Stowaway: Chapter 3

Seriously? If Liam tells me one more time to check him out on channel 5 tonight, I’m sure I’m going to scream. I have no idea what he’s doing, but I’m sure he’ll get a kick out of seeing himself on TV if nothing else.

“Libby, come on, it’s Monday Madness. Can’t you go on journal-silence for this?” Emily teased. “It’s not every day we get a Luau.” She stabbed a piece of mango with her ham and pineapple skewer, which was already picked clean, and popped the fruit in her mouth.

“Liam keeps texting me,” Libby objected. “’Check me out tonight--’”

“Trust me, I have,” Morgan interjected dryly. “He’s not that big a prize.”

“’--Channel 5! Channel 5, channel 5, Channel 5! What channel? 5!’” Libby read sarcastically.

Jon groaned, head in his hand. He’d taken a migraine pill already, but it wasn’t doing the job. He went to sleep in his Madness pants so he wouldn’t have to change clothes, and got up to find a Hawaiian feast. Secretly, he’d been hoping for Jess’s spaghetti, but he didn’t tell Morgan.

“Sorry,” Libby whispered. “I was just saying in that way for emphasis.”

“I lived with your brother for eight months. I remember what he sounds like, and that ain’t it,” Jon joked, trying to keep things light, despite the agony he was feeling.

“So, come on, guys. Tell us about your trip. I want to hear,” Coby encouraged.

“Okay, so!” Emily announced. “It was a dark and windy morning on Friday when we first set out…” she began dramatically.

“Boo!” Nathaniel called, and Cary tossed a pineapple chunk her way.

“Hey, thanks!” Emily said, biting into it.

“First, we stopped in Minneapolis to help somebody move,” Libby said, taking over the narrative.

“Who do you know in Minneapolis?” Jess wanted to know. “You know what this is missing? Those flower-necklaces.”

“We made those last year in school,” Christian piped up. “We took a make-believe trip to Hawaii and made necklaces out of yarn and paper. I told the teacher they weren’t real leis but she said that’s why we were using our imaginations.”

Coby looked on, glad to see Christian with a happier attitude. He’d had an awful day at school, according to his teacher, and kept leaving his seat to look out the window, and opening and closing the door. Coby had warned her that CJ was having a tough time, so that she would understand. Still, he ended up all of his tickets - a little strip of paper folded accordion-style and taped to the base of the board at the front of the room. They had the kids’ initials and were different colors each week. They lost one for minor infractions. Christian had lost all five in one day. Coby wasn’t sure what that meant, but he was sure it wasn’t good.

He tuned back into the conversation in time to hear Libby describing how they had done some checking before left, and found volunteer opportunities in some of the major cities they would pass through. Minneapolis, it turned out, had what was called the Center for Victims of Torture, which was like a counseling center for both locals and internationals that had been through unimaginable things. Apparently, oftentimes they would try to settle in the neighborhood but would not always have the resources to do it by themselves.

“So, that’s where The Beast came in handy,” Emily announced. “It has a lot of space for stuff, because let’s be honest, we didn’t take very much. Oh! And our next stop was the best, because it was a Culver’s in Madison. We dropped off art supplies in the Easter Seals bin, and I got two scoops of chocolate custard with Kit-Kats.”

“We stopped at a young adult group in Rockford and hung out there one night,” Libby said, referring to her journal as she worked on her chicken. “And then…we were going to stop somewhere in Chicago, but couldn’t find anywhere that didn’t require paperwork and long term commitments to help,” she said, sounding disappointed.

“You said you found a kid there,” Nathaniel reminded. I remember, ‘cause you updated about it: ‘Chicago: Found child.’”

“Where is he?” Christian wanted to know.

“Yeah, we did,” Emily confirmed her excited tone of voice dropping into sadness. We were driving late one night and Libby saw this little boy walking on the side of the highway. He only had a shirt and a diaper on. No coat. No shoes.”

“No pants?” Christian asked, concerned.

“Nope, no pants,” Libby confirmed softly. “And it was really cold out.”

“Did you stop?” Jess asked, grateful for the table, when she put a hand protectively over baby AJ.

Emily nodded. “Libby pulled over and we got out. We asked him his name and he said it was Michael. He was only three, and he couldn’t tell us how he got there or where he lived.”

“My mom got lost like that when she was three,” Christian said seriously, looking at Jess. “Then some people came and got her, but she still had hard times.” Saying this actually made Christian feel a little better inside. His mom did know what it felt like to be forgot about. Because her mom forgot her. It was on purpose, too. At least his mom and dad didn’t do that.

