Grandfather Anonymous by Anthony W. Eichenlaub

Author:Anthony W. Eichenlaub [Anthony W. Eichenlaub]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Anthony W. Eichenlaub
Published: 2022-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Ajay nudged open the back door of the house with his cane. The weight of the past days dragged at his feet and made bags under his eyes like great sacks of sand. The raw ache of exhaustion pained his joints, making each silent step a struggle.

Olivia still lay on the sofa, sleeping fitfully. Her saline drip neared empty, so he changed the bag for a new one. How long would she stay unconscious? There were certain bodily functions that needed tending if she stayed out much longer. Ajay sniffed the air. It didn’t seem to be too late on that account. Soon, though.

He knelt on one knee and held her hand to his chest. As his eyes adjusted to the dark room, he made out the pile of blankets that likely held the girls. They had taken care of themselves without any help, then. Found bedding and made themselves comfortable. Good.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to Olivia. She couldn’t hear, of course, but the words weren’t meant for her.

It had been wrong to drag Olivia into this. He knew that. Tough as she was, there was only so far a person could be pushed. The state of her fragile mind should have been obvious. It would have been obvious if he had ever been a better friend.

If only he had been a better parent. Then this would never have happened.

Her forehead felt warm to his touch — not feverish, but pleasantly warm, like a good distance from the hearth or like baked bread. She radiated the heat, but only to those close enough to look for it. He touched his lips to her forehead, breathing in her soft scent as he kissed her good night.

“I’m sorry,” he said again.

“It’s not your fault,” came Kylie’s soft voice from behind him.

He started at the noise. “I thought you were asleep.”

Her smile shone in the sliver of moonlight. “Someone had to watch over them,” she said. She shifted and a glint of a knife slipped under her covers. “And I’m not sleepy.”

“We have a long day tomorrow,” Ajay said. “We’re going to meet up with your mother again.”

Kylie’s eyes went wide for a fraction of a second. She leaned back against the wall. “We could just stay here,” she said.

“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Ajay crossed to her and sat against the wall. He took her hand into his own. “Those men will find us, Kylie. And we need to get Olivia to a hospital.”

Kylie crossed her arms, a scowl on her face. Ajay couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of her.

“What?” she asked.

He leaned against the wall. His aches were fading, but his eyes refused to stay open. How long had he been awake? “It’s nothing,” he said.

Kylie poked him in the shoulder. “What’s nothing?”

“When your mother was, oh, eight or nine…” Ajay stared off into the dark room, trying to jog his memory. “Younger than you are now, anyway. Well, I had a rare weekend free from work, so I took her up to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

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