor both looked up. There
was neon all over the building in classical designs, hence it’s name the
Palace. She disappeared through the door and they both followed, not wanting to
lose her. Stepping into the place, they were greeted with a man, dressed in a
tuxedo.
“Your usual table,
Madame?” He said, bowing to her.
“Yes, Charles. Thank
you.” She said, handing him something. Taylor and Kirk looked at each other,
then back to the man leading them into the place.
They were led to a
small table, in a dark corner of the place, the man bowed, and left them.
Beatriz sat down, her dark eyes glinting in the low light of the room. “Sit.”
She said to them. Both of them sat down, Taylor in the middle. Kirk watched
both of them. Beatriz sat, unmoving except for her eyes systematically taking
in every person in the bar. Taylor leaned his chin on one hand and with the
other he compulsively ran his hand over his short hair.
“Dude,” Kirk said,
“you look like you need a fix or something. Any cop worth his shit would want
to frisk you.”
Now Beatriz looked at
the boy next to her. He did have a nervous fidgety quality about him right
then. “He needs to feed.” She said. Her eyes then went back to the darkened
room and the people seated at tables or standing at the bar. “Go to the men’s
room, Taylor—the one by the front door. Wait there.”
Taylor looked over at
her, “I don’t have to use the bathroom—” he started.
“Do as I say.” She
said. “A boy with a blue shirt will come to you. You take him, then we leave.”
“What about me?”
Kirk said.
Beatriz turned her
black gaze on him. “You already fed tonight, did you not?” He nodded, now
sorry he’d said anything. “You will accompany him there, but do nothing unless
it becomes necessary.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He
said, and he took Taylor’s arm pulling him up. Once out of earshot, he
whispered to Taylor, “Gee whiz, she can get pissed just like that.” And he
snapped his fingers.
Taylor’s head was
throbbing from the music, his sensitive ears picking up the bass way too much
for his comfort and the lights of the dance area too flashy for his muddled
brain. Kirk pushed the door open and both of them stepped into the bathroom.
Two other men were there, washing their hands and discussing the breasts of
their waitress. Neither had on a blue shirt, so Taylor assumed neither were his
dinner. Leaning up against the wall, he looked over the men’s shoulders at the
mirror there. Kirk stood next to him like the bodyguard that he was, arms
crossed over his chest. Looking up, one of the men caught Taylor’s eye. For a
moment, he smiled, then a look of fear crossed the man’s face. He elbowed his
friend, grabbed some paper towels and handed some to him, pushing him out the
door. “What the hell was that all about?” Taylor asked.
“It’s just a vibe,
man. Women think you’re sexy and men think you’re scary. Unless of course
they’re gay.” Kirk answered matter of factly.
“That’s silly.”
Taylor shook his head.
Kirk shrugged,
“Believe what you want.”
Taylor moved closer
to the mirror and began to run his fingers through his hair, “It’s probably this
stupid haircut.” He spat, trying to make it lay down on top. “Dammit, I knew
it if was any shorter it’d want to stand up. I got cow licks all over the
place.”
Kirk smiled, “Well,
those bangs they left you…” he chuckled, “you know, they used to call that
‘lunatic fringe’”.
“It looks like one of
the Backstreet Boys or something.” Taylor grumbled, wetting his fingers and
trying to smash the hair flat, unsuccessfully.
“Aw, it looks fine.
It’s got that messy thing going on…” Kirk said glancing at the door. Slowly it
opened and a tall, thin boy walked in. Kirk rose an eyebrow wondering if he
were really even old enough to be allowed in the place. Turning, Taylor looked
at the boy who walked up to him and looked in the mirror. In the silver
reflection, their eyes met. Taylor’s now brown eyes watched as the young man
turned on the faucet. His eyes were a dark, greenish brown and his hair a rich
brown, perfectly cut, making Taylor feel all the more self conscious about his
own non-perfect one. Kirk moved over to the door and leaned up against it. He
was certain Beatriz wouldn’t allow anyone to enter, but he didn’t want to take
any chances. Though, he thought, he would just feed on them and that would be
that. He watched as Taylor leaned back against the wall, still watching the
boy. His hands were behind him and his hip was thrown out to the side, giving a
long, curve to his body as he stood there. The water was still running, but the
boy had never placed his hands under it, the only thing in the room of interest
to him now, being the boy standing next to him. For a moment, they just looked
at each other, but then, Taylor reached over and turned off the water, his hand
brushing the boy’s arm.
