Hollow Grace

ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ - ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴡᴀʟʟs

January 18th

On their final day, Evan couldn't get enough of Portland. Beloved places and landmarks were immortalized in photos, yet even that wasn't enough. He wanted to transmute each one into a pocket universe and take it with him. He had convinced Casey and Charlie to sacrifice their fragilely stabilized sleep schedule and walk until dawn, to absorb as many memories as possible. They could sleep on the road. The chance to be in the City of Roses again might not present itself anytime soon. No one objected to a final rendezvous with the city.

Stocking up on street food, hot coffee, and souvenirs while the shops were open, the friends dedicated the night to a long, meandering walk. The city, too, seemed sleepless, as if seeing them off. Only toward morning did the weather sour. Their departure from Portland was accompanied by a wretched drizzle, wind and a mood to match. Before sunrise, the sky had been draped with dirty gray clouds that shadowed the car for several hours. Saying goodbye to that other world, the coffee aromas, and the quaint, magical streets was melancholy. Returning to Ember Hill was even more somber, but circumstances once again overpowered their desire to stay. The long-deferred matters reappeared on the horizon.

After two months, the rehabilitation course for Charlie and Evan had concluded. The first phase of trauma stabilization for future work was complete. Dr. Nathaniel Harris concluded that both boys were formally prepared to return to their customary environment and continue treatment remotely. Colleen Harris provided a list of recommendations and medications. She cautiously noted that another course might be necessary in case of a relapse.

They were once again considered socially adapted, but true remission was still a distant prospect. In reality, they had barely learned to breathe without tasting the foul tang of fear on their tongues. This measure of composure would have to suffice for the upcoming court hearings.

Despite the exhaustion and the sleepless night, Evan couldn't sleep during the drive. Pressed against the window glass, he lethargically tracked the flickering trees. Charlie and Casey had lost the battle with slumber even after downing two energy drinks each. Evan held the peacefully snoring Charlie closer and stroked his hair. It was better for Charlie to sleep through the trip and not get worked up before returning to Ember Hill. The period ahead was going to be difficult enough as it was.

Sylvia was the only one genuinely elated about the trip home. She chatted incessantly with Robbie, inquiring about the latest happenings in their town and the state of "Green Build Solutions." For her a two-month separation from her husband was coming to an end. And while she was far from bored in Portland, in the company of her daughter and adopted sons, she wasn't accustomed to being away from her husband for so long. This was evident when Joel had flown in for Christmas, despite his heavy workload. Sylvia had blossomed even more, though it was hard to believe she could be any happier or brighter.

Evan listened to Robbie and Sylvia's conversation with half an ear, hoping he wouldn't hear anything ominous. No news of new gang crimes or the arrest of Raine and Nova. His father, expunged from his life, should have disappeared permanently, and Evan wished that Ember Hill would forget about him as quickly as it did about everyone else it disdained — as it always did when another alcoholic rotted away at the bottom of the social ladder. He wished the same for his stepmother. Her "pristine" image was a tougher blot to erase from the town's history. Holding her accountable for her crimes was equally challenging. Evan simply wanted her to vanish forever, as if she had never existed. And he didn't care what other secrets she dragged with her into the wind.

Robbie mentioned nothing that would pique Evan's concern. He spoke of company matters and where he had been driving Joel all this time. With the chatter about handing over projects in early spring, Evan tiredly closed his eyes and drifted into a shallow sleep. He woke up already in Ember Hill, roused by Casey nudging him.