Keep on Asking by Jeffrey McClain Jones

Author:Jeffrey McClain Jones [Jones, Jeffrey McClain]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-05-23T16:00:00+00:00

AUNT LETTY BROUGHT GRACE HOME FROM GRAM’S HOUSE AND STAYED WITH SARAH AND JOSIAH. That felt like they were all back to where they started. No progress. Matty still down. Mom and Dad still at the hospital waiting for news. Waiting for a sign of life. Seizures were not the kind of sign they were looking for.

“What’s wrong with your chin, Josiah?” Aunt Letty was a toucher. Josiah didn’t mind, especially these days. She hooked a finger under his chin and raised his face toward her. “Did you hurt yourself?”

He reached up and felt the irritated skin along the point of his chin. Carpet burn. He almost laughed, but Sarah came up from the basement just then. Her eyes were still rimmed in red. Josiah could see no sign of carpet burn on her chin. Remembering her tears, however, staunched all temptation to laugh at his own rug rash.

Instead of explaining his red chin, Josiah wrapped his arms around Aunt Letty’s waist. She was bigger around than his mom, but he could easily reach around her and lock his hands. He had never done that to his aunt before, but he had no doubt about how she would respond.

“Oh, kiddo. You’re gonna be okay. It’s all gonna be okay.”

“I know. But I just needed a hug.”

“I bet you did.” She hummed. “Me too.”

He smiled at her as he loosened his grip and took a small step back.

Sarah slipped past Josiah. “I need one of those.” She reached her arms around their huggable aunt and hung on longer than Josiah had.

He braced himself against a rising threat of tears, forcing a few big breaths and turning to clean up the remnants of his afternoon snack. A piece of wrapper from inside the graham cracker box lay against the counter backsplash, pushed aside during his blind preoccupation after Dad’s call. Josiah dropped the waxy paper in the garbage can, forgetting about the new recycling bin until it was too late. At least it felt like it was too late.

Grace scooted into the kitchen from the direction of her bedroom. “What’s everyone doing in here?”

“Hugging,” Sarah said as she pulled free from Aunt Letty’s grasp.

“Without me?” Grace hunkered into the space between Aunt Letty and Sarah and got sandwiched between them.

Josiah did laugh at that.

“Help.” Grace was laughing too.

“Hugging overdose.” Josiah started to step away as his little sister emerged from the double hug.

She looked up at him. “Are you gonna have another vision, Josiah?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know, Grace. I never know when it’s gonna happen. I’ve been wondering if it will keep happening after Matty gets better.” That was how he had thought of it, but he hadn’t stopped to consider how it would sound to say it aloud.

Grace froze with her hands still propped on Aunt Letty and Sarah. “You do think he’s gonna get better, then?”

Think? Josiah hadn’t been thinking when he spoke just now. Was he even thinking when he was wondering how long his visions

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