Chapter 2 - Amelia
Tucking away my monthly supply of medication that’d been delivered to my workplace, I lift my head when a nondescript whistle signals for my attention.
“Miss Ramirez… I’m so glad you’re here!” Candice exclaims as she waves me over. When I’m close enough, she uses the same hand to shield the side of her lips as she whispers, “Greg’s been hogging the TV since this morning, and my show’s about to start.”
With a light giggle, I step back and regard the elderly, wheelchair-bound resident of Sterling’s Retirement Home with a thoughtful smile. “I’ll see what I can do,” I assure her, glancing at the TV room where Gregory, another resident of the home, is perched on the rocking chair in front of the ancient television set. Mentally, I’m amused by how the residents play a game of tug-of-war with the outdated device.
Then again, the retirement home is a sanctuary for the elderly who have no one to care for them aside from trained nurses like me. It’s a place that’s meant to bring comfort to them in the last leg of their lives, and trying to navigate the newest technologies of the modern world isn’t a struggle they should have to deal with. But somehow, the elderly residents always find a task to keep me on my toes. I guess the drama keeps them busy while taking care of the residents is what keeps me busy.
Turning back to Candice with a smile, I rummage through my bag to retrieve the oats and honey bar I’d sneaked into work, taking care not to be caught by the overhead camera.
“Here…” I whisper as I slip the bar onto her lap. “... I know how much you love these…”
Candice gasps, her eyes lit up like stars when she lifts her head. Her gratitude is written all over her beaming smile. She lifts a delicate, trembling hand to my face, and her skin is as smooth as a baby’s when she touches my cheek. “You’re an absolute angel, Miss Ramirez,” she praises.
I place my hand on hers, relishing in its softness as the chords of my heart are strummed into a melody of sweetness. Candice has been at the home since I began working here as a nurse fresh out of college. She’s the closest thing to a maternal figure I’ve had since I was fourteen. Staring into her eyes, I often see my mother’s eyes the way they were when she still had life in her. It’s almost as if Mama is my guardian angel in my workplace, shining through Candice’s eyes and keeping her alive and thriving while I navigate my way through a rather lonesome life.
Working at the retirement home is what keeps me alive and brings a smile to my face. Witnessing Candice’s eyes light up every time she’s grateful for the smallest gestures is the reason why I do what I do.
“I’ve been telling you for years, Candice. You can just call me Amelia.”
The elderly woman chuckles. “Then you won’t be my nurse anymore, Miss Ramirez.”
I get to my feet and plant both hands on my hips. “I think we’ve crossed that bridge a long time ago,” I pout. “I thought we were friends.”
“Friends won’t let Greg hog the TV…” she quips with a nod to the TV room.
Smiling to myself, I curtsy before the woman and head to the TV room to pull Gregory away with the excuse that it’s time for his afternoon nap. While I help him to his bedroom, I wink at Candice to let her know that the coast is clear. Even though she doesn’t really consider me her caretaker or nurse, I’m only a friend because she refuses to consider me a daughter.
I’ve come to learn that for most of the residents, the subject of family is triggering. Being confined to a retirement home while their children are somewhere out there is a sensitive topic for the elderly.
I can sympathize with them. Being confined to a retirement home to care for these elderly people while my family no longer exists is a sensitive topic for me. So is the fact that my older brother is still alive out there while our relationship has been non-existent for eight years since our father died. That’s why the Sterling Retirement Home is my place of solace.
When I’m done checking up on the other residents, handing out prescription medication for our chronic patients, and noting their blood pressure measurements, I make my way to the TV room where Candice is snoring. I grab a throw blanket from the sofa and cover her legs before turning down the volume until it’s low enough to make her feel less lonely while she naps—just the way she likes it.
“Amelia…” A tiny but familiar voice whispers from the doorway.
Turning slowly, I mouth the word, “Coming,” to the receptionist on duty—Amy—and dim the lights before quietly tiptoeing out of the room.
“Hey,” I greeted Amy in the corridor. “You’re on night duty?”
Amy nods. “This whole week,” she grouches, throwing her head back defeatedly.
Giggling lightly, I gently touch her arm to pull her away from the TV room. “And I have night duty next week,” I grimace. “We’ll just have to take a raincheck on dinner until we’re both free.”
“You know… You don’t have to wait for me,” Amy offers. As one of my few friends who’s also my colleague, we’re always taking rainchecks to meet up outside of work with our differing schedules.
