Love and other calamities

November, 2016

November, 2016

"How is he doing?" Elijah asked Ruth. He laid his head to rest on her shoulder while his arms wrapped around her waist.

Ruth sighed and covered Elijah's hands with her own. "He's temperature isn't going down. I'm worried goose."

"Ssh," he cooed. "Let's not worry ourselves until it's absolutely necessary. Let me feel." Elijah placed the back of his hand on Benny's forehead and winced when he felt the heat warm his hand. He was definitely too warm. Benny lay sleeping in his bed with his hands clutching his duvet tightly. He was cold and yet his skin was hot to the touch. Elijah looked back at Ruth who stood next to Benny's bed, and frowned. "I think we should get him to the hospital. He keeps moaning that he's in pain and he's too hot. I don't like this."

Ruth nodded, "You get him ready and I'll grab Terri and Kyle." Ruth ran out of her oldest son's bedroom and rushed to the living room where her six-year-old daughter played with her one-year-old son. "Okay, I want you both to get some toys in a bag. I'm going to drop you all off at grandpa's house okay."

The children obediently nodded and Terri helped her brother pack some toys away. Once they had selected a handful of toys to play with, Elijah came rushing into the room with Benny in his arms. The raven-haired boy was pale and shivering against Elijah's shoulder and Ruth's body went numb in fear.

"Are you ready?" Elijah questioned.

Ruth nodded, "Are we going to drop them off at your fathers' house?"

"I've already called him. He'll be outside with my uncle Ben waiting for us."

Ruth nodded and reached for Kyle so she could carry him on her hip. Terri obediently carried the backpack she and Kyle had packed and followed her parents out of the house. They piled into the minivan Elijah had bought for them two years back. Once everyone was secured inside the car, Elijah drove towards where his father stayed with his uncle.

The day Ruth and Elijah had left the Apostle Community three years previous had been a momentous occasion and Ruth was relieved when Thomas had willingly followed them into their own freedom. Thomas had moved in with his eldest brother who opened his doors with welcoming arms. Ruth grinned knowing that since his move, Thomas had been the happiest she had ever seen him; he especially loved his time with his grandchildren.

The drive to the respectable home Thomas now lived in was short. When Elijah had taken Ruth and the kids out of the community, he had informed her on all she had missed in his life since his departure. She had learned that his uncle stayed two cities over from the community and that Elijah had lived there for four years while his uncle paid for his studies at the local community college. Ruth had learned that Elijah was a man passionate about landscaping and architecture and had successfully started his own business that was flourishing. She had learned so much about the man she never stopped loving but, she still loved that though; he was different, he was still the same. That night, Ruth and the kids had moved in with Elijah while his father moved in with his brother who stayed two blocks away. Grace had never followed her husband and had instead gone to become the latest wife for Jeremiah.

"We're here my love." Elijah pulled the car to a stop and she looked out the car window to see her father-in-law waiting on the sidewalk. They exited the car and Ruth watched happily as her daughter ran with excitement towards her grandpa Thomas. Ruth had been nervous about how her children would handle the transition and new life away from the community but, it had only taken them a year to realize that life was better on the outside. They had accepted Thomas as their grandfather and had even gone as far as to consider Elijah their father. She had had her reservations about her children dismissing their real father but, when her son had told her that 'Elijah acted like a real daddy so he should be called daddy,' she had changed her tune quickly. It was their choice after all.