28. Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Luna
Iwatch helplessly as the love of my life takes punch after punch. His brother too.
They’re so evenly matched, there will never be a clear winner. I fear they’ll fight to the death.
“Oh, Carver, what have we done?”
He hugs me tight from behind, speaking in my ear. “I don’t know, but we have to fix it.”
I nod as Dan grabs them each by the back of the neck and pulls them apart. For a man his age, he has surprising strength.
“Knock it off,” he yells, turning them both toward the warehouse where Jesse is ushering their hysterically crying mother inside.
“Your mom has enough shit on her plate.”
The twins visibly deflate.
“I’ve got an announcement to make and then I’ll let you little fuckers get back to beating the shit out of each other.
Your mother is going deaf. Eventually she won’t be able to hear anything.
Not even the two of you fighting.” He lets them go with a gruff shove and then walks away, no doubt going to tend to his wife.
The entire club has fallen silent and time stands still.
My heart pounds in my ears as I remember my dream. My mother wasn’t signing to me last night. I heard her. I heard her voice.
Carson wipes the blood from his mouth and disappears around the side of the warehouse.
Cole looks at Carver and me and then he too vanishes into the night.
Carver releases me and falls into a chair. Murmurs and whispers erupt throughout the club now that Carson’s family has all left the party.
I back up a step, looking for a place to retreat myself, but bump into a wall of muscle.
When I tip my head back to see who it is, I’m met with a wide grin. “Hello, little sister.”
Chance.
I spin around and wrap my arms around him, because I need him. I need my big brother now more than ever.
“There, there,” he says, patting me on the back, and helping me into a chair. He sits too, pulling my chair directly in front of him, giving me nowhere to run.
He studies me, and I want to shy away. I know what he must be thinking. I remind him of my father.
“It is good to see you,” he says, shaking his head, not taking his eyes away from me.
“I’m sorr …”
He stops me. “No. You don’t owe me anything. Especially an apology.”
No, I suppose he’s right. I don’t have it in me to argue anyway.
He tips my chin with his knuckle. “You look exactly like …”
My father, I know.
“Mila.”
Mila? Our little sister?
“She has her eyes,” Carver chimes in.
My brother nods.
I have Mila’s eyes?
They both chuckle lightly. Chance looks over at Carver. “It looks like I got here just in time for the show.”
“They’re both so damn stubborn. I don’t know how we’re going to get through to either of them.”
I look between my brother and his friend.
“Should we go after them?” my brother asks Carver.
“Yes,” I say, rising in front my chair.
He looks up at me. “Carver, you go to Cole. Chance, please go find Carson. I’m …” I pause to rub my hand over my forehead. “I need to go to Lily.”
They look at each other, my brother still keeping me trapped in front of him.
“I’m not going to run.”
“Serenity and Mila would like to meet you,” he says, letting me know I’m not getting rid of him. He and his wife are here with their children. “They’re upstairs sleeping. We drove all day to get here.”
“I’ll see you guys in the morning. I promise.”
Chance looks at Carver. “Make sure she does what she says she’s going to do.”
“Really?” I ask, placing my hands on my hips.
“Really.” He stands up. “Where should I look first?”
“Cole’s probably upstairs in their family’s room. I have no idea where to find the other one,” Carver says.
“He might be out at Dragonfly Farms. His grandparents have a small house out there.” I point to Jackson as he approaches us. “There’s the man you need to talk to,” I tell my brother.
Jackson walks up to us. “Rage, long time no see. Sorry about all the ruckus. Our club usually isn’t quite this charged.”
Carver and my brother both stand.
“Sorry to hear about Lily.” My brother pats Jackson on the back.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say, finally able to slip away.
Inside, I find Dan walking Lily to the front door. Shit, they’re leaving. Jesse nods as I pass.
“Dan,” I call out. “Can I have a minute?”
He slows to a stop, turning to look at me over his shoulder. “Sorry, honey, it will have to wait until tomorrow. I need to get Lily home.”
“Can, um, can I catch a ride?”
She touches his arm before he has a chance to tell me no. “Of course we can give you a ride.”
Jesse and Dirk exchange a glance before I jump into action, hurrying after Dan and Lily as they head out the door.
It’s awkwardly quiet as we drive over to their house on Windflower Lane.
“Um, I think maybe I can help,” I say quietly from the backseat, watching Dan drive. Lily has her head rested gently against the window, looking up at the moon.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Dan says. “Those boys will work it out eventually. They’re both just a little stubborn.”
“Like their dad,” Lily adds.
