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I had blood all over me.
Mom…
Before I knew it, my t-shirt was off my back, wrapped around my fist, which slammed into the mirror. I screamed at the image—the broken boy—I never wanted to see again. “You coward!”
The door flew open. “Duke!”
Even though it was highly unlikely that an enemy was in the bathroom hurting me, Liam had his gun pointed, an innocent little girl still asleep on his shoulder.
In the small bathroom, the broken mirror was to my left, the wall to my right, and the tub behind me. Everything was white, plain, and cold. Not warm like the home my mother had created for us. My body was as confined as my angry heart. Fearless, I roared at Liam’s weapon, wishing I had never surrendered mine to my mom, so I could’ve saved her life.
In the doorway, Liam’s blue eye wide and his mouth open. “Son—”
I screamed to the ceiling. “I want her back!”
Everleigh stirred on Liam’s shoulder.
Then Penny screamed, causing Liam to face his bedroom door in a rush, gun redirected. He quickly brought down his arm, saying, “I got him, Lu.”
Lu’s deep voice growled, “Penny, pull your shit together. This ain’t your first rodeo.”
Nervously, she nodded behind Liam. She even reached for Everleigh to help Liam, but my sister, although asleep, knew where she was safest. Readjusting her face to nuzzle into Liam’s neck, her arms wrapped around it, quickly drifting back into a deep sleep.
Lu said, “Liam, I’m posting someone at your door so you can focus on Prez’s kids.” He gave out more demands to armed men at his back, then left. Many heavy boot falls rushed back down the hallway.
Gun back in its holster, Liam’s focus came back to me. He slowly entered the bathroom, telling me, “If you didn’t want her back, I would think you didn’t love her like I know you do.”
Not knowing how to handle the scalding in my chest, I started hitting it. “I. Can’t. Breathe.”
Still slowly approaching, his shoulders sank as if he totally related to my current torture. “I’m so grateful I witnessed her mad love for you, kid.” Then he yanked me to his chest. “Never have I seen a mother love as she loved you.”
Not to hurt Liam, but so that someone could feel my pain, my fist hit his side.
The man never faltered. He never let go. He just held me. “I know, boy. I feel you.”
He feels me…
I burst into tears…
Sobbing, I hit him again, but it was much softer.
He nodded his head, hovering over mine. “Yeah, I still feel you.”
Thankful he wasn’t letting me go, I gasped and cried, “Coach is right. This isn’t fair.”
“Nope. Not one bit.”
Into his shirt I was dampening with tears, I whimpered, “I don’t have a mom, Liam.”
“Not true. She just has wings now.”
Bawling, I forced air into my exasperated lungs. “I was just starting to understand she had them while she was here on earth.”
Liam broke into a sob before swallowing it. “Damn truth, kid. Damn truth right there.”
Eventually, Liam got me into the shower, and then he put my soiled clothes in Penny’s hands to be burned. She gave him a damp wash cloth and left the room.
Through the shower curtain, I watched Liam’s immense shadow cradle Everleigh in his left arm, while his right hand tenderly wiped a damp cloth across her sleeping cheeks and neck.
