Chapter 17
MARTY WAS kept hopping the rest of the week, often up until the wee hours of the morning with issues that weren’t his own making, but it seemed that a change had worked its way into the systems that resulted in tons of bad data that needed to be sorted out.
By Thursday, the source had been discovered and fixed, so things calmed down considerably.
Still, he was up late just making sure that everything was running smoothly.
Cameron was thrilled that school was over, and Marty figured that Grant was relieved as well. At least with the schools closed, there weren’t huge concentrations of kids to be taken. He sent Grant a message and went to his room, climbed into bed, and tried to go to sleep.
“Everything is okay. I’m still at the station but should be heading home soon.”
“Any luck with the exhumation?” Marty texted back.
“Finally got the order signed yesterday.” Grant had explained that the judge wanted to know the details of the case because they were requesting the exhumation specifically without the family’s consent or knowledge, and that had taken some time.
“It will happen Saturday. The coroner will be on hand to perform an identification, and he’s out of town tomorrow.
Apparently Bryant had some dental abnormalities that should allow for identification pretty quickly. ”
“Keep me posted. I’m trying to go to sleep, but all I do is watch crap on the internet and listen for Cameron. He’s been having nightmares almost every night this week.”
“Do you want company?” Grant texted.
Marty hesitated and then sent his reply. “More than anything.”
“Then I’ll be there.” And just like that, Marty breathed a sigh of relief before jumping out of bed at the scream that pierced the night. He went to Cameron’s room to find him tangled in the blankets, trying to get out.
“It’s okay,” Marty comforted, tugging away the bedding before getting Cameron settled again. “It was just a dream. I’m here, and no one is going to hurt you.” He was realizing that maybe Cameron needed more help than he could provide. “Was it the bad man?”
“Yes. He came and he took you away and I was all alone.”
“No one is going to take me away. I’m going to be here for you, I promise.
” He sat on the edge of the bed. “Do you know what nightmares are? They’re the things we’re afraid of, and they come to us at night.
I know you’re scared I’m going to leave or send you somewhere.
But I’m not. Do you remember the man who came with Donald two days ago?
He was from the county, and he set me up in classes so I can keep you. ”
“Classes?” Cameron asked.
“Yes. To teach me how to be a good parent and foster parent. I’m going to take them, and once I’m done, then Donald will put you here permanently and no one is going to take you, ever.”
“So you’ll be my daddy?” Cameron asked, and Marty felt his throat close up. He couldn’t talk, so he nodded. Cameron hugged him tightly. and Marty held him, rocking slowly.
“Go back to sleep, okay? We’re going to Hershey tomorrow, and you need your rest, so dream of chocolate.” He settled Cameron in bed and turned out the light, leaving him to go back to sleep.
Marty returned to his room and sat on the edge of the bed.
He hadn’t wanted to push, but the thought of Cameron calling him Daddy warmed his heart like nothing he had ever felt before.
Granted, it hadn’t happened yet, and he wasn’t going to press it in any way, but the idea made him feel special.
He rolled over and closed his eyes, finally falling asleep, only waking when Grant came in, slipped behind him, and slid an arm around his waist.
“CAN I go on that?” Cameron asked as soon as they entered the park, pointing to the huge roller coaster.
“I don’t think you’re tall enough, but maybe there is one in the park that you can ride.” Marty said gently and took Cameron’s hand. “What’s the rule?”
“I have to hold your hand or Grant’s hand,” Cameron said as he skipped along next to him.
“Good. Now, there are other rules. You can’t ask for everything you see. We are going to have lunch, and you can get some chocolate and a toy that you want. So look around and see everything. Okay? Let’s go find the carousel so we can all ride.”
Cameron loved riding the horsey, and then they found the kiddie coaster and Cameron rode it three times. He loved it and kept wanting to go again.
“Can I go on that?” Cameron asked, pointing to the drop tower.
“I’m afraid not, but we can go on the Kissing Tower.
” Grant took Cameron’s hand and they all headed over there.
They got on the ride pretty quickly. “It’s going to go really high,” Grant said, and Cameron was so excited as they left the ground, going higher and higher, before turning at the top to see the entire park below.
“There’s a zoo,” he said, pointing.
“Maybe if we have time. But see over there? There’s a big pool and a play area with water buckets.” Cameron turned to him like it was too good to be true. “I brought your swimming suit, so we can change clothes and play in the water.”
“Really?” Cameron said.
“Yes, really. I just need to get the bag that I brought in with us, and we can all go and play in the water. But we should have lunch first, don’t you think? Are you both hungry?”