I laugh lightly. “Oh, I didn’t mean help with them. I have no idea what to do about those two. But I can help the two of you.”
Dan and Lily look at each other. “With?” Dan asks.
“My mother was deaf,” I say, watching as both of their mouths fall open. “I know, right? Quite the kwinky dink.”
The car falls quiet and I settle back, not sure whether they want my help after what went on tonight. I’m the reason their sons are fighting.
“She was born deaf, so I know it’s not the same, but I want you to know that she held a job, she traveled, she lived … she loved,” I finish softly.
A few minutes pass. “Do you think your life was harder because of her disability?” Lily asks.
“Oh, I didn’t see it as a disability. Neither did she.”
“You were able to communicate with her?”
I unbuckle my seatbelt as we pull into their driveway and lean between their seats. Dan stops the car.
“Yes,” I say, while signing the word for her to see.
“You know ASL?”
I nod, signing the word again for them both to see. “Yes.”
“When did you learn?” Dan asks.
“I guess at the same time I learned to speak. It’s just always been a part of my life,” I sign all of what I’ve said, in hopes that Lily sees what is possible. “I can teach you … and Khloe.”
Dan looks up at the house before returning his focus to his wife.
“Lily, I was that little girl. My mother couldn’t hear me, and I never once doubted that she knew me, loved me, or could take care of me.”
“Would you like to come in for some coffee?” Lily turns and asks.
Again, I sign the word yes.
Lily mimics my motion. “Yes.”
“See, you’re doing it already. I know it’s intimidating, but I can teach you. And technology has improved so much since my mom was alive. We can get through this.”
Lily and Dan smile at each other before he opens his door to get out. Their relief is obvious.
“Don’t touch that door handle,” Lily tells me. “He’ll get pissed if you don’t let him open it for you.”
“So that’s where Carson gets it from.”
Lily watches her husband round the vehicle. “You’ve made me feel a little bit better. I just want to be a good mom to all my children, but especially Khloe. She’s so young.”
“I’m glad my experience has helped.”
“She sure did a good job with you,” she says as Dan opens her door.
They say good night to their babysitter, and then we spend the next few hours sitting at their kitchen table, talking, laughing … crying.
It’s strange, it’s as if I’ve known them my entire life.
“Dan will walk you over to the cabin. Thank you again,” Lily says before hugging me tight. “I feel like I’m ready to face the world again.”
We hug a few more times before Dan and I finally make it out the back door. He chuckles as soon as the door closes behind us.
“You’re mighty lucky she let you leave at all. I’m afraid she’s attached herself to you. At least for a while.”
“I don’t mind. I can’t imagine how frightened she must be. If I can ease that in any way, I will.”
He looks at me before dropping his gaze to the path in front of us.
“You’ve already helped tremendously. She’s been more distraught than I’ve ever seen her, and I’ve seen her in some tough situations.”
“My guess is, she’ll handle this with as much grace as she’s handled most of her life,” I say, bumping my shoulder against his. “But what about you? How are you?”
He shakes his head and laughs. “I’m fucking destroyed.”
The contradiction between his words and laughter makes me pause.
I don’t really know what love looks like. I feel it for Carson, sure, but I don’t know what it means or where it will eventually lead.
“I’m not certain,” I tell him, scratching my head. “But I think I was destined to meet you.”
His steps slow. “Me?”
I come to a stop. “The dragonfly Carson has been telling me about … it brought me to you. You need me, and I need you.”
His feet come to a halt, but he doesn’t look back at me.
“Well, I certainly prayed for you. I prayed for some sort of relief from all of this pain, and then …” He turns around and looks at me.
“And then you showed up, and now my wife is calmer than she’s been in months.
But what could you possibly need me for? ”
“I think you’re going to help me heal.”
Maybe knowing him will show me that what my father gave me isn’t the only version of a father’s love. He and Lily can show me what love is supposed to look like.
Dan rubs his finger and thumb over his temples. “I swear my mother sent you,” he whispers.
“Well, I know mine did.” I giggle, because this is the most bizarre interaction I’ve ever had with anyone.
“Come on, let’s get you to the cabin,” he says, waving me toward him. “I’ll do my best to help you, but I hope you know I’m not perfect.”
“That’s not what your wife says.”
“Yeah, well, I guess if she said it then it must be true, because she’s the smartest woman I know.”
He drapes his arm across my shoulders when I reach him, and we walk the rest of the way in silence.
“I’m just going to sit up here on the porch for a while,” I tell him, leading us toward the cabin.