Everyone was quiet a few minutes, and under the table, Coby took Jess’s hand.

“That’s right,” Jess said, nodding for Emily and Libby to continue.

“So, I called the 911 to report it,” Emily said, and we kept him in The Beast with us. Wrapped him in blankets and took him to a McDonalds to get something to eat. He kept asking if he could play, even though he was shivering. He cried when they came and took him in…” she remembered.

“It’s a good thing you were there,” Cary said honestly.

“A ton of people were there,” Libby snapped more harshly than she meant to. “But none of them stopped. They just pretended not to see him.”

“It’s a good thing you stopped,” Cary amended, softer now.

“And then we did another shopping trip in South Bend for their homeless shelter, drove forever, stopped in Erie to help the House of Healing set up their garage sale--”

“And then, we did Emily’s favorite thing,” Libby cut in.

“Next to shopping,” Emily put in. She paused dramatically. “We bought fabric and got to be Blanketeers for the Buffalo chapter of Project Linus. It gives homemade blankets to kids who need them. In foster care, hospitals, or wherever. Our blanket rocked. It had monkeys on it and a yellow back, and Libby and I did it really fast. We made it in a church and then dropped it off.”

“Then it was Syracuse to help transport Angel Food for Robinson Memorial Church, and now we’re here,” Libby sighed.

It had been a crazy trip. They were all the way in Rockford before she realized she left her pillow at home and they couldn’t turn around for it. They got lost when Karen insisted they drive over a closed bridge, and Emily insisted that she was right. That was when Libby almost threw Emily’s phone out the window and they had a huge screaming fight. However, in their defense, they had been driving on and off for two days by then with very little sleep.

By then, Morgan was taking dessert requests and bringing out the Chocolate Macadamia Nut Ben and Jerry’s.

“Bryan called,” Coby volunteered. “He said he wished he was here, but that he was thinking of us and to hang in there.”

“Anyone hear from Legend?” Jess asked. Her best friend had been so distant lately. It was a hard thing, when they used to be so close.

Christian took a big bite of his ice cream, grimacing at the nuts. “I Skyped her,” he said matter-of-factly.

“How did you…” Jon wondered. His headache was finally fading. Maybe he needed Morgan’s Hawaiian food every year, and then he would feel better.

“Don’t ask…” Nate said, laughing.

“No, I really would like to know how my seven-year-old figured out how to Skype and did it without my knowledge,” Jess insisted.

“It’s so easy,” Christian smiled. I just saw her name on the list, and clicked it. Then I said to make a video call and bam, there was Legend.”

“Where was Dad?” Jess asked, sending Coby a look.

“Talking to Bryan. Didn’t I just say that?” Coby objected lightly. He crunched a macadamia nut loudly.

“So, how was Legend?” Jess asked, figuring she’d deal with computer issues later.

Christian shrugged. “She wanted to talk to you but I said you were at work. She cried a little and I told her you promised not to be late, but that didn’t help,” he stirred his ice cream. “So I said I was sorry for biting her that one time.”

“You bit Legend?” Jess asked, shocked.

“Yeah, when you guys were all gone and only she was there. I was mad so I bit her where her hand was already hurt when I was four. What? She said it was okay,” he insisted. “And I asked if she was having a hard day and she said yes, so I told her to go break some stuff. I told her I did this morning, and it felt really good. She said she was going to, and she said thanks and stuff.”

--

“Tonight, on Backward Glance, we look back on a tragedy that shattered a busy college town. I’m Rock Stevens. Tonight, hear from the man who was trapped in the middle of it all.

“William Wright had just transferred to High City University, months before the attack. He was a senior, and his younger sister, Elizabeth, just a freshman.”

Jess gasped as a picture of Liam and Libby filled the screen. She had just settled down on the couch with Coby after getting Christian to bed an hour later than usual. The TV had been on in the living room and Jess had just about switched it off when Liam’s name caught her attention.

She didn’t waste time with the stairs, or risk waking up Christian by shouting; she called Libby’s cell phone. “Libby, I think you should see this…Come upstairs…” Jess pressed pause, letting the DVR freeze the action. She wasn’t about to record this ridiculous thing - only if Libby wanted it - but Jess couldn’t imagine anyone wanting something like this.

