Twenty-Two
Brian
Watching Lizzie stand up to Valorie gave me hope that she was growing, maybe even healing. I needed her to be okay, to stay in this sliver of happiness she had found. It was so stupid of me to get caught up in the moment earlier, but it was easy to slip up with her. I was so scared she was going to revert back, to tell me to stay away. Instead, she accepted Lily's challenge, and was now leading me away by the hand.
“Where are you taking me, Lizzie?”
“You'll see.” She smiled real wide as she looked at me over her shoulder. The smile that stretched my lips was unavoidable as the hole in my chest was filling more and more each second I spent with her.
I let her guide me, leading me toward the large funhouse in the back. We knew it well, having mapped out the maze of mirrors in our high school days and using it as our hiding place when we wanted to get away from Lizzie's parents. We'd just tell them we got lost when what we were really doing was sitting in a dead end of the maze and talking about random things.
“Thought it could be like old times, but maybe a little better,” she explained as she handed the man the tickets needed and continued to pull me behind her.
“They changed it, Lizzie,” I whispered to her, causing her eyes to bug out in worry. I laughed, having lied just to see if that was where she was really taking us.
She gave me a slight pout in annoyance, but the good kind of annoying. “Jerk.”
I chuckled as she took us into the maze after pushing through some dangling punching bags. She found our dead end with a little help from me. The fact that she remembered as much as she did after not having been here for eighteen years said a lot about her memory.
It could be both a blessing and a curse. At this very moment, it helped her find the area she was looking for. If she was to remember Lyle, it would hurt more with how detailed her memories were. She probably has a million memories fleeting about.
“I do miss this.” I accepted my fate, sitting in my old spot and feeling the cool glass of the mirror against my back.
The old, scratched mirrors were caked with dirt, or maybe rust. More than likely they had never been replaced. For all I knew, this was the very mirror I was leaning against junior year when Lizzie told me she might be in love with Lyle. That one stung.
“Me too.” She took her spot beside me, placing her hand over mine on the floor. “Now, kiss me before someone comes, because I'm dying.”
I didn't waste a second, grabbing the back of her neck and pulling her toward me. Her lips were like soft marshmallows as I sank into them. It was a hungry and needy kiss, our breathing ragged with desperation. Her jaw rubbed against my palm as she opened her mouth once more, allowing her tongue to meet mine.
God, I love her. I need her.
Her hand held my wrist, squeezing it for a moment before she pulled back. Her hazel eyes were shining brightly despite the dark atmosphere of the maze as she looked at me head on.
“Do you think others will react the way she did if they see us?” I knew exactly who she was talking about. Valorie.
“I don't know, honestly. Maybe. They don't know us, Lizzie. They don't know our past…our history. All they know is Lyle is dead and you were his wife. Does that matter to you? What they think?”
She stayed silent for longer than I would have anticipated, keeping it so quiet I could hear the hum of the generator outside. Eventually, she met my eyes again, something hidden beneath those flecks of gold.
“Not really. But I do care how it affects the kids. They're already having a hard time at school.”
I need to help fix this.
“You're right. I care about that, too. When you're ready…when you decide we can be more, we’ll talk to them first. Their opinion matters the most to me.”
“Good, because it's the most important.”
I kissed her forehead before sitting back against the mirror again. She changed the subject almost immediately, keeping things light. She kissed me one more time before getting me off the floor to go scavenge for food.
Time for smoked ribs.
This time I led the way, taking her to the row of gazebo tents with their delicious meat. I was excited to have her eat with me, so excited I forgot that Mr. Foster was here. At the very end of the row, you could see him and Valorie with plastered smiles, handing plates of food out. Lizzie froze, spotting them herself and turning to me with a not-so-amused face.
“I’m sorry. We could get something else.”
I went to lead her away but her feet were firmly planted to the ground, pulling me back to her. “No. Screw them. This smells too good, and they're all the way over there anyway.”
I smiled at her, proud to see she wasn't letting them stop her from having a good time. Lyle would be proud, too, no doubt about it. I raised a brow at her, showing her the smirk she'd caused. “Then let's eat.”
We grabbed ribs from three different stations based solely on Lizzie's sense of smell, and then found a spot to eat them. There were never enough tables here for people to actually sit. With fingers lathered in BBQ sauce and no napkins in sight, we were sucking on our fingers when we saw a strange sight.
Elle's laughter carried in the air, easy to distinguish by the way it started as a cackle and ended as a giggle. She was brimming with happiness, but that wasn't what caught me off guard. It was who was making her laugh that had me questioning everything.
