Four
Parker

I sat on the couch with Finn watching a behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of an old Bruce Lee movie. Finn’s shirt today was one of my favorites. It said, Dear Math, I’m not a therapist. Solve your own problems.

Classic Finn.

Addie and Mia were supposed to be here soon, and I was having a hard time sitting still while I waited. I needed Addie. Everything with my brother had been so uncomfortable lately, and she somehow always knew exactly the right thing to say or do to make me feel better.

Jack had been gone for over an hour. He’d probably reached Logandale by now. As always, his first instinct was to leave me behind. I was sure I could’ve helped somehow … if he’d let me.

I was getting really sick of being shut out.

The doorbell rang. I hopped up immediately and went to answer it. Addie smiled at me brightly from the porch steps and my tension began to seep away immediately. Mia stood just behind her and gave a little wave.

“Are you ready?” Addie asked.

“Yeah, Jack’s gone. Come on in.” I leaned over for a quick kiss before backing toward my room. “I’ll grab the laptop and meet you guys at the table.”

Addie had her pen and notebook out by the time I came back. The TV was off and the three of them were waiting expectantly for me to return with the laptop.

Addie scanned her notes. “So, last time we were looking for references to Eclipse and came up pretty empty—”

Finn interrupted. “If you’re certain we should rule out any reference to vampires … ”

“I’m sure.” I laughed as I opened the computer and pushed the power button.

Mia smiled at Finn and shook her head before giving me a sympathetic glance. “And the time before that, we looked up your dad.”

“Right.” I popped the knuckles on my right hand and forced myself not to show how much it hurt me to talk about him. “Didn’t find much there either, except for the police reports from when Mom reported him missing.”

“So what do we research this time?” Mia asked.

I scratched the back of my neck and thought for a minute. “Let’s look up any news about Benton Air Force Base first.”

“Got it.” Addie jotted my suggestion onto her list and I typed the words into my browser. Finn scooted around the end of the table and read over my shoulder.

“Most of these are about the base closing in 1987 … ” I glanced over at Finn as I scrolled down the page. “Let me know if you see anything different.”

He nodded and squinted as he stared at the screen.

Midway down, I spotted an article from last month. “Here’s one.”

Opening it, I skimmed through, reading the important parts aloud. “Base used to be a central training hub for new Air Force pilots … it stood vacant and abandoned for so many years … ” Then I stopped and stared at the words.

“What?” Addie asked, but I couldn’t find my voice to answer.

Finn took over for me, sounding like he felt guilty for even speaking the words. “Until an explosion rocked the base in the early morning hours yesterday. Initial reports indicate some kind of gas leak may have caused the explosion, but the investigation is ongoing.”

I swallowed hard and scrolled further down.

Finn continued before I even had a chance to speak, and I was grateful. “Reports have come in that bodies were found among the rubble, and it is believed that some of the local homeless population may have been using the base for shelter … ”

I stared at the words. My dad could’ve been one of the bodies they found. They might have buried him a month ago with a plain marker and no name. The thought made me feel sick, and I pushed out my chair abruptly and got to my feet. My friends didn’t say a word as I walked past them and into the backyard.

After a minute, Addie came out to sit with me. She slipped her hand into mine and sat in silence. I watched a family of bluebirds nesting in a tree a few feet away. They flitted about from branch to branch, chirping to each other—singing. It was nice. Soothing, somehow.

“Finn finished the search.” Addie’s voice was soft and tinged with worry. “That was the only article written about the base in the last ten years.”

“What if they found my dad and buried him somewhere?” I asked after thirty more seconds of silence, looking into her hazel eyes. “What if he has a grave and we can’t find him? We can’t visit … can’t mourn him right. No one had a funeral or showed up for him.”

“You both showed up.” Addie shook her head hard. “You and Jack tried to save him, and instead, he saved you. Don’t take the meaning of that away.”

“I know.” I sighed and leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. Addie rubbed her hand gently across my back. “I just wish there was somewhere I could go to feel close to him again. The base has been the only thing I had … and now, knowing they removed some of the bodies, I’m not sure it would feel the same anymore.”

“Your dad didn’t sound like the type to stay in one place.” Addie rubbed the tips of her fingers across my knuckles as she thought. “Given the choice, he probably wouldn’t have wanted a grave anyway. Judging from the way he lived his life, he probably would’ve wanted to be scattered in the breeze somewhere.”

I closed my eyes, feeling the truth in her words slightly mend my pain. Jack hadn’t answered most of my questions about our dad yet, but still, I knew this part was true.

“And if you need a place to feel like you’re close to him … ” Addie leaned over, resting her head on my shoulder. “You figure out where you want that to be, and find your own way to say goodbye. You know we’ll all be there with you whenever you need.”

I sat up straight and wrapped both of my arms around her, kissing her softly. “You know I love you, right?”

“You better.” She grinned up at me and winked. “I’m kind of awesome.”

“You’re extremely awesome.”

“Glad you think so.” Addie tucked my hair back, then she kissed my neck lightly and my heart sped up. She whispered, “Because I love you back.”

Finn cleared his throat from the doorway and we both pulled back to look at him. He was staring straight up at the sky like he couldn’t handle glancing directly at us.

“It’s safe to look.” Addie laughed. “You know that seeing us kiss won’t burn out your eyes or anything.”

“Eh … better not to risk it,” Finn muttered as he walked out to us holding a large yellow envelope. “This just got dropped off. It’s addressed to you, Parker.”

I took it, assuming it was probably some packet of college information. Now that Mom and I agreed I had a future to plan for, I swear she’d started requesting info packets from every university this side of the Mississippi.

But when I flipped it over to check out which school had caught her attention this time, there was no return address label. And when I read my name, my heart skipped a beat. That handwriting … I may not have been able to understand the formula Dad gave Jack, but I’d looked at it enough times to recognize his sloppy scribbles.

I didn’t know how or why, but I’d just received a package from my dead father.