The Lamb and the Gray Battle

October 6, 2022

"Mom, Mom, look! LOOK!"

#KingAoGuangForever. The video was everywhere and Dylan didn't know what sleep was.

Jo's face was shoved into a pillow, a comforter pulled to her chin. "Dylan, you have school in the morning." She sat up, scratched her graying auburn hair.

"But Mom, it's King Ao Guang! He's on the news!"

Jo grabbed the phone. "Young man, to bed right now."

"I want my phone."

"Absolutely not. Go to bed before you wake up Evie."

"I already showed her. She said Ao Guang is all pomp and circumstance. She didn't even call him King."

"Get to bed."

Jo put on her mom face, the one that reminded him that she could walk him to school and sit in class with him. She could throw out all the cookies in the house and make him live off of liver and onions for the rest of his life.

As soon as Dylan kicked and shuffled his way back to bed, Jo plopped onto hers. Sure enough, there was King Ao Guang, wearing all white. Dylan had just shown her a picture of King Ao Guang and Prince Nianzang wearing white at Queen Elizabeth's funeral. White was the color of mourning in China. Her jaw ached.

The phone said, "I'm worried about my wife."

I'll bet you're worried, she thought. Your wife is dead. You're worried her killer is going to get away.

She sat up, huddled in her bed.

"I need to get to America, PC. President Gable is refusing to speak with me and I will not break our treaty." He added, "Not yet."

Jo slammed the phone onto the bed. He couldn't come here. The President wouldn't allow it. She grabbed her head, the ache splitting her brain. It was like Knox was with her all over again.

"You didn't meet her," Knox raved.

She howled, "I'm glad. You've gone insane. You have a family. What about your son?"

"I can't live without her."

"You need a job, a real job."

She fell to her side, tears slipping down her face and over the bridge of her nose.