Beside her was not only Milo but Mason, his smile equally as wide as hers. Was he flirting with Elle? I blinked a couple of times in shock just as Lizzie turned to see them with an equally perplexed expression. Her brows met at the center as she tried to process what she was seeing. I could tell when her brain finally caught up with her eyes as she marched in their direction. She was being protective of Elle as her feet hit the pavement with conviction.
I followed closely behind, trying to make sure she didn't end up hurting Mason. There was no protecting him from her wrath if he was going after her sister. It wasn't his smartest choice, given his reputation. He should have known that Lizzie wouldn't let it happen. I would give him the benefit of the doubt and say maybe he didn't know Elle was her sister.
“What's so funny? I love a good laugh.” Lizzie hooked her arm with Elle's, eyeing Mason with a secret fury. Or maybe not so secret as Milo snickered, fully aware that something was about to happen.
“Hey, LB. Didn't realize you guys had wound up here after your shift. How were the ribs?” Mason clearly didn't know who Elle was as he gave Lizzie’s hooked arm a puzzled expression.
“Not as great as my sister’s, but they'll do in a pinch.”
“I'll have to try your sister’s then.”
The feel of eyes boring into the side of my face had me looking down to meet Milo's gaze. He had this mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he stared at me, trying to convey some message. With my hand at my side, I flagged him over to me, taking a step away from the trio. Milo picked up on my signal, backing away with me.
“I'll be sure and make you some,” Elle, being her usual, kind self, offered with a smile.
It finally seemed to click for Mason as his movements became stiff. The smile he sported lacked its luster as he brought his attention back to Elle.
“Don't go out of your way for me. I'll take LB at her word.”
“Nonsense. I usually make some on Halloween before it gets uncomfortably cold for me to be smoking. You'll come by and I'll be sure to feed you as a thank you for making me laugh so much. I haven't had a laugh like that in a while,” Elle insisted.
“Mason's fine, Elle. I'm sure he's happy just hearing you say thank you. Aren't you, Mason?” Lizzie hinted at him, causing Mason to nod his head in agreement so quickly you'd think he turned into a bobble head.
“She's right.”
I noticed how Elle elbowed Lizzie in the side, her way of telling her to quit whatever she was doing. There was so much these two sisters could say to one another by just looking at each other. The way they held each other's gaze told me they were having a whole conversation without saying a word.
“You'll come on Halloween for dinner and I won't hear anything more about it.” Elle pointed her finger at Mason, turning to him again.
“Um, yeah. Okay.” Mason scratched at the back of his head uncomfortably, realizing he got himself mixed up in something he never meant to be in the middle of.
“Great!” Lizzie strained a smile, being forced to be okay with it. The sarcasm in her tone could be tasted from where I stood.
I gave Milo a playful look to which the corner of his lips ticked up with a small shake of his head. I love this kid.
“How about we all enjoy the rest of the festival together? Let's go find the girls.”
Lizzie nodded along with a reluctant Mason, who was now roped in despite wanting to flee. She didn't unhook from Elle, leading the way as Milo and I followed closely behind with Mason taking the rear, being the caboose to this train. I spotted Addie with a couple of her friends from school, seeing her separate with ease as she made her way towards us.
She helped us find Lily, who was still with Jacob's kid. They were leaning against the gate just talking and munching on a funnel cake. The nostalgia that gripped my heart was too strong, bringing up the bittersweet feeling as I began to miss those days. She was more reluctant to separate but she did, waving at the poor boy who stared at her like a little lovesick puppy.
Gotta keep my eye on him. Don't worry, Lyle, I got this covered.
The night ended in laughs and memories that would replace all the other carnivals. I walked them to their car, giving each Foster a hug, including Lizzie, to which I got curious looks from her kids. They were just as protective of their mother as she was of them, and I loved that. Hopefully they wouldn't see me as someone they needed to protect her from.
Only time will tell, right?
I made it to Elle’s before traffic got bad, pulling in to see Mason really had come for dinner. It would appear that, to him, Elle was scarier than Lizzie, which if I really thought about…he was right. I would never tell Lizzie that, though.
I rushed to the door, enjoying the last rays of the sun against the picturesque sky as it set in the distance. There would be a full moon this Halloween, which meant plenty of crazies would be out, so I was going to stick to Lizzie and Milo like glue. I opened the door, knowing Elle didn't care at this point if I knocked or not.
Mason was in the kitchen doing the dishes. Smart move, buddy. As I walked around the first floor, I couldn't find anyone else. I made my way back to the kitchen, sneaking up on Mason, who was so focused on his task he hadn't even noticed me enter.
“Boo,” I whispered, seeing him jump just the slightest.
