Aphasiac

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Charleston International Airport

Jonah saw Megan before she saw him. She looked radiant. No surprise to him. But he would have thought that no matter how she looked. Harold was behind her but she seemed to be ignoring him. Oblivious to his presence. Her darting eyes stopped when they found him, standing back from the crowd with Solomon.

"There's Mommy." Solomon pointed towards Megan's flushed face rushing towards them. Her long skirt was clinging to her legs.

Jonah almost toppled over when she attacked them both with her embrace. "Jonah," she said into his shoulder. He loved the sound of her voice.

Her face was close to his now. He could smell her hair. Her skin. Her lips brushed his ear, sending an unexpected shock wave through his body. Warm blood coursed through his veins. He felt it in his toes. "I missed you," she whispered.

He let her take Solomon from his arms and smiled. "I'm glad." He nodded at Harold who had caught up. "Harold." What else was he supposed to say? The man deserved no more.

Harold nodded back. There was tension around the little group. "Your place is ready for them?"

"And waiting," Jonah replied. "We should get going if we want to beat the traffic out of here."

"We'll see you then."

Jonah nodded and started to lead Megan away. He glanced back to see Harold looking lost in the middle of the airport, surrounded by five crying babies in car seats.

There was a short moment when Jonah almost felt sorry for him. He rejected it and reminded himself again of just what kind of man Harold Donnelly was. Jonah saw Harold's daughter, Darlene rush to her father, just as he and Megan left the building. Well good, he thought, at least there's someone who still loves him. Or at least cares a little bit.

Megan was very quiet on the ride home. Jonah wanted to know about her trip. He wanted to know why she went. He wanted to know Harold's motive because he knew he had to have one but he didn't push her for answers. He didn't even put out a question to fill the air, silent but not empty now that she was there. He saw or imagined a tear that she quickly wiped away. She would turn and smile in his or Solomon's direction every now and then but never once volunteered the information Jonah was dying to know. He decided that once she and Solomon were settled into their new home he could ask. But not before then.

Megan stared out the window and fought off the tears. She couldn't believe her good luck. Jonah to the rescue. Again. She had decided that he wasn't or couldn't be her guardian angel. It wouldn't seem right that a real angel would live among people like Jonah did. He was hers though. She knew that. It made her smile to think that she had him. Love? Not yet. Maybe someday though.

A truckload of chickens passed them on the left. Feathers blew out the back littering the street and their windshield. In the back seat Solomon moaned and covered his nose until the terrible chicken smell had passed.

Jonah was laughing and reached over the seat to squeeze Solomon's knee. "You like that smell, buddy?" he asked him.

Solomon stuck out his tongue. "Yuck!"

Jonah laughed again and brought his hand back over the seat to pull into his driveway. It brushed Megan's shoulder on the way but she had no objections to that.

***

On the outside, Jonah's two story, brick home was nothing to brag about. The lawn was well maintained, though not beautiful. No flowerbeds. No shrubs, unless you could count those twiggy numbers on either side of the front steps. Through trees that dotted the property line Megan could see a sign boasting TRENHOLM PARK & SWIMMING POOL.