“Finished?” He
asked, not stepping back again. He felt his teeth growing as he looked at the
boys neck, the top two buttons of his powder blue shirt being left un done. The
fluorescent lights made it all the more easy to see the bluish vein in his neck,
and the tantalizing blood that ran just below the surface of his skin.
“Um…yeah.” He said.
Taylor cocked his
head to the side and leaned in to smell him. He was relieved not to be faced
with a huge dose of cologne. All he smelled was fabric softener on his shirt
and the clean smell of deodorant. “Good…” he said softly, then he stepped
behind the boy and again, the mirror reflected the eyes of the two. The boy
stood still as a statue as Taylor pulled the collar of his shirt to the side.
He then pressed his body against him, sandwiching him between himself and the
sink. As he put his mouth on the boy’s neck, he watched it all in the mirror.
First he looked at his own eyes, noticing how strange to see brown like his
brothers’, then as his teeth punctured the skin, he watched the boy flinch, then
close his eyes. His head went back a little, allowing Taylor better access and
causing the blood to flow very quickly into his mouth. The sounds of him
sucking and swallowing the sweet fluid were barely perceptible, but in the empty
room, it fairly echoed off the walls. Closing his own eyes, Taylor found that
he could hear the boy’s heart beating and feel it beneath his hands and his
lips. His head was becoming heavier as he laid it back on Taylor’s shoulder.
Kirk was about to stop him, when Taylor pulled his mouth away, then licked the
last bit from his lips and from the boy’s neck before letting go of his shirt.
He inched away, making sure he was still able to stand. Straightening up, the
boy placed both hands on the sink in front of him, placing his weight there as
his legs had become weak and shaky. Kirk stepped over and pulled him into a
stall and sat him very carefully down on the commode.
“You alright?” He
said to the boy. “You almost passed out there, dude.” He then turned to
Taylor, whispering, “Go on, man. I’ll be out in a second.” He said.
Taylor nodded,
looking one more time at the mirror. His cheeks were pink and he looked alive
again. Rolling his eyes, he turned and walked toward the door. It opened
before he could touch it though, and there stood Beatriz. “What took so long?”
She asked impatiently.
“Your boy’s got a
style, that’s all.” Kirk smiled, patting Taylor on the back. He then looked
back at the stall, “He’s ok. Let’s go before his posse comes looking for him.”
He said, pushing Taylor out the door. Beatriz looked at both of them and shook
her head.
As they stepped out
into the cold, Beatriz raised her hand, and the same taxi started his engine.
“Damn,” Taylor said, “that’s gotta be expensive.”
“Not usually, some of
us don’t play with our food, Taylor.” She said.
“Man, I didn’t even
do anything!” He complained.
“I could have fed
twice in the time you took.” She said getting into the car. Taylor sat in the
middle this time, “In fact,” she said, “I did. And I still had to wait outside
the door until I knew you were finished.” As soon as Kirk closed the door, the
cab began to pull away, “The Living End, please.” She said to him.
Taylor’s head shot
around, “What?! I’m not going there! I hate that place!”
“I received a call
while you were feeding, Taylor. We’ve been summoned by the elders. I don’t
believe it is anything official, so don’t be concerned. Don’t speak unless you
are spoken to though, and don’t lie, they’ll know it and it won’t look good.”
“But, what if they
ask about bad stuff I did?” He asked, his voice sounding child-like and
panicked.
“Don’t divulge
anything that you don’t have to. But if they decide we are to be punished, then
we shall have to take it, won’t we?” She said, her eyes going out the window
thoughtfully.
“Why are they meeting
you there?” Kirk asked. “I mean, don’t they usually have you come to them in
that place they all live at?” He asked nervously.
Beatriz sighed, “I’m
not exactly sure what is going on.” She admitted. “But I am going to take it
as a good sign.”
Taylor’s nerves now
were firing at an alarming rate. The fresh blood coursing through his veins and
his fear had caused his cheeks to flush and he could feel his heart beating in
his chest, probably faster than it ever had as a human. “Do we have to go?
Couldn’t we wait ‘til tomorrow? I mean, it’s really late and stuff…” he tried
to bargain his way out of it.
Beatriz looked at the
clock, “It’s only 4:35. Another good sign. Whatever it is, they must not need
a lot of time, so probably that means no official proceedings.”
As the dark building
loomed up in front of them, Taylor felt like he would throw up, though he knew
he couldn’t. Beatriz paid the cabbie and he drove away once she’d physically
pushed Taylor out onto the sidewalk. She laced her arm in his and pulled him in
through the darkened doorway. Kirk followed, worry etched across his face.