“For fuck’s sake,” he gasped out, annoyed at the way I scared him — or in his eyes — emasculated him.
“Where is everyone?”
“Upstairs getting ready. Where's your costume?” He eyed me carefully, seeing I had part of it on but it wasn't too obvious.
“You'll see.”
He rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the dishes. I used the opportunity to run back out to my car and grab my mask and fake paws. This year I was going for the classic werewolf, considering the full moon and all. It was hot beneath the mask, and it didn't help that the scent wasn't all that pleasant, but I wouldn't keep it on all night.
Hurriedly I made my way back inside, grabbing the aux cord to Elle's sound system and connecting my phone. I found a song I was sure Lizzie would love, one I used a lot on Halloween. “Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)” by Awolnation played, vibrating the walls with the bass as I made my way upstairs to find everyone. I was hoping to scare Lizzie, but instead I was tackled the moment I was off the last step. Thankfully, neither of us fell down the stairs, but it was a close call.
“I love this song.” She smiled at me. “That better be you, Bry.”
“It is.” I raised my mask, resting it on my forehead for her to see. “Way to greet somebody.”
She shrugged, tugging the right side of her lips up into an arrogant smirk. “It's in my nature.” She cracked a joke, dressed as a vampire, fake blood trailing down her chin to give the appearance she had just fed. She had a black cloak tied around her neck in a thin bow, its velvety material covering her pale arms as she leaned over me.
“In that case...” I lifted her off me, turning so that I was on top. “I better fight back.” She pushed me off with a laugh and I complied, knowing I couldn't kiss her here.
“Let's get the kids and head out.” She got off the floor, slapping her hands against each other to wipe off any dirt.
I followed her lead, getting off the floor and heading for what I was sure was Milo's room. She knocked, opening it slowly to reveal another little werewolf. Milo turned in a pounce, giving a fake growl before he excitedly yelled, “we're matching!”
“That we are. Great minds think alike.” I high-fived him, entering his room further.
“I'll go check on Lil.” Lizzie excused herself, leaving Milo and I to bond for a moment.
“Dad was going to be a werewolf this year, too.” Suddenly the cheerfulness in his tone disappeared as the grief took hold of him again. I was worried about this as the holidays approached. They always seemed to stir the most emotions.
“He was, was he?”
“Yeah. He knew there'd be a full moon this year, so we all planned to be werewolves and vampires. He said it was girls against boys.”
My heart broke for him as his little head hung in silence. It shattered my heart to hear him so broken up. “I am sorry he’s not here, Milo. I wish I could make things better for you, but this pain is normal. It comes and goes, and it’ll continue to do so for a while. But I want you to know that I am here for you, for whatever you need. Okay, little man?”
“Okay,” he whispered, trying his best to muster up the happiness he was feeling just seconds before.
“Do you need a minute? It’s okay to be sad, Milo.”
He nodded his head as a sniffle slipped out. Thinking he needed some privacy, I turned to leave, but he grabbed my hand lightly, freezing me still. His small arms wrapped just above my hips, burying his little masked face into my stomach as he cried. I let my arms fall around him, holding him against me as he let it out, feeling his shoulders shake with each breath. Lizzie and Lily were at the door now, looking in. I shook my head as Lizzie made her way in, knowing Milo probably didn’t want her to see him crying. She understood, reluctantly and quietly stepping back. I pointed downstairs and she got the message, heading down with Lily to wait on us.
A few minutes later, Milo sniffled, lifting the mask to wipe his eyes with his furry hands. “I’m okay now.”
I squeezed his shoulder, staring him right in the eye as I squatted down to his level. “Thanks for letting me be there for you.”
Milo held his head up, giving me an appreciative shake of his head as he took a deep breath in. “I’m ready for some candy.”
I chuckled as we left the room together. “I know just the houses to stop at.”
When we got downstairs, I found Elle in a fitting costume — a halo above her gold hair and a pair of white wings on her back against a white long nightgown. Addie was dressed in red leather, which according to her meant she was Britney Spears. Didn’t realize Britney was still popular with the kids. Lily was dressed similar to Lizzie, only she had on a black dress whose length I was not happy with.
“Be safe tonight. Call if you need anything.” Lizzie kissed Lily as we got outside, allowing her and Addie to go to a Halloween party. I couldn't say we hadn’t been to a fair share of those ourselves. At least I knew for sure Lily could handle herself at a high school party, which meant I didn't have to worry as much.
“Will do. Love you!” She jogged as she headed for Addie's car, jumping into the old VW Beetle, which sputtered down the long dirt driveway. Dust picked up around the car, fogging the view of the tail lights as they turned left onto the road.
