from disintegrating into impossible chaos. It was what had happened with his own family, his own mother convinced that he’d gone completely insane. In the end, Gilda couldn’t look at him. Stephen tried to be strong, but during those last few days his eyes had betrayed him, radiating the fear he was so desperate to hide.
Jack and Aimee were headed down the same path. Aimee would eventually be too terrified to stay in the house. She’d lose her mind or run away, unable to take anymore, and Jack would be left alone. But never really alone, that voice reassured him. I’ve always been here, and I’ll never leave .
The morning after Gilda’s bout of hysteria, she dug through the bedroom closet like a dog trying to sniff out a bone, and eventually surfaced with an old Folgers Coffee tin. She shoved the tin into her purse before grabbing Jack by the arm and tossing him into the back of their old yellow hatchback.
The car came to a stop in front of a three-story building. By most standards it was relatively small, but in their neck of the woods it was tall enough to be considered a skyscraper. Gilda gathered up her purse, her coffee can, and her kid, and marched into the office building with the confidence of a commandant. Stopped by a woman working the front desk, she trudged up to the secretary, grabbed the coffee can out of her purse, and dumped it onto the receptionist’s counter. Jack had never seen so much money in his entire life. There were twenties and fifties, and he even saw a hundred dollar bill crumpled up with the rest. It was his momma’s life savings, and here she was, ready to give it all up.
“This is all the money I’ve got,” she told the now stunned receptionist. “It’s all my money and I ain’t rich, you understand me?”
The secretary, who was blonde and well dressed and had the reddest mouth Jack had ever seen on a woman, said nothing. She simply sat behind her protective barrier and tried to find the right words.
“There’s something wrong with my boy,” Gilda told her, her voice cracking, threatening another emotional collapse. “I need to see a doctor.”
“I can schedule an appointment,” the receptionist assured, but Gilda wasn’t having it. She shook her head and swallowed her tears and looked that woman straight in the eyes, unrelenting.
“I don’t think you understand me,” she said, her tone deadly serious. “I’m not here to make an appointment. I’m here to see a doctor.”
“Ma’am, you can’t just come in here and see—“
Gilda slammed her palm flat against the counter, loud as a gunshot. The red-lipped woman jumped, her manicured hands flying up to her heart as if to protect herself from the crazy woman with a can full of cash.
“I just did come in here,” Gilda told her. “So why don’t you scurry your pretty little self up to your boss’ office and tell him he’s got an emergency appointment with a boy who needs his help?”
The receptionist opened her mouth to protest.
“Just do your job, sweetheart,” Gilda said under her breath, “and don’t piss me off.”
The blonde woman snapped her mouth shut. She looked at Jack, then shuffled off in a hurry. Jack watched her disappear around a corner, then took a seat in the waiting area, sure the cops would come.
Jack woke to the sound of dishes clanging against the side of the sink. He blinked against the rectangle of sunlight that shone into his eyes, moving an arm to shield himself from the glare. The muscles in his neck had petrified during his night in the wingback chair.
Charlie ran into the living room in her bare feet, twirling in a bright white sundress he hadn’t seen before. In the morning light she looked like an angel, the light casting a halo around her hair. Smiling wide, she jumped into her father’s lap, and pain shot up his neck. He exhaled a groan.
“What’s wrong, Daddy?” she asked, surprised by the pained expression that seized his face.
“Just a stiff neck,
Jack and Aimee were headed down the same path. Aimee would eventually be too terrified to stay in the house. She’d lose her mind or run away, unable to take anymore, and Jack would be left alone. But never really alone, that voice reassured him. I’ve always been here, and I’ll never leave .
The morning after Gilda’s bout of hysteria, she dug through the bedroom closet like a dog trying to sniff out a bone, and eventually surfaced with an old Folgers Coffee tin. She shoved the tin into her purse before grabbing Jack by the arm and tossing him into the back of their old yellow hatchback.
The car came to a stop in front of a three-story building. By most standards it was relatively small, but in their neck of the woods it was tall enough to be considered a skyscraper. Gilda gathered up her purse, her coffee can, and her kid, and marched into the office building with the confidence of a commandant. Stopped by a woman working the front desk, she trudged up to the secretary, grabbed the coffee can out of her purse, and dumped it onto the receptionist’s counter. Jack had never seen so much money in his entire life. There were twenties and fifties, and he even saw a hundred dollar bill crumpled up with the rest. It was his momma’s life savings, and here she was, ready to give it all up.
“This is all the money I’ve got,” she told the now stunned receptionist. “It’s all my money and I ain’t rich, you understand me?”
The secretary, who was blonde and well dressed and had the reddest mouth Jack had ever seen on a woman, said nothing. She simply sat behind her protective barrier and tried to find the right words.
“There’s something wrong with my boy,” Gilda told her, her voice cracking, threatening another emotional collapse. “I need to see a doctor.”
“I can schedule an appointment,” the receptionist assured, but Gilda wasn’t having it. She shook her head and swallowed her tears and looked that woman straight in the eyes, unrelenting.
“I don’t think you understand me,” she said, her tone deadly serious. “I’m not here to make an appointment. I’m here to see a doctor.”
“Ma’am, you can’t just come in here and see—“
Gilda slammed her palm flat against the counter, loud as a gunshot. The red-lipped woman jumped, her manicured hands flying up to her heart as if to protect herself from the crazy woman with a can full of cash.
“I just did come in here,” Gilda told her. “So why don’t you scurry your pretty little self up to your boss’ office and tell him he’s got an emergency appointment with a boy who needs his help?”
The receptionist opened her mouth to protest.
“Just do your job, sweetheart,” Gilda said under her breath, “and don’t piss me off.”
The blonde woman snapped her mouth shut. She looked at Jack, then shuffled off in a hurry. Jack watched her disappear around a corner, then took a seat in the waiting area, sure the cops would come.
Jack woke to the sound of dishes clanging against the side of the sink. He blinked against the rectangle of sunlight that shone into his eyes, moving an arm to shield himself from the glare. The muscles in his neck had petrified during his night in the wingback chair.
Charlie ran into the living room in her bare feet, twirling in a bright white sundress he hadn’t seen before. In the morning light she looked like an angel, the light casting a halo around her hair. Smiling wide, she jumped into her father’s lap, and pain shot up his neck. He exhaled a groan.
“What’s wrong, Daddy?” she asked, surprised by the pained expression that seized his face.
“Just a stiff neck,
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