“Who am I supposed to go with then?” I slouch my shoulders, but Amy remains nonchalant. There’s something strange about her indifference as we walk down the corridor leading to the front desk.
“I don’t know…” she shrugs. “What about the hot guy waiting for you in the reception…?”
Freezing on the spot, the only thing that moves are my eyebrows as I frown. I’m not expecting anyone—least of all a “hot guy”.
“Who?”
Amy clicks her tongue. “Don’t act like you don’t know. I thought we were friends, Amelia. You could have told me you were seeing someone.”
“I’m not!” I defend. The truth is, I haven’t dated since Dad died and my whole life came crashing down around me. Friends are few and far between, while dating is definitely not on my list of priorities right now.
“Then who’s that guy asking for you by name?” Amy asks, nodding to the waiting area where a dark head hides behind a magazine. It’s only when he throws the magazine onto the rack with a grunt that I recognize the face and my jaw drops.
“Jackson…?” I gasp, my heart beginning to pound in my chest.
“You know him then?”
I nod as I turn slowly to Amy. “That’s my brother, Jackson.”
“Oh…” Amy’s eyes widened with horror. “The brother who’s been AWOL for years?”
“Uh-huh….” I gulp, shock rendering me speechless.
Amy places her hands on my shoulders. “Do you wanna see him? Or should I get rid of him?”
“Uh—” I glance over Amy’s shoulder to see Jackson lift another magazine from the rack. I have no idea what he’s doing here, or why he’s pretending to be remotely interested in a fashion magazine when I know he couldn’t care about trendy dresses or matching ties. Frowning, I look back at my friend and shake my head. “No. I wanna know what he’s doing here. It’s been eight years since we spoke. I’m curious.”
Amy concedes with a slow nod. “If you need me, I’ll be at the desk, okay?”
“Okay.” I nod as I mentally prepare myself for this unexpected meeting, lugging in deep breaths to remain composed, I make my way into the waiting area, hanging at the doorway and clearing my throat to draw my brother’s attention.
Our relationship is so estranged, that it feels odd to consider him family. But when he looks up and I meet his glowing dark brown eyes, it’s like I’m hauled into memories of simpler times when my brother and I played in the backyard of our home in Fayetteville.
“Amelia!” he exclaims as he springs up from the chair and rushes forward with open arms. “ Mi hermana!” Jackson sighs as he embraces me. The hug feels as odd as hearing him call me his sister, and I tense between his arms, frozen as he pulls away with his hands on my shoulders.
“How have you been, Sister?” He rakes appreciative eyes from head to toe, sizing me up and taking in my appearance dressed in my work uniform.
I’m still speechless, noticing how much weight he’s lost since I last saw him. His years of absence haven’t been kind to him—it’s evident in the dark circles framing his eyes while his cheeks are hollowed out and his jawline is more defined.
When he meets my eyes again, I’m forced to speak.
“I—I’m fine,” I lied. My mind is racing with a million thoughts, like why he’d show up unannounced out of nowhere.
“Come…” he says as he grabs my hand and leads me to the seating area. As I follow him with tentative steps, I notice just how much weight he’s lost. He’s at least half the size he was the last time I saw him at Dad’s funeral.
“... We have so much to catch up on, Lia,” Jackson says as he takes a seat and pulls me onto the one beside him. “I have so much to tell you.”
I cough to discreetly remove my hand from his grip, shifting on the seat and straightening my spine. I haven’t spoken to my brother for eight years, and he’s acting as if no time had passed between us.
He has no idea how much misery his behavior caused me—how his determination to follow in Dad’s footsteps when he died was the reason I left Fayetteville in the first place. He didn’t care to come back for me and threw himself into Dad’s work while I was left to forge a path on my own. With both our parents gone, he should have been there for me when I needed him.
Now he’s here, but it just doesn’t feel right. With greasy hair unkempt and longer than he’d ever worn it before, and bags under his eyes to indicate many sleepless nights, I can’t help but wonder if his search for wholeness inside Dad’s research lab has led to the loss of his sanity. Dad had become a shell of himself before he died, like a mad scientist who’d been chasing an answer to the loss of his wife.
When they were both gone, Jackson took it upon himself to pick up where Dad left off, his grief doubled. Maybe his loss is doubled too.
“What do you want, Jackson?” I ask coldly, keeping my eyes trained on the door so I don’t have to look at my brother with the resentment that burns like fire behind my eyelids. My anger crawls beneath my skin and creeps up my throat like acrid bile.