“I’m not gonna watch this,” Coby said, sounding resigned. “Good night. I love you,” he said, giving her a kiss. He understood her reasons. Jess had almost no memory of the day at all. She was always looking at news reports, reading articles and even asking questions to fill in the holes for herself. Coby just couldn’t handle reliving it. Not if he didn’t have to.

Coby had just come from a meeting, and wished he were just leaving for it instead. He needed a place to figure this all out. He didn’t mind being surrounded by strangers, but he liked having a familiar face there, too, in Morgan. Stowe was such a small town that the only AA meeting that existed was at the Community Church Monday nights. Coby always stopped by Jon and Morgan’s to see if she wanted a ride. Usually, she went alone, and they saw each other there. They didn’t talk much, but took comfort in one another’s presence. It was nice to know that neither one was fighting alone.

“Okay, I love you,” Jess returned, giving him a kiss, and watching him disappear down the hall.

By then, Libby and Emily had thundered none-too quietly up the stairs.

“I forgot this was even on!” Libby exclaimed softly. “What is it?”

“An interview with Rock Stevens for Backward Glance,” Jess filled in gently.

“Oh, crap…” Libby moaned. “I think that producer approached all of us. We all said no. I never thought he’d ask Liam…”

Emily was busy calling Nate and Cary, Morgan and Jon. They all deserved a heads-up and the option of whether or not to watch this.

Jess pressed play to let them see the opening and caught up to where the picture of Liam and Libby - a dated photograph - she noticed. Liam’s hair was longer, and they both looked younger. Liam had his arm around Libby’s shoulders. Libby had her arms crossed. Her smile looked genuine, but Jess noticed the little things - how it didn’t reach her eyes - how she was leaning away from him. Belatedly, Jess noticed something else, too. Libby was in a dress, and in all the years that Jess had known her, she had never seen Libby in anything that could remotely show off her body.

“My eighth grade dance,” Libby supplied. “I didn’t want to go, but my family thought it was a good idea to go. To socialize. To meet people. To be a little feminine,” Libby said darkly. Sexual abuse was a part of her life even earlier than three years ago. When was a little girl, she was repeatedly molested by the neighbor who had been put in charge of herself and her brother the summer between kindergarten and first grade. He had liked her dresses. Ever since then, Libby had hated them.

“If Elizabeth’s name sounds familiar to you, it should,” the reporter’s voice said in voice-over.

Then the scene cut to an interview in a comfortable looking living room that Libby had never seen. Liam sat in one chair, and the interviewer across from him. Liam was dressed in a light blue dress shirt and a dark blue suit jacket. He wore matching pants and black shoes. It was the most dressed up Libby had ever seen him.

“It’s funny because the whole reason Libby transferred here was because I was. We all thought - my parents and I - that she’d be safer in college with her big brother nearby. But we were wrong.” Liam’s eyes looked haunted.

“Were you familiar with any of the other victims?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“All of them, sir.”

“All of them?” The reporter was incredulous. “All ten of the people in that room? How could you know all ten of them?”

“Libby’s my sister, obviously. Morgan was my girlfriend at the time, and my sister‘s roommate. Jon and Nathaniel were my roommates…”

With each name Liam spoke, a corresponding picture appeared on the screen. Libby ready for the dance. Morgan snowboarding. Jonathan laughing at a joke. Nathaniel standing uncomfortably in the apartment he had shared with Jon and Liam.

“Emily, Legend and Jess, they were all living with Libby, too,” Liam continued. And all of them, including Aaron, Bryan and Coby were a part of the Bible study I led on campus.”

“More, with William Wright, when we return.”

Libby buried her face in her hands.

--

“Shit,” Jonathan swore. “I told that Rock Stevens crony exactly where he could shove his exclusive interview, and here it is…”

“How the hell was Liam in the middle of it all?” Morgan cursed angrily. She pulled the quilt off the back of the couch and wrapped herself in it. She felt dirty anyway, just thinking about the events of that day, but somehow hearing Liam tell the world that she was his girlfriend made Morgan’s skin crawl.

“And we’re back,” Jon said sarcastically under his breath.

On the screen, Morgan watched as Rock and Liam walked down 7th Avenue like old buddies. Now, Liam wore a red tee shirt with the logo blurred out, but Morgan recognized it as one of his favorites with a Christian message on the front. He had once worn it to Bible study with a Dr. Seuss hat. They kept walking. Past the grocery store. To the skate park. Her stomach flipped nervously.

“Where were you when it started?” Rock asked.