Upon entering the room, the place fell silent, all eyes upon them. The mirror
had been replaced and the splintered booth removed and replaced with a wooden
table and chairs. The place was packed. Obviously, word had gotten out that the
meeting would be taking place there. Taylor saw some familiar faces, as well as
some new ones. His brain buzzed with the activity around him. He knew lots of
communicating was going on, though the room was actually rather quiet. The
music that had been playing before was absent. “Well? Why have I been
summoned here at this ungodly hour?” Beatriz asked, looking around the room.
Beside her, Taylor did his best to look relaxed, but he really wasn’t doing a
very good job.
The familiar form of
Roberto stood up from where he had been seated at a table. Beside him, another
man rose as well. “Hello, Beatriz.” He said, a smile on his face. “Daniel has
become a bit curious about your new friend and decided that he’d like to meet
him.” Both men stepped up closer to them. The man was shorter than Roberto,
but no less intimidating. His eyes were golden in a tan face and his hair, dark
and slicked back.
“Beatriz.” He said,
bowing a tiny bit.
“Daniel.” She
returned, with a bow of her head. “Are you the only one of your stature
present?” She asked.
“Yes, as a
matter of fact I am.” He answered her coolly.
She looked
around the room. In their usual table sat the three girls she despised, their
eyes barely concealing their excitement at the turn of events they were
witnessing. In other places, she saw the serious faces of old acquaintances;
people she felt she could trust.
“So, aren’t
you going to introduce me to your new toy?” Daniel said, interrupting her
thoughts.
She turned to
Taylor. “Of course, though many of these witnesses know him already. Daniel,
this is Taylor. He has been one of us since early in the month of November.”
Taylor’s eyes darted
to the man’s. He wasn’t sure if the man was angry, or if his eyes were always
that color. It was similar to Kirk’s just before he beat the crap out of you,
he thought. “Yes, I have heard.” The man said. His voice was steady, with no
touch of emotion whatsoever. He looked Taylor up and down as if he were a horse
he was considering buying. He laughed, “Where did you find this delightful
thing? And what a pity you had to kill him!” Laughter tinkled in the air as
Taylor felt color rise to his cheeks. It seemed humiliation followed him into
this place whenever he stepped over its threshold.
“The situation
was un-avoidable.” Beatriz stated. “He was famous, and now he is not. Simple
really.”
Now the man
stepped even closer to Taylor, looking into his eyes, “What an eventful couple
of months you’ve had young one.” He said, to the frightened boy. Taylor
swallowed, but said nothing. “You know,” the man said, stepping back and
placing his hand on his chin thoughtfully, “you look pretty good for a dead
man.” Again, laughter was heard among the onlookers. He then turned to
Beatriz, “You certainly gave a believable performance to his…fans. And what a
nice touch, handing it over to the media. Brilliant of you, really.” Beatriz
merely looked at him. The man leaned back against the table he’d been sitting
at, his clothes not even showing a wrinkle. He crossed his arms over his chest,
then looked pointedly at Taylor again. “Who is your sire?” He asked.
Beatriz nudged him
and he took a tiny step toward the man, “Sonya Linsworth.” He stated, praying
his voice wouldn’t crack as it so often did at important moments.
“Hmmm…” Daniel
pondered over the information. “She is one of the older ones?” He said,
glancing over his shoulder at Roberto.
“Yes, she is. Though
she is younger than I.” He answered.
“Well, Roberto, your
sire is one of our oldest, my friend.” He said, looking at Beatriz. “And I am
certain she is the oldest female. At least in this country.” He turned his eyes
back to Taylor, “Still, Ms. Linsworth is fairly capable. Is she teaching you
some of her little tricks?” He asked.
Taylor looked
nervously to Beatriz, then back to the man, “Um…yeah. I guess so.”
“I have heard,”
Daniel said, standing up straight again and walking toward Beatriz, “that this
one has powers, much like your own. Is that true?” He asked menacingly,
leaning in toward her ear.
“Do you know how he
was changed?” Beatriz asked, changing the subject for a moment. “In the old
way.” She said, answering her own question. “Camille drank from him many
times, but it was Sonya who killed him. And so, he is special.” She said,
looking over at Taylor with a smile, “He has two sires, though Camille is a baby
herself, and won’t be taking on the responsibility of his actions.”
“Is this the same
Camille, who paired off with a vicious little killer by the name of Melanie?
Whom our Sonya was sent, by you, to reign in?”
