Just Breathe

Chapter Thirty-One

I reach for the orange juice and see the BBQ sauce and take it. I love BBQ ribs. It’s the bestest, okay, it’s the third bestest, after Gavin’s lasagna and mac and cheese. That’s the bestest, specially made by my mom. I hope Gavin comes back. I know my mom really likes him and he makes her smile a lot. She has a really pretty smile. I’m going to set the table for her. She always smiles at me when I help her out. I try to carry the orange juice, the BBQ sauce, and some napkins when I hear my mom call out my name.

“Logan.” She never calls my name unless she needs to tell me something important, or… He’s found us. I put everything back on the counter and search for the smallest place to hide. I open the cabinet door under the sink and see some boxes mom kept from our moving. I push them aside, close the door behind me, and crawl inside to the very back. Once I’m as far as I can go, I place the boxes one on top of the other, shielding me.

I cover my mouth with my hands and try to control my breathing. Mom says I have to be very quiet, that even my breathing needs to be quiet.
I can hear him yelling at her, and I hear moms’ cries. Why does he have to hurt her so bad? She’s the nicest, and she doesn’t hurt anybody. I can feel my eyes stinging with tears forming. I can’t make a sound, or he’ll hurt her even worse.

I wish I was big and strong, like Gavin or Hunter, then I could protect her and never let anyone hurt her again. I wish Gavin was here.
I’ve been here forever, and mom still hasn’t come to get me. What if she can’t move? What if she needs my help? What if he killed her this time, and I’m hiding when I could have gone for help? 

I can make a run for the front door and go to Gavin’s for help. I know he’ll help us. He has to.
I move the boxes slowly and take lots of quiet breaths, and try to hear if anyone is in the kitchen. I don’t hear anything except for him saying something about mom dying. NO! I won’t let him.

I open the door quietly and look around before stepping out. No one is in the kitchen. I crawl on my hands and knees so he can’t spot me and make my way to the front door when I hear Zeus barking like crazy and rushing inside our house. Zeus! I get up and run to the front door when Gavin, Hunter, and a policeman walk in.

“Logan!” Hunter spots me and reaches down to pick me up. They’re here to save us! I look for my mom and find her laying on the floor, just a little away from the front door. She’s not moving.

“MOM!” I try to get to her, but Hunter won’t put me down. “I need my mom!”

“You can’t go to her, bud. She’s going to the hospital to get help, okay. We’ll go in my jeep and meet her there.” Hunter holds me tighter, but all I want is my mom.

All these people show up and I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t know what they’re saying. They put my mom in some bed and strap her to it, and keep putting tubes and things on her. Hunter is still holding me in his arms, so now I can see my mom’s face.

Now I know why she always wanted me to hide. Why she never wanted me to get in the way. I can’t make out her face, there’s all this blood covering it. I’m so scared…

“MOM!” I try and reach for her, but I can’t touch her. Please, don’t die mom! Don’t leave me!