“Right here,” Liam said somberly, skateboard in his hand, beside one of the ramps. “I noticed traffic start to get heavy sort of, but I had my phone turned off for most of the time. Then I got a call from somebody. I don’t even remember who. They asked if I was okay. Told me there had been a shooting on campus. He‘d just seen Aaron Martinez on the news.” Liam said quietly.

A clip of Aaron jumping out a second-floor window and collapsing with a broken foot was shown. Then, a few seconds of Aaron, pale and shaken, reporting what was happening.

“Were you shocked?” Rock asked.

“I just sat down, right there,” Liam indicated a spot at the top of the ramp. “Just started crying. Our parents were out of the country on a mission trip to Mexico. It was just me, and I failed my sister, you know? I failed my Bible study and my roommates and my girlfriend. I kept calling Libby but she wouldn’t answer. I thought she was dead. I thought they were all dead.” Liam choked.

Morgan breathed deeply and tried to steal herself against the sensation of being shoved against a wall. Of another man’s tongue in her mouth and down her throat. She knew where she was. Knew Jon was watching, in case it got bad. In case she needed an anchor. Blood rushed in her ears and then the sound receded. It was as if no time at all passed.

“But they weren’t,” Rock said obviously.

Liam shook his head, swallowing. “No, they weren’t. It was a miracle.”

“What did happen to them?”

The scene at the skate park faded, and suddenly there was the study room, as it was after the SWAT team rescued them. The window shattered. Glass on the tables. Blood on the floor. Schoolwork was left on the table. Morgan recognized her Sociology textbook open where she left it. Her I-Pod lying next to it. Gradually, the scene faded, and Liam and the host were seen in the room as it was now. Carpeted, with new tables and chairs. No desk at the front of the room.

“Your sister, first. What happened to her?”

As Liam knelt beneath a table to show just what happened, Morgan looked away.

“We all came back here a few months later. Right before Spring Break. Libby told me what happened and showed me where everybody was.” Liam explained.

Then, he told, in excruciating detail, what happened to Libby. What he assumed happened to Morgan and Nathaniel. Jonathan getting cut. Bryan, Jess and Coby getting shot. Aaron jumping out the window when he had a chance. Legend getting cut by flying glass, and Emily, so traumatized at revisiting the room that she barely lasted a few minutes.

--

“Why is he doing this?” Nate choked. “This isn’t happening. He didn’t just remind the whole country what happened to me, did he?”

“You don’t have to watch,” Cary reassured. They both were lying on the couch, holding each other, a blanket pulled over them. Cary could feel Nate’s heart pounding; hear how short of breath he became when he saw the room.

Nathaniel shook his head, staring into Cary’s blue eyes. “I can do this.”

“I know you can, Nate. I’m telling you that you don’t have to. Jess is watching, she can tell you. Or I can watch and tell you.”

However, the voice of the interviewer caught Nathaniel’s attention.

“What about afterward?”

Liam chuckled wryly. “Afterward? We were all kind of a mess… I mean, Libby couldn’t get out of bed for days. Nathaniel freaked out and threw a coffee cup at my head…”

Cary laughed softly. “You threw a cup at him?”

Nathaniel nodded and laid his head on Cary’s chest.

“Good for you,” Cary congratulated, running a hand through Nate’s hair.

“Jessica was shot in the head, wasn’t she?” Rock asked, as if he knew her. “And she was a mother, right?”

“Right,” Liam said gravely. “Honestly? I had concerns about her parenting when I first met her. She had her son when she was really young, and you know statistics. A lack of resources. Lack of education. Lack of morals…”

“You believe she lacked morality?” Rock asked, intrigued.

“I’m a Christian,” Liam answered, by way of explanation. “I just had my doubts about her, and then she’s in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound to the head. She didn’t even know her own name at first. Could hardly talk. She had to relearn everything.”

“Who took care of her son?”

“We all did,” Liam said simply. “When something like this happens, you take care of your own, no questions asked, but I worried about how she was would be with him afterward. You know, he was four then, would she even have the intelligence to raise him when he reached five, six, seven years old?”

--

“Oh, I’m going to kill him…” Jess vowed, clutching a pillow to her chest. “And if he says my child’s name on national television, I am going to rip his limbs off. …Sorry Libby,” she apologized as an afterthought.

“No, hey. If you do it, I won’t have to. He did just tell the whole viewing audience the exact details of what happened to me, approximated Morgan and Nate’s, and insulted you on every front possible,” Libby shrugged.