I want to hate Jackson, but I can’t because he’s my brother. I’m allowed to be angry, but until I know why he’s here to see me, I can’t show him that fury.
“Do you want money?” My voice is bitter when I snap my head in his direction, his silence by not answering my first question deafening in the dense tension hanging over my head. “Have your funds finally run dry, just like Dad’s?”
Jackson’s sharp intake of breath is coupled with a frown. “You think that’s why I’m here, Lia? For money?” he scoffs, the frown slipping off his face. “What if I just wanted to see you? Make sure you’re alive and well?”
Catching the slight trace of sadness in his voice, I’m taken aback. I’ve worked with enough patients over the years to have enough experience to notice the sadness someone is trying to hide. Like when Candice speaks about her daughter and pretends that her absence isn’t gnawing on her broken heart. I caught the same hint of regret in Jackson’s voice, and the compassion I feel for my patients comes through for my brother.
I can give him that much.
“Well, here I am, Jackson.” I gesture with both hands at myself. “I’m alive and well. But I can’t say that much for you.”
“Oh, I’m better than I’ve ever been, Lia,” he grins. “I’ve made some steady progress with Dad’s research over the years.”
I grunt under my breath, mentally rolling my eyes. Jackson had become so consumed with the research that made Dad certifiably crazy, and that’s all he can tell me about now…
Of course, he doesn’t really care about me. He’s just here to gloat about his work after all these years.
“You’ve lost a lot of weight, Jackson,” I remark, reeling in the compassion I thought I could extend just now. “You know what happened to Dad. I can only imagine that his madness is brushing off on you now.”
“Oh, Lia…” Jackson clicks his tongue derisively. “If finding a cure for cancer is madness, then I’ll embrace being mad.”
“You found a cure…?” I ask in disbelief.
Jackson nods proudly, his smile so wide that they reach his twinkling eyes. “I finally did. That’s why I needed to find you. To give you the good news.”
“This is…” At a loss for words, my jaw drops as I shake my head in disbelief. Even if I did resent my brother the moment I saw signs of his madness back then, I know now that it wasn’t all in vain. Leaving our hometown to pursue a life of my own led him to find a cure for the disease that took our mother’s life when we were kids.
He did it. Jackson did what our father couldn’t accomplish when he succumbed to a broken heart and allowed it to fail along with his research.
“... I don’t even know what to say, Jackson…” I murmur, prompting my brother to take both of my hands in his.
“Tell me you’re proud of me, mi hermana,” he whispers with a hopeful half-smile.
“Of course, I am,” I whimper as my eyes become clouded with tears I’m holding back. A flurry of emotions passed through me at that moment, full of memories of Jackson and me as kids and forcing me to put aside our indifferences to bask in this good news.
Right now, nothing matters more than this great achievement, even if it kept Jackson away from me for eight years.
“Dad would be so proud of you,” I praise when Jackson sinks back into his seat and wipes a hand across his nose as he sniffs.
“I’m sure he would be if he was here…” he laments with a trace of scorn evident in his voice.
All it takes is that fleeting moment of derision to bring back my suspicions as I frown at my brother.
Why do I sense that he didn’t do any of this for our father’s sake? He’d been so adamant to take over what our father left behind, that I thought he intended to make Dad proud.
Something is off, and it’s thanks to my sharp instinct and keen observation that I don’t fully believe my brother.
There’s something he’s not telling me. I can feel it twisting in my gut like a telltale sign that he’s not being entirely honest.
“Have you been testing out trials yet?” I ask carefully, noting the way his throat works as he gulps.
“Not yet. I’m missing a key ingredient. But I think I just found it,” he returned as he stared at me with a deadpan look in his eyes.
Why is he staring at me like that?
Those dark eyes send a shiver skittering down my spine, throwing up warning signals that make little sense right now. To break from his intrusive gaze, I turn to my wristwatch and defectively say, “Oh, would you look at that! It’s getting late. I need to check up on my patients.”
I get to my feet, and Jackson does the same. Something about my brother’s sudden appearance in my life feels unsettling. He’s being awfully vague, but I can tell by the way he stares at me that he’s not telling me everything.
Maybe he wants something from me. Not money, but an ingredient that only I could get my hands on. An ingredient that’s present in one of my patients’ chronic medications?
I’m not sure. All I know is that I really do have to get back to work before my shift ends.
“I’ll be in touch, Lia,” Jackson smiles. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his oversized sweatpants then strolls off toward the exit without another word, only whistling the familiar tune of a lullaby our mother used to sing for us when we were little.
