“She’d said goodbye.”
That was the last dream he’d had of her, which only felt as if a knife ripped through the tattered scar of his heart. He was standing there on the third floor in the dim light, watching the raging wind abuse everything in its wake.
“Good night, Daddy,” Tehya said, dressed in only one of his old t-shirts, the frayed hemline still hitting her knees. “This place is huge, but can you open the window in my room? I can’t breathe in there, it’s so stuffy.”
“Sure, but the wind will likely blow in some of the rain,” he said and followed her down a long, dark hall by the light of her flashlight as Sheriff tagged along behind them.
“Just open it a little then,” she said. She clambered onto the bed. “Do we have to stay here? It was hard for Sheriff to walk all those stairs.”
“I carried him the last flight. Look, I know this isn’t home, but we’ll get used to it.”
“I meant here. I miss the cabin, Dad.”
He didn’t have the heart to tell his daughter it was likely the cabin was burned up by now.
He helped Sheriff onto the high bed with Tehya, where he would remain part of the night. The other parts were divided, it seemed, between him and Bang. It was as if the dog could never make up his mind…he loved them all that much to guard them through the night in shifts.
“I’m going to tell you a secret,” he said and ran his fingers through the top of her hair, brushing the strands out of her eyes. “Sometimes, adults don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. I’d love nothing more than to say, ‘Yes, we’re going home tomorrow. Everything’s going to be okay,’ but I can’t say that because it’s not true. I don’t know what’s going to happen. And I love you enough to tell you the truth.”
She was quiet and regarded him with that old soul look of hers again. In a whisper she said, “Is it…those bad people coming again? That’s what the girl said, wasn’t it?”
He swallowed. They’d had the conversation. The horrors of the past could not be kept from the youth of the future. To do so was a cruel injustice.
“We’re not sure. Just like before, I don’t have all the answers yet. But we’re safer here and we’re all working together to make sure it stays that way.”
The wind blew, hammering the panes of glass and blowing the old tattered curtain in waves.
She blinked long and slow.
“You’re tired, kiddo. It’s been a long day and Cheryl is going to come stay with us soon, when she’s all the way better.”
Tehya rolled her eyes.
“Get used to it, kid. She needs us. That’s what we do. We take care of one another.”
“Do we have to?” Tehya moaned. “I think she likes Sam better than us.”
“Yes, we have to, and Sam travels a lot. He can’t take care of her like we can,” he said and kissed her forehead. “Good night, baby.”
“Good night, Daddy.”
“Hey…turn off your flashlight. Conserve the batteries.” And because he’d said it a million times before, she said it with him. “They don’t make them anymore.”
He smiled and nodded when Sheriff’s brown eyes met his. “Good night, old man.” And he could swear Sheriff looked offended. “I mean, good night, old buddy.”