“I’m heading out. Y’all have fun!” Mason awkwardly waved at us as he walked towards his car.
“Hold on a second.” Elle chased after him, exchanging words with him we couldn’t hear. We watched curiously until she came back, throwing a wave behind her at Mason as he drove off in his pickup. “Okay, ready now.”
“Let's go get some candy!” Lizzie shouted, trying to pump Milo up and glaze over the fact her sister might be into Mason.
I knew we'd be talking about what happened in Milo's room as soon as we were able to. Being the good mother she was, it was probably eating her up inside not knowing what caused his tears. She was more than likely feeling that same pain right now but swallowing it down for him. The eighteen Halloweens she'd had with Lyle were probably all flooding her memory as we all headed to my car. I needed to distract her, give her something to keep her mind off the pain.
“Here, you drive.” I tossed her the keys before she sat in the passenger seat, seeing her lips stretch so wide they practically met her ears.
She yelled happily, excitedly sitting in the driver's seat, running her hands over the steering wheel as if it were a delicate flower. Her noises were new, a mixture of moaning and excited screaming. She cackled like a maniac when the engine roared to life. I knew she'd been dying to drive this baby, and by the way she took off like a bat out of hell, I knew we were in for a ride. She got us to our destination in one piece, but some of us almost peed our pants along the way.
“Never again. You hear me, Brian?” Elle tapped my shoulder from behind the passenger seat. “Don't you ever let her drive this car again. She'll kill us all.”
Lizzie laughed again like some kind of mad scientist. She was happy and it made the rest of us smile, even if we were scared half to death just now. Her happiness was contagious and exactly what Milo needed right now. He hopped out of the back seat first, tote bag in hand and eyes big with wonder. This was his first experience trick-or-treating in Willowbrook's very own Halloween trail.
This trail consisted of a neighborhood of houses that decorated the entire street into a kid-friendly haunted street. They kept the Halloween spirit alive with orange and purple lights, streamers, spider webs, caution tape, you name it. There was music going, lights strobing, and animatronics moving or dancing along. Milo was in awe as he took it all in before he jumped in excitement and almost ran off without us.
“Stay close tonight, Milo,” Lizzie warned him.
We followed behind him, not too close but not too far, keeping just the right distance. Didn't want to embarrass him, but also didn't want him out of sight. Elle stayed close to us until the first house came up, when she walked up the driveway with Milo while Lizzie and I hung back on the sidewalk.
“Okay, hurry up and tell me what happened before they come back,” Lizzie urged me, rushing me with her hands.
“He misses his dad.” I shrugged, nothing more to say than that. “He's okay, Lizzie, just processing.”
The rest of the night was spent just like that, watching Milo enjoy himself as he got candy after candy. He'd yell out what he got and excitedly move on to the next house. At some point, he returned with a kid at his side. We watched as Milo and this young boy talked and got to know one another right before our eyes. Maybe Milo was finally making a friend. Or so I thought, until names were revealed. The kid hadn't noticed who he was talking to because of Milo's mask. Once names were exchanged, the boy got weird and then came up with some excuse to hang back at the last house. Milo hung his head, all excitement fading again.
“Y'all go on ahead. I think I dropped something back there. I'll be right back.” I held a finger up as I started walking backwards, pivoting on my heel and jogging back to that kid when no one was looking at me anymore.
I saw him in the distance, scanning the area for his parents more than likely. He seemed innocent enough, nice enough, so why did it change just because it was Milo. What was going on at that school? Why did no one want to be Milo's friend?
“Hey kid!” I yelled after him, waving him down. Thankfully, he didn't run away screaming, waiting for me to reach him. “I need to know. Why did you leave when you realized it was Milo? Did he do something to you?” The kid shook his head, but stayed quiet. “Did you do something to him?” Again he shook his head no, but kept his lips shut. “Kid, you're going to have to tell me what's going on or we're going to have a problem.”
The kid swallowed, finding me intimidating, as he should. I hated to scare a child, but I needed answers and I felt this kid could give them to me, at least some. He was silent for a moment longer, but then finally he spoke.
“Billy Irving said if anyone became Milo's friend, that he and his older brother would beat them up. Milo's nice and all, but not worth getting pummeled over. Sorry, Mister.”
He ran off after that, and I wasn't crazy enough to chase him. I mulled over the information as I made my way back to the group. Irving. Why does that sound so familiar? I scratched at my chin as I thought about it some more, spotting Elle's white costume easily against the darkness.
Just as I made it to them, it came to me. Irving — as in Lyle's old best friend Sawyer Irving. He’s dead.