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-18- Rhett

Kendra Lincoln

By the time Rhett comes home I'm a ball of nerves. I've already cleaned half the house and I'm currently scrubbing the baseboards in Rhett's at home office.

"Is there a reason you're deep cleaning on a Monday evening?" He asks, filling the door frame.

He has a teasing smile on his face but I know what he's thinking. I always clean the house on the weekend, catching all the things I missed throughout the week. So it's weird that it's Monday and I'm already at it again. Except this is what I do when something is bothering me.

I shoot him a glare that has no anger behind it, a tentative smile falling on my face. I toss the rag I'm using over my shoulder, standing up as he walks to me.

"Holt called me after school today. He asked if he could hang out with Birdie." I say.

At first I was completely thrilled. Over the moon really. This was something I've been hoping for. I want Holt to make friends, to hang out with them. He is barely seventeen and follows such a strict routine that consists of no fun from what I see. And that isn't the life he should be living. He is too young for that with so much life ahead of him.

But then as I relaxed into the sofa, a glass of wine in my hand, my mind started to flip through the pages of his file listing all the attempts at running away he had with other families. And then just like that the worry started to trickle in and I almost called the bank to cancel his credit card just incase he was going to use it to run.

"Okay?" Rhett draws out the word but I know he knows what I'm thinking, he's thinking it too.

"What if he..." I start to ask but I can't finish it.

I really hope I'm wrong.

"What time was all this?" He folds me into his arms as tears swell up in my eyes.

"Around four. Practice isn't today so I'm assuming he went to the park like a normal day. He said just an hour but I told him to take his time and now.." I can't lose that boy. "Now what if he's gone?"

Rhett's hands trail up and down my back trying to soothe the desperation that's overwhelming me. "He's not gone."

"He's ran before Rhett."

"He didn't run." He repeats but I can hear he's not completely convinced.

I cling to Rhett as grief starts to inch it's way toward me. I'm not a new comer to grief. But that does little to comfort me.

"If he doesn't show up by eight we'll start calling around okay?" Rhett adds after a minute.

I nod my head slowly, that's still two more hours. He could get so far in two hours. So many things could happen to him in two hours.

Rhett kisses the top of my head but I barely feel it. I need to move, go back to scrubbing the floor boards so that my hands are busy and my mind is slightly preoccupied. I've never wanted time to fly faster than I do at this moment.

"Come downstairs and relax. I'll fix us something for dinner." He says gently, removing the rag from my shoulder.

His fingers lace between my own and even though I want to remain in his office scrubbing away my worries I allow him to take me to the living room where I've abandoned my glass of wine.

I don't sit though, instead I follow him into the kitchen, sliding onto a bar stool as he stares into the fridge.

"He knows we want him right?" He has to know. Doesn't he?

Rhett glances at me before back at the fridge where he shuffles some things around. He doesn't answer because even though we do want Holt here it's apparent that Holt doesn't feel this is his home.

"I think..." Rhett begins but the front door rattles and closes shut a moment later.

I release a breath, a sudden weight lifting from my body as I recognize the familiar sound of Holt taking off his shoes. His bag being placed at the base of the stairs to wait as he checks in with me.

He came home.

"Holt honey, is that you?" I call out like I do most days.

He never answers back until he's standing in the open frame to the kitchen. While I wait, a smile grows on my face as Rhett and I share a look. This has to be a step in the right direction. Whoever Birdie is, I already love her.

Holt appears in the frame surveying the kitchen with a swipe of his eyes before they find his shoes.

"Did you have fun?" I can't help asking.

He nods his head. "Yes. Thank you ma'am."

My smile drops slightly even though I try to hide it. "Of course. Anytime you want to spend time with your friends all you have to do is let us know."

Telling Holt to ask for permission is redundant, he's going to whether I tell him he must or not. In fact I'd almost rather him not ask. At least then he'd seem more like a typical teenager.

"Thank you ma'am."

I watch him carefully as he starts to lift his head, Rhett hasn't said a word, going about dinner just as he was. But he's listening.

"May I go to my room please sir?" Holt asks, like he does every time.

I've noticed that if Rhett is home, Holt directs his requests to him rather than me.

"Sure buddy." Rhett says, turning to give Holt his full attention.

And that's when I see it, a slight recoil, a flinch and I wonder if maybe it's Rhett that Holt fears. I scoff internally at the idea as quickly as it pops into my head. Rhett is kind and patient and empathetic.

There's no way it's Rhett.

                                ————————

Well we officially made the move yesterday. I didn't get home until after 10 last night and I feel like I've been ran over and  I need to sleep for the next week but it's done. Now we have to spend the next foreseeable future fixing their new place up and unpacking. I need a vacation. 🤣😫😭