On Sturdy Legs

Over Night

It was a little after dinner time when the phone rang. I had been sitting with Izzy and Molly watching some TV show in which people liked to pause and talk about their emotions to the camera; it wasn't the kind of thing I could get into, not in a few million years. I couldn't logically prove that I had even the most ballpark guess of who was calling, but somehow I figured I should answer the phone.

"I've got it," I told the other two and went to pick up the phone. "Siteki residence?"

"Siteki residence?" the voice on the other end answered.

I immediately recognized the voice as James's.

"Hey, good to hear from you," I said in absence of his name. I would rather not let Molly and Izzy know that it was James Fisher who was calling me.

"Likewise," James agreed, something in his voice told me that he understood the exact reason why I wasn't addressing him by his name. "Listen, Ari," he paused; I could hear the salesman voice coming on. "I know I did not schedule you until next week. A certain matter has arisen. Elle somehow convinced someone to bring her over to my house although it is her mom's day with her. She is currently there alone because I had to leave town for business. I was wondering if you could watch her until I get back. I booked the earliest flight possible, but I won't be home until tomorrow at the earliest. Please, Ari?"

"Of course," I agreed. "I'll pack a bag and be right over."

"Thank you," He replied in that cool voice of his. "I will see you tomorrow." Pause. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I replied in farewell and hung up the phone.

"Who was it?" Izzy called to me.

I had to suspect that she already knew. I decided not to actually answer her. Molly might not be the best on the communications front but she was a good mom, and there was no way she was going to let me do this if she knew where I was going to spend the night.

I ran up the stairs two at a time and grabbed a backpack to shove clothes into. I threw in my pajamas and a change of clothes for the next day, my laptop, toothbrush, hair brush, and toiletries. I had the bag over my shoulder and car keys in hand. I managed to get halfway towards the front door when Molly stopped me. She was a mother; she already knew.

"Ari, don't you dare step out this door," she warned. There it was.

Smaller than me in every possible way and half as stubborn, Molly had positioned herself in front of the door to block me off. Izzy took up a seat on the arm of the couch so she could watch and back up her mom.

"Elle is home alone right now; she's eight years old for Christ's sake. James is out of town and she is refusing to go to her mom's house. Someone has to spend the night with her," I insisted.

"And that has to be you?" Molly asked. She looked desperate, desperate for me to obey her, desperate for me to have nothing to do with James Fisher. "Ari, don't you think there's something wrong with James Fisher asking you to babysit two days after you move in? He raped one girl already and you can't tell me that he isn't going to hurt you too. Let me call Xandra, she can pick up Elle and watch her."

"Elle went to his house for a reason," I sighed. "Molly, I'm not doing this for him. I'm doing this for her. And I will out stubborn you a hundred ways north of Sunday. Stop me, I dare you."

She paused. Of course Molly wouldn't know what to say; she wouldn't know how to stop me when I was so insanely dead set on something. For lack of anything else to do, Molly stepped out of my way.

"Call me," she insisted. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't," I replied and stepped out the door.