Chapter 62
Levi parked the car in front of the house. He looked over at Jon sleeping in the passenger seat. He smiled, and a tear ran down his cheek. Jon was so peaceful Levi decided not to wake him.
He exited the car, easing the door shut with a gentle push to be quiet. The back hatch was harder to close without too much noise, but Jon appeared lost in a dream. He hoped he was there, and that it was a happy dream.
The house hadn’t changed. A knot formed in his stomach, tightening with each step forward. He looked at the text he had received from his aunt and thanked God she wasn’t here to greet them. He wasn’t ready for that and didn’t want Jon to have to deal with that before morning.
The key was in the flowerpot where she said it would be. He unlocked the door and turned the knob. He froze when the door opened. In his mind’s eye, he could see his mother screaming and waving her revolver. Her words echoed in his ears, and he shuddered. “One foot in front of the other Levi,” he muttered.
He looked back at the car. The light from the porch illuminated Jon, still peaceful in the car. He turned and steeled himself against the memories. He didn’t want Jon to see him falling apart.
Stepping inside, a wave of memories struck him. He set the bags beside the door while his eyes surveyed the first floor. Everything looked almost the same as it had the night he left. There were some differences, though. A new TV hung over the fireplace, and the kitchen appliances all looked newer than he remembered.
He made his way to the landing. A different picture hung on the wall in that spot. He pulled it from its nail. The hole was still there. Why had she replaced the picture but left the hole? He stifled a scream in his throat and swallowed it down before replacing the picture. He would deal with that later. For now, he wanted to be strong, and kept telling himself it was for Jon.
The bedrooms were ahead at the top of the stairs. He took a deep breath and climbed to the top. The bathroom was to the left. To the right, the guestroom with its twin bed. Much like the downstairs, nothing appeared to have changed. His jaw clenched as he approached what had been his room. The door was closed. At the end of the hall, his mother’s bedroom door was open. He approached with measured steps and closed the door, unable to look inside. Knowing he had to look in his room before he woke Jon, he turned and approached the door. He didn’t know what to expect, but knew whatever it was would be like a punch to the gut.
Levi flinched as the door swung open. He stepped inside, his eyes taking in every inch of the room. There was a certain familiarity. The same queen size bed, the same nightstand, and all the things he hadn’t been able to get into his car that night. Not much had changed, except it looked like someone had straightened things up. His eyes drifted to a picture frame on the nightstand facing the bed. It had not been there before.
His heart raced as he approached the nightstand. The photo appeared grainy, a cell phone photo taken from a distance. He shook his head. His heart pounded with each step forward. When he was close enough to make out the image, his knees buckled, and he collapsed, shaking. It was a picture of him and Jon in front of their house. “What the fuck? How the fuck?”
He wasn’t sure how long he stared at that picture and cried, but he knew he had to get himself together, and he knew he couldn’t keep this from Jon. He took a breath, inhaling to the count of three, and released. A few minutes later, he stood. His legs continued to shake as he made his way down the stairs.
Jon was leaning against the passenger window. Levi opened the driver’s side door. He climbed in and placed a hand on Jon’s chest, shaking him gently and feeling his heartbeat.
“Hey. Let’s get inside.”
Jon stirred.
“What? Ok babe, I’ll get the bags.”
“I carried them in before I woke you up. You just looked so peaceful - and I wanted to get a look at the place before you came in.”
His hand hadn’t moved, and Jon reached down and gently took it in his. “You know I’m in this with you, and you didn’t have to face that alone. Are you ok?”
Levi shrugged. “Lots of memories.” He sighed. “And a surprise.”
Jon raised an eyebrow. Levi chewed on his lip. “She… She knew… about us.”
Jon’s eyes flew open. “How could she know, and how do you know she knew?”
“There’s a picture of us in there on my nightstand. The bed looks like she would lie in it, maybe looking at us. I have no idea how or why, but I promise I’ll get Sue to tell me. I was in shock and wondered how she knew where I was to ask for a notification.”
Jon embraced him. “We’ll figure it out. You’re here. I’m here and I’m with you, no matter what. That’s all that matters.”
Levi dropped his head. “The bed in the guestroom isn’t big enough for both of us, so we’re going to have to sleep in my old bed.”
Jon nuzzled into his neck. “Whatever you think is best is fine with me. I just want us to get to bed so I don’t have to let you go.” He broke the embrace and kissed Levi’s cheek. “I bet you never thought you’d have a man sleeping with you in this house and in that bed.”
Levi flashed a smile. “Nope. I might have fantasized about sneaking…” His voice trailed off and his eyes went wide.
Jon winked at him. “You already met my first crush. Sounds like the shoe might end up on the other foot while we’re here.”
Levi closed his eyes. “I’m never going to tell him, and I won’t tell you until we leave town. This is hard enough without you posturing.”
Jon grinned and raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like you know we’re going to cross paths while we’re here.”
Levi grabbed Jon’s hand and started toward the stairs. “Let’s get to bed. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day. I hope Sue lets us sleep in.”
Jon laughed. “As much as I want to give you shit for awkwardly trying to change the subject, I have to agree. You really need to get some sleep.”