“Well, Melanie is her
sire. But, yes, that would be her.” Beatriz said back.
Now the man looked at
Taylor, “You killed a man.” He said. “Do you know how we feel about that?”
Taylor swallowed
again, his head was beginning to tell him it was getting late, “Um…that was a
bit of an accident…but, yes, I think I know how you feel about it.” He
answered.
Roberto chuckled, “An
accident? Yeah, right. It always is, isn’t it?”
Daniel looked at
Taylor with an unwavering stare, “I know it can happen, but it was awfully quick
for you. Do not let it become a habit, or you shall be terminated like an
animal that turns on its keeper. We need humans to live. Do not think because
you are stronger than them, that you can kill them with no need. And, do not
pick up any bad habits from those street rats.”
“Yes sir.” Taylor
answered, looking down.
The man continued to
look at him. “What of these powers?” He asked.
Beatriz spoke, “I’ve
seen no evidence of them since his recent demise.” She stated. “I believe he
picked up a bit of that from his having two female sires, Daniel. But, perhaps
his brain has been wiped clean of such things now.” She looked over at the
clock, “It is getting late. He is younger than us. We need to get him back.
He is still recovering from his experience of the last few days.”
“Yes, I imagine so.”
The man answered.
“Is that all?”
Roberto asked, stepping closer. Kirk stood up taller, watching. He’d never
really trusted him, but he also never wanted to cross the man. Still, he felt a
loyalty to Beatriz and while he wouldn’t defend her against one of the elders,
Roberto was another matter. “He broke that mirror from across the room and
broke the lock on the coffin from inside it!”
“Parlor tricks.”
Daniel waved his hand in the air. He then pushed his hand out toward a glass on
the table and it tipped over, spilling it’s dark liquid across the table.
Roberto placed his
hand on his hip, “No offence to you, but this was much more impressive.”
“I’m sure it was.
And was he alone? Or was he accompanied by one of Beatriz’ little slave
girls?” Daniel asked him.
“Melanie was with him
when he did what he did to the coffin, and Beatriz and Sonya were with him when
he broke the mirror.” Roberto said. “But Melanie was just as surprised as we
were!”
“Yes, of course she
was.” He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He looked at Taylor again.
The boy looked to be barely standing and the sun was still an hour away. He
shook his head, irritated that he’d been called there because of some prank.
“You are male, are you not?” Daniel said to Taylor.
The boy’s eyebrows
knit as his mind went to years of having to convince people of his masculinity.
“Yes.” He spat. “What do I look like?” He said, unconsciously puffing his
chest out.
The man smiled,
“Well, you would appear to be a male with a very pretty face and not a lot of
muscle. Very thin, with a new haircut you despise and in serious need of a new
wardrobe. You have a lovely voice as well, though no one will ever get to hear
it again.” The smile had dropped from his face, “Do you understand that?”
Taylor looked him in the eye, then nodded. “Very good. I shall be watching
you.” He then turned to Beatriz, “And you, Lady.” Beatriz just looked at
Roberto, letting him know with her eyes how angry she was.
“I’m telling you,”
Roberto started, “there is more to him than some little youngling making his way
in the big tough world. Don’t underestimate him.” He spat, “Or
her.”
Daniel sat at the
table with a sigh, “She is a female, and while they may have those annoying mind
reading capabilities and the ability to move something without touching it, that
is as far as those powers will take them.” He looked up at Beatriz with an
exaggerated look of pity, “Very good at gossiping behind men’s backs and
breaking vases without chipping a nail.” Then to Taylor, “Don’t piss her off,
or she’ll give you a headache.” He said teasingly, shivering with mock fear.
He leaned back in the booth, “I hear she staked a claim on you. If that is so,
then where is the amulet?” Taylor didn’t answer, but his hand went up to his
throat, not finding the pendant she’d given him. His mind was clouding over
more as the seconds ticked by.
Beatriz crossed her
arms over her chest, “It was removed upon his death by Mr. Jones.” She said,
barely able to hide her disdain for the man in front of her.
“Yes, well, you’d
better put it back on him again. What if your new puppy gets lost? No one will
know who to return him to.” The man laughed. Beatriz turned her head to look
toward the window. The tiniest bit of light was creeping towards the horizon.
“Please, may we leave
now?” She said, trying to ignore his insults.
Daniel stood and
looked around at all the people in the room, “Are we all satisfied now? This is
why the women do not rule. And this young one,” he said, gesturing towards
Taylor, “is no more threatening than one of the girls. Look at him. Even now,
the sleep is overtaking him, and the sun hasn’t even shown its face.” He turned
to Roberto, “Why did you call me here this evening? I can’t believe you were
afraid of them.”