“Seriously, and what’s with all his ‘we’ crap?” Emily demanded. “He’s been sharing this whole time like he was in the room, too, and he never was. Except when he dragged us all back in there.”

“…What about Morgan? You’ve talked about your sister and about Jessica, who you clearly disapproved of, and your roommate, Nathaniel. What about your girlfriend? Are you two still together?” Rock asked.

“Oh, shit,” Jess swore, already anticipating what was coming next.

--

Morgan clenched the quilt in her fists as she listened to Rock ask if she and Liam were still together.

“No, we’re not,” Liam denied, shaking his head firmly.

“At first weird things would just set her off. She’d stare at a clock as if she was mesmerized by it. Once she confided in me that it was because that’s how she coped when she knew what was going to happen to her. She watched the clock on the wall. But around the time that we went back to the study room, we found out she was using drugs to cope with what happened to her.”

“Drugs?” Rock raised his eyebrows, surprised.

“Pills she stole from us, marijuana, and alcohol. On spring break she overdosed and tried to kill herself,” Liam said gravely.

“Were you there for this, too?” Rock asked, sympathetically.

“Yes. I couldn’t tell at first, because I’d never seen an addict before, you know? I go to church every Sunday, lead youth group…I’m kind of…”

“Sheltered?” Rock supplied, taking a guess.

“Yeah, exactly. But eventually it was pretty clear. So, my roommates and I, and another guy took her to the hospital,” he said, biting the inside of his cheek.

Morgan turned alarmed eyes on Jonathan. “I thought he wasn’t there.”

“He wasn’t there,” Jon said firmly. “He’s trying to save his own ass right now. Look at his body language. How he’s leaning away from Rock, and biting his lip. He doesn’t believe it himself. It was me, Nate and Cary. Liam left because he couldn’t deal.”

On the screen, Liam was still talking. “She went through rehab, and once she got out, she just broke up with me,” he shrugged. “I heard she relapsed last November.”

“How is everyone now?” Rock wanted to know.

“To be honest, I don’t know. Jess and Coby got married in May of ‘09. Nathaniel got married last October. They’re all living in New England now. Morgan and her boyfriend, too.”

“Ouch. He hates me bad…” Jon exclaimed. “Not even a name!”

“Legend, Aaron and Bryan are still here, but we don’t talk. Libby and Emily are the only two I’m in touch with regularly, and I know for a fact they’re doing great. Libby lives with me, and is going to school to be a teacher.” Liam continued.

“Not anymore…” Morgan muttered. Five minutes with Libby had told her that.

“That’s great to hear. Liam, just one more question. Why did you want to do this interview?” Rock asked, leaning forward intently.

Liam sighed. “I wanted to do this interview, Rock; because I think it’s important to get the truth out there. The aftermath of something like this isn’t easy. The truth is we’re all still trying to cope. This has broken us. But the most important reason is because I want people to know that there is hope. God is with me every day, giving me grace and strength to get through each day. To face the loss of the life I knew.”

The screen faded to black and then cut to the news anchors behind the desk.

“None of the ten victims could be reached for comment,” the woman anchor reported. “What an inspiring young man. Please log onto our website Backward Glance dot com to chat live with William Wright and ask him your questions.”

--

“I guess we should be grateful that he didn’t use Christian’s name, or out Nathaniel on television,” Jess said darkly. “We all said no to that interview, and he just jumped at it.”

“I’m not going back, ever,” Libby insisted, wiping tears away on the sleeve of her pajamas. “How can I show my face to my parents now that they know what he did to me?”

“And I’m sure my dad saw it. If I know one thing about him, it’s that he tuned into this show every single week. Great for him to hear what a horrible mother I am…” Jess said bitterly.

Emily put her arms around Jess and Libby, pulling them close. “Ladies, we can’t do anything about what’s been done. But if anybody needs to talk, I’m the lay counselor at Stowe Community now, and aren’t you lucky? I live right in your basement,” she told Jess, smiling.

“We should go check on the boys, and Morgan and Jon,” Jess decided. As bad as this was for us, it was just as bad or worse for them.” Jess decided. “Girls, can one of you leave a note for my husband?”

Emily typed a few things into her cell phone, and hit SEND. “Done!” she said.

--

They arrived at Jon and Morgan’s minutes later and found Morgan on the phone while Jon held her hand.

The girls politely excused themselves, and went to the kitchen, which they found mostly clean, except for the dishes waiting to be put away. Emily started there, while Jess wiped the table and Libby swept.

