Even Through the Storm

15. Linda

"Hello?" I say, putting my purse down on the floor, and taking off my shoes. "Dad? Ash?" I hear noises coming from the basement. I walk down the stairs. "Ash?" Asher is sitting on the air mattress, tears rolling down his face. Peter is on a beanbag chair next to him. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"What's not wrong?" Asher asks.

"Is it your mom?"

"My house. My dad. He burnt down my house. My room, my clothes, everything, gone." I run over and hug him.

"I, I'm, I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Asher gets up and goes upstairs.

"Is he back in jail?" I ask Peter.

"I don't know. We just found out. The police called."

"Does my dad know? I should call him."

"Yeah, I should go. I'll see you later." Peter goes upstairs. I follow them. "Bye Ash,"

"Bye." I sit down next to Asher on the couch. He rests his head on my shoulder. I don't say anything. I wouldn't know what to say.

***

An hour later, when Dad comes home, Ash and I are still sitting on the couch. "What's wrong?" Dad asks. Ash's face is still red from the tears. Ash starts to cry again "What'd I say?"

"There was a fire," I respond.

"Oh, god, was it, oh no. Did it? Was it? Oh, god."

"It was my Dad. He burnt it to the ground. Nothing's left."

"I'm so sorry." Ash's phone starts to ring. The tears start to flow.

"Who is it?" I ask.

"Nicole."

"Ash, you don't have to."

"Can you answer it? It might be important."

"Sure." Asher hands me the phone, then goes downstairs. "Ash?"

"Yeah?" He yells.

"I'm sorry." I answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Who is this?" The voice says. It's not Nicole.

"Um, I'm Ash's girlfriend, Lola."

"Hi, Lola. Um, I'm Linda. Nick's wife."

"Um, Nick?"

"I'm sorry. You know of Nicole right?"

"Uh, yeah. I've heard of her."

"Well, I'm her mom."

"Uh, okay. Can you hold just for a sec?"

"Yeah. Of course."

"'Kay, thanks." I press hold.

"Who was it?" Dad asks. I jump. I forgot he was still standing there.

"Um, that was Asher's stepmom."

"My what?" Asher runs into the living room. He must have been listening.

"Nicole's mom."

"I want to talk to her."

"Ash, I don't think..."

"I said, I want to talk to her!"

"Okay." I hand him the phone.

"Hello?"

"Who is this?" I hear. Ash puts it on speaker.

"I'm Asher."

"Hi, Asher. I'm your stepmom."

"I heard. What do you want?"

"Oh, um, I'm sorry to bother you, but I heard what my husband did. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

"You're what? You're sorry? For what? Marrying my father? Letting him have an affair? Letting him leave? Or for what? More recent events? For him almost killing my mom? For breaking my phone? For burning down my house? What?" Ash is crying.

"All of it. I'm sorry. For everything. You seem like an excellent kid. You didn't deserve any of this?"

"Excuse me? How would you know?"

"I shouldn't have called. I'm sorry again. Goodbye." She hangs up the phone. Asher runs back downstairs,