“I never said I was
afraid of them. I said you needed to know what she had done. There’s something
different about him. I know it.” He stood his ground.
“Yes, there is. He
is like one of them. So what? Women and their playthings are no concern of
ours. Let them have their fun. And if you insist on coming here to this place
she has given to you all, I suppose you will have to pretend to do as she says.
She is the oldest here other than the elders, and so she is to be respected. She
runs our businesses for us. She keeps tabs on all your brothers and sisters and
ends your disputes. But do not fear her---she holds no official power over any
of you. Only we can do that.” He stepped into the center of the room, “I am
leaving. Work this out between yourselves. Beatriz is a valuable woman to us
for her ability to get things done and to deal with all these petty goings on.
Don’t hurt her little boy, and I’m sure she won’t come in here and scare you
anymore. The next time I’m drawn into this, someone will be punished severely.”
He stood for a moment,
looking around the room. No one that he saw there frightened him in the least.
He turned to leave, but as he passed Beatriz, he suddenly slapped her, hard
enough to send her falling into Kirk and causing everyone in the room to gasp.
“Who the fuck do you think you are!?” Taylor hissed, immediately lashing out
and hitting the man squarely in the jaw, but not phasing him. Kirk quickly
grabbed him, pinning his arms to his sides and turning him away from Daniel,
fearing he’d kill the boy.
“Bravo, little man.”
Daniel said. “I am your master, that’s who. Do that again, and I’ll dissect
you like the insect that you are.” He then turned and went out the door,
followed by two scary looking characters no one had noticed in the room.
Beatriz pushed her
hair out of her face and took a deep breath as a smile crept over her lips. Her
eyes slowly took in all the faces. “Yes, my children, don’t forget that women
have no power.” She said. She stopped at Roberto, his face looking disgusted,
“I hope you enjoyed that. Now you’ll be a little like the boy who cried ‘wolf’,
won’t you?” She laughed out loud. She turned to Kirk, “Let’s go home. I’ve
taken enough insults this evening.” Kirk and Taylor turned and headed for the
door, Taylor having a hard time lifting his feet and putting one in front of the
other as his outburst had cost him his last bit of energy. “Ta-ta my
darlings. Don’t let the sun catch you!” She said, following them out. Once
on the street, she looked at Kirk and narrowed her eyes. “He’ll be sorry he did
that!” She growled. “It took everything I had to keep him from feeling that
blow from you!” She scolded Taylor. “Don’t ever hit one of the elders,
especially with your mind!” She looked at him, marveling that he was able to
throw something like that even as he was on the verge of sleep. “And look how
late it is!” she said, looking up at the sky, “How dare he! He knows Taylor is
young.” She said, looking again at the boy beside her. His eyelids were heavy
and his limbs were becoming heavy as well. “And of course, I sent my little
taxi away.” She said, putting Taylor’s arm around her shoulder. “Well, it’s
only a few blocks, let’s start walking. Taylor, move those feet!” She spat.
As they made their
way home, Beatriz muttered some things in her native Spanish. Kirk knew it was
a good time to remain quiet and just do what he was told. If there hadn’t been
people here and there on the street, he would have just slung Taylor over his
shoulder and they would have been home already. By the time they made it to
Beatriz’ building, Taylor was nearly asleep on his feet. The doorman opened the
door, moving to take Beatriz’ place. She sighed, and hit the button on the
elevator, thankful they’d made it back before Taylor had become comatose. Once
on the elevator, Kirk hoisted the boy up and over his shoulder, and Beatriz
nodded to the man, letting him know his services were no longer needed. As the
doors closed, she looked at Kirk. “I’m going to need to know exactly where your
loyalties lie.” She said.
Fear coursed through
him as he saw the look in her eye. “Lady, I’ve done everything you’ve asked of
me.”
“Yes, you have.” She
said. “But, things are going to get complicated eventually, and you may have to
choose sides. You are very good at self-preservation and I can respect that.
There can be no spies here with me though. Anything you hear here in this place
is to go no farther. If you can’t do that, then I release you and you may go
join whomever you want out there. But, if you betray me, I will kill you
unmercifully.” The doors slid open and both of them just looked into each
other’s eyes for a tense moment.
“I think the elders
underestimate your powers. Is that what you want to hear? And I think you know
as well as me, that Taylor’s got ‘em too.” He said slowly.