Is he trying to stir up an emotional response in me? Doesn’t he know that his sudden visit is enough to send me spiraling without the tune lingering in my mind as a reminder of Mama?
I’m left staring after him as he disappears through the door, the lingering sense of dread hovering above my head like a dark cloud in the wake of my brother’s return to my life.
Is that it? Or is there more?
Why now, after eight years of no contact between a brother and sister who’d been inseparable for the first twenty years of my life?
As a shiver passes through me, I head back to the reception area as Amy offloads a million and one questions on my already racing mind.
“That was just weird,” I admit, staring at the door through which Jackson has long gone through. “He didn’t even apologize for not reaching out before. I don’t know. He’s just… different.”
“Eight years changes a person, Amelia,” Amy laments.
“Yeah, it does,” I relent with a heavy-hearted sigh before shaking my head to push aside any thoughts or suspicions I might have. I’m still at work, and I can leave the mulling for tonight when I’m in the sanctity of my apartment.
“Anyway…” I clear my throat and turn to Amy. “... Harriet’s on night duty, and she usually forgets that Candice needs a stronger dose of stilnoct.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to check up on your favorite patient,” Amy grins. “Harriet’s already here, so you can clock off if you need to,” she says as she passes me the scanner.
I nod gratefully as I scan my identity card on the machine. I bid Amy goodbye, leave my coat hanging on the rack behind the door, and then make my way to the parking garage.
The small car parked in my designated spot beckons to me like a yellow canary with a song promising to take me home. When I woke up this morning, I didn’t think it would be as monumental as meeting my brother after eight long years. All I want right now is to get to my apartment where I can kick off my shoes and slip into bed where I’ll probably be restless while I think about Jackson’s visit all night.
I have no idea what he wants. The last time I saw him, he’d been pulling his hair out and pacing the floors of Dad’s lab, deciding to dedicate his life to continuing our father’s research. I tried talking sense into him, pointing out that it would do him no good to drop his dreams to follow in Dad’s footsteps as a medical researcher.
That’s when I saw the glint in his eyes—the same one we saw in Dad’s eyes when Mom died. The manic determination to chase the impossible. When I threatened to leave our hometown, he didn’t stop me and never reached out since then.
I didn’t just lose my parents, but I lost the last member of my family who was alive.
The only difference is that after eight years, Jackson has proven that his determination wasn’t in vain. Still, it troubles me that he mentioned that he hasn’t begun trials, and was missing a key ingredient until now.
Another unsettling shiver courses down my spine as I unlock my car, about to open the driver’s door when the bleating cry of screeching tires fills the air I snap around just as a black van speeds toward me, My eyes widen in horror, and shock keeping me frozen to the spot when I should be running out of harm’s way. By the grace of God, the van comes skidding to a halt a few inches from where I’m standing.
Phew! I breathe a sigh of relief while my heart pounds from how close that was. A failed braking system? Or a chase that led the van into the parking garage of the retirement home?
I’m not sure. All I know is that I’m grateful the van stopped before it sandwiched me between my car. Straining my eyes, I wait for the driver to come out and apologize, but I soon realize that the near-miss isn’t the least of my concerns when the back door of the van slides open instead, and a mob of masked men files out.
It’s definitely a heist, I think with a frown. I’ll just assure them that I won’t breathe a word of this to the authorities, and be on my way. But when the group of masked men begins approaching me with only their menacing eyes focused on me, dread settles in the pit of my belly.
That was no mistake.
They’re here for me.
I quickly snap my head from left to right, trying to find a suitable escape while the mob’s daunting footsteps grow louder, more imposing, and full of danger. If I run fast enough, I can get back to the building and call for help.
“What the—” I exclaim when one of the masked men grabs my arm and forcefully pulls me toward the van’s open door. I try screaming, but the scream is muffled when a gloved hand covers my mouth.
When I’m thrown into the back of the van, I realize that this is a kidnapping situation. Fearful for my life, I can only stifle my petrified wails. I’ve watched enough crime dramas and documentaries to know that the only thing I can do is comply with my captors until I find a way to escape this horror.
The men climb into the van and the last one to enter slides the door with a thunderous bang. He turns to me just as the engine roars when the van sets into motion again and pulls off his mask from the back of his head.
My breath is snatched with the brutal horror of the man’s sinister smirk as he towers above me. It was no coincidence that the same day I met my brother after eight years, is the same day my life was in danger for the first time.
Standing over me with a sadistic grin on his face and an evil twinkle in his eyes is my older brother, Jackson.