“I am. Want chicken nuggets.” Cameron grinned, and Marty held his hand as they lowered into the station and got out of the sweltering heat that was the inside of the Kissing Tower. And the darndest thing was, he hadn’t gotten a real kiss in the damned thing.
CAMERON FELL asleep about two minutes after they got him in the SUV for the ride home.
Marty swore that Cameron ate his way around the park.
After lunch there was cotton candy and ice cream, followed by a giant lollipop, but he hadn’t been allowed to open that.
Thankfully Marty had convinced him to save that until he got home. “That was fun.”
“Yes, it was,” Grant said as he leaned over the console once they had pulled to a stop at a light. “We should do it again… like maybe next year.” That smile was so warm, and Marty lost himself in it for a few seconds. He liked the idea of making plans, even if they were fleeting and easily changed.
“Cameron would love that.”
Grant pulled forward but left one hand resting on Marty’s thigh. “You know that Cameron has a ton of chocolate back there.”
Marty chuckled. “What did he talk you into buying?”
“Kit Kats.”
“Take 5 Bars,” Marty admitted and they both chuckled. “That kid and his chocolate.”
“There are worse things, and you can put them in the cupboard and let him have them slowly.”
Marty sighed and leaned back, just enjoying the drive and the quiet after a day of screams, laughter, the clang of rides, and water splashing everywhere. It was so much fun. “I can’t believe he got us on Tidal Force.”
Grant laughed outright. “He loves the water and getting wet. That is for sure.” They’d spent hours in the water park area, and Marty swore they were never going to get Cameron to leave. Now darkness was falling, and tomorrow loomed.
“What time do you need to be to work?”
“The crews will start at nine. I don’t necessarily need to be there, but I want to be in case some member of the family shows up.
If that happens, then I want to be able to question them right away.
I’m hoping we can get in and out quickly without too much fuss.
It’s in the back of the cemetery on Newville Road, so it isn’t likely to attract too much attention, but you never know. ”
“Okay. Do you want to stay with us? Or would you be more comfortable at home?” He knew that Dexter was at Grant’s and maybe it was just easier for Grant to go home, but he didn’t want to assume.
“I’d like to stay, but I’m going to be up early, so I’ll go home and sleep there so I don’t disturb you and Cameron.
But text me when you get up, and maybe we can meet for breakfast somewhere if the process doesn’t take too long.
” Grant pulled onto the highway and drove through Harrisburg on their way back to Carlisle.
MARTY GOT Cameron inside, and suddenly he had all this energy. Marty was exhausted, but he let Cameron play for a while as he brought in everything from their day out. “I’ll see you tomorrow once you’re through for the day. I was planning to take Cameron to the park for a while in the afternoon.”
“Sounds like fun.” Grant stifled a yawn.
“I’ll see you then. I have to get home to let Dexter out and get him fed.
” Grant kissed him and then left. Marty closed and locked the doors before taking Cameron upstairs, where he got him in the bath and then finally into bed before heading to his office to work.
Processing never stopped, and he handled a few issues before making sure that everything was running smoothly. Saturdays were big processing days for the retailer he worked with, but thankfully they made few changes before they increased volume.
“Whatcha doing?” Cameron asked from the doorway, holding his stuffie.
“I’m helping people with their computers,” Marty said, wiping his eyes. He was about to ask why Cameron wasn’t in bed, but he came over and climbed in his lap.
“Show me,”
Marty shrugged. “See this screen? Those are all the things that are running already, and these are what’s waiting.
See, that one just turned green, which means it ran good, and this one is yellow, so it’s running now.
If it goes red, then it stopped because of a problem.
So I’m looking for the red. But there isn’t any so far, and there isn’t likely to be now.
So that means that I can go to bed, and so can you. ”
“I wanna watch the colors,” Cameron said.
Marty had a few more things he could do, so they sat together for the next hour with him working on one screen and Cameron watching the processing grid on the other.
By the time Marty finished, he looked down and realized that Cameron was asleep on his lap.
Marty closed the windows on his systems and carefully took Cameron to his room and put him to bed.
Then, as quietly as he could, he left the room and went to his own, but he couldn’t sleep for a long time.
So in the end, he gave up and went down to the living room, turned on the television, and found an old movie before curling up under a blanket.
But he barely watched what was on, his mind roving to Grant and the fact that he wished he were here and that he had had the courage to just ask him to come back with Dexter.
Instead, he was alone and awake, wishing that things were different.