Beatriz took him in.
Kirk sometimes seemed like he was not as smart as the others, but she knew he
was much more in tune with the things around him than he let on. “Yes, I
believe he is going to be surprising to all of us in his time.” She smiled,
looking at him, hung over Kirk’s back as if he were a sack of potatoes. “Even
though he is passed out on your shoulder like some old drunk off the street…”
she laughed, then stepped into the solitude of her own apartment, relishing in
it’s size and feel. “Take him in his room and deposit him in his bed.” She
told Kirk. He did as he was told, and she walked over to the sofa where Diana
had fallen asleep. She touched her shoulder, “Diana, Taylor is home.” She
said. She watched as she stirred, knowing she had to be exhausted. “Would you
like to say good bye to him? You won’t be able to rouse him tomorrow when you
leave.”
Diana sat up, looking
around her, realizing then that it hadn’t been some bizarre dream. “Yes, I
would.” She said. She stood up, then looked over at the clock on the mantle,
“The sun must almost be up.” She said, stretching.
“Yes, it is. So we’d
better hurry before he’s down for the count.” She said, smiling. As they
entered the room, Kirk was on his way out. “Thank you, Kirk.” Beatriz said,
“Good day, I’ll see you later, alright?” She said.
“You’re welcome,
Lady.” He said, “I’ll be around.” Then he went on down the hallway to join
Melanie and Camille and let the sun take its toll on him as well.
Diana walked over to
Taylor’s bed. He had that un-nerving stillness about him again. She took his
hand and it was warm. “I guess he fed, huh?” Diana asked, a sad smile on her
face.
“Yes, he did.”
Beatriz answered. In her mind, she called out to Taylor, hoping it wasn’t too
late for him to have a few last words with his mother before she left him for
good. When his eyes fluttered open, Diana was shocked for a moment, still
expecting crystalline blue. Beatriz put her hand on her shoulder, then stepped
back out the door.
“Should you be
sleeping with contacts in?” She asked, in a motherly tone.
His voice was
scratchy sounding as he tried to shake off the heavy slumber, “Uh, probably
not. I don’t know. I never had ‘em before.” He said, sitting up and rubbing
at his eyes.
“Here,” she said,
taking a glass of water from the table, “Nancy drops hers in water if she
doesn’t have a case with her. If it ruins them, I’m sure Beatriz can afford
more.
“Yeah, I think you’re
right about that…” he said, as he gently pulled his finger across the surface of
his eye, taking the lens with it. Once they were both out, he looked up into
the face of his mother. Two pairs of almost identical eyes looked at each
other, no words necessary for that moment.
“Taylor, I need to
know you’re going to be alright. This is the only way, and you have to do
whatever she tells you. I don’t know why, but for some reason I trust her. I
think she and Sonya love you in some way. Never like I do…” she said, and she
touched his cheek with her hand. Tears came to her eyes, and she sighed, “All
the same, this is your family now. It doesn’t mean we aren’t your family still,
but we just can’t be with you now.” Her tears had begun to track down her
face. “I love you forever.”
His voice broke, “I
love you too, Mom.” He put his arms around her and lay his face on her shoulder
as his tears soaked into her blouse. “I’m gonna miss everybody so much…” It was
all he could do to talk, “Tell Ike and Zac to keep at it. I wanna hear them on
the radio one of these days.” He pulled back with a smile and wiped his nose
with his hand.
“Good heavens,” she
said, reaching into her pocket for a Kleenex. She handed it to him, “I know
it’s girly, but if you’re gonna cry, you gotta have a tissue.” She then wiped
her own eyes as they both laughed for a moment. She watched his eyes, getting
heavier and sleepier looking by the moment. He lay back down on the pillow and
closed his eyes. “Good night, baby.” She said softly, kissing his forehead.
“Night, Mama.” He
said, and he was still again.
When Diana joined her
in the sitting room, Beatriz looked at her, knowing she was upset, but also
knowing she’d accepted it all. “You’d better get some sleep. You’re flight is
only six hours from now.” She said.
With a sigh, Diana
laid back down on the sofa, “Yeah. I know.” She said.
“Would you like to
stay in one of the guest rooms?” Beatriz asked.
Diana shook her head,
trying not to cry. “No, this is fine.”
“Alright,” Beatriz
said, standing, “Mr. Jones will awaken you in the morning, and he will accompany
you to the airport.”
Diana nodded, and
Beatriz turned off the light, leaving only a candle burning brightly on the
mantle.