“Hey, you guys don’t have to do that,” Jon told them, coming into the kitchen. He was still wearing his Madness pants and an old white tee shirt, also known as his pajamas. Just his luck to get past his migraine and then have see Liam on the news. It made the end of his day horrendous.

“I know, but we helped make the mess,” Emily rationalized.

“Me, especially,” Libby added, “I helped cook.”

Jess came over and wrapped her arms around Jon. “Are you okay?” she asked quietly.

“No, are you?” he returned, still holding on.

“No, none of us are. That’s why we’re here,” Jess told him.

So, Jon held on, not knowing what else to do and knowing it would be stupid to fight it. Jess had that mom thing down. She’d had like, eight years of practice already.

Since Jess seemed to have Jon under control, Libby and Emily went to Morgan. By the time they got there, her phone was on the table, her jaw was set with resolve and her eyes held determination. A quilt was pulled around her shoulders, though she didn’t seem particularly cold.

“Can we sit?” Libby asked.

Morgan nodded. “Thanks for coming. How’d you know we’d need you?”

“Because we need you,” Libby answered seriously. “I’m so sorry about those things he said, Morgan. That’s your business.”

“Yeah, it is, but it’s not your fault,” Morgan said sincerely. “You’re not like him at all. You’re like you. Be your own person and don’t ever change.”

“If you ever want to talk or paint or anything, come over,” Emily invited, her voice uncharacteristically soft. “I’m a lay counselor now, and Libby’s having anger art in Coby’s workshop.”

“Sounds good,” Morgan smiled shakily. “I love you girls. Thanks for coming by.”

“Of course, not like you could get rid of us,” Emily joked.

“So, do you have anymore of that chocolate ice cream?” Libby asked.

“It’s in the freezer,” Jon called, “But not for long. Jess, grab a spoon! Hurry!”

There was a commotion beyond the door and then laughter, as Libby, Emily and Morgan joined their friends in the kitchen. It was nice to be together anytime, but it was especially good when times were hard.

“Who cares about the damn show?” Morgan asked certainly, digging into the container for an especially good bite.

“Got that right,” Jon affirmed. “We got the ice cream, and what’s he got?”

“An empty house and no trick-or-treaters,” Libby blurted out and Emily cackled.

They sat together, eating and laughing. They knew what was coming would be hard for them to endure. Therefore, they seized the joy in this moment, hung onto it with both hands, and prayed it could carry them through.

--

Jess, Emily and Libby drove back to the house. Jess darted inside quickly and out again through the back door with her the dog in her arms.

Then Jess called the girls around and showed them the secret passageway through the place where the back fence didn’t quite join up to the chain link fence on the side. She brought Snoopy because sometimes animals could do things to help that humans just couldn’t manage. Smiling ruefully, Jess thought about the day when she wouldn’t be able to fit through such a narrow opening. Together, they walked up to Nate and Cary’s kitchen door, and knocked their secret knock, so Nate wouldn’t get freaked out about intruders.

No one answered, so Jess took the lead and pushed the door open. Emily and Libby followed close behind, and the three of them found Nate and Cary standing and just holding onto each other in the living room. Without a word, the three girls surrounded them, making a human shield, and letting both men know that they had support. Though Snoopy was in Jess’s arms, he somehow maneuvered so that his head was right against Nate’s arm. It was a precious thing to do, and Jess was proud of him.

“You guys okay?” Libby asked quietly.

“You need anything?” Emily spoke up.

“No, we’re okay,” Nathaniel reassured them, glancing up with red-rimmed eyes. “Go home. Get some sleep.”

“Hey Jess?” he called, before she got too far away.

“Yeah?”

“Can I keep Snoopy for the night? I’ll bring him back tomorrow, I promise,” Nate asked, biting his lip nervously.

“He is all yours,” she said sweetly, nestling the puppy in Nathaniel’s arms.

Snoopy was fluffy with light brown fur. He was teddy-bear-soft, and snuggled immediately against Nate’s chest. Perfect for cuddling. Perfect for keeping nightmares away. Quietly, he carried the puppy to bed and got settled himself, relieved when Snoopy got close, and snored in Nate’s ear.

Back in the kitchen, before Libby, Emily and Jess left, they each had to pass Cary’s test, which involved having their faces held between Cary’s hands while he stared into their eyes for an undetermined amount of time. When he was satisfied, he gave them each a gentle kiss on the forehead.

“We love you guys,” he called as they left.

“We love you more,” Emily insisted, as they disappeared into the night.