Hello Darkness

Chapter Fourteen

Breccan's truck is in the driveway when Talum slows in front of the curb. "I'll see you in the morning," he says with a small smile playing on his lips. I nod, pulling myself from the car. I don't move until I hear the crunching scrap of the car's tires on the pavement. A giggle pulls my attention to the neighbor's yard and I wave to the Parkers, as Andrew pulls their daughter, Lilly, from the back seat. They moved in a few years ago after the house had been vacant for over a year. I know the reason why—it had nothing to do with the house.

The house's evergreen siding is crisp and new compared to the fading red and brown bricks of our own. The lush landscaping drew in many potential buyers, but it received no offers.

If the Parkers know about my story they've never said, and I'm grateful they don't treat me any differently. We aren't close, but they've invited us over several times during the summer for a barbeque and cards. My mouth waters thinking about Andrew's ribs.

The gravel shifts under my feet as I walk up to the house. It's nights like this I truly enjoy. Just me, Alma and Breccan. It makes me believe that perhaps one day, things could be normal again. Well, my version of normal anyways.

I open the door and find Alma standing over a sizzling pan sending savory smells billowing through the house. Steam clouds the nearby windows. "It smells fantastic," I say setting down my bag on the table near the door.

"Stir-fry." Alma beams, shuffling the vegetables with a wooden spoon.

"What's the special occasion?" Alma got her cooking skills from our mother. Mixing ingredients I would have never thought to pair, but then again, I can burn water.

"Are you serious?" She snaps her head so quick, her thick chocolate ponytail slips from around her shoulder and cascades down her back. "You would forget your head if it wasn't attached. It's your damn birthday."

I run my hands over my face to hide the flush of my cheeks.

Breccan appears from around the corner, popping open the freezer. "And I brought ice cream."

Birthday. I had forgotten my own birthday. With everything that's happened, my mind hadn't exactly been on the normal things in life. Proving to me once more that even in chaos, life moves forward.

"Here." Breccan plops three pastel envelopes in front of me. "Only you would forget your birthday." He smiles and takes a seat at the island next to me.

"You need to shave." I pull at some stray hairs at the bottom of his square chin. "How do you expect to find a decent woman looking like a caveman?"

"I don't need another woman in my life, I already have you two to worry about." I can't help but smile back at his boyish grin. Sometimes I still see him as the eight-year-old I had a crush on in third grade. Even though the once chubby little boy had become chiseled and brawny from years of football and later the academy, he still has the same sweet eyes.

All of it—all of this, I look over at Alma, is home.

"Really you guys—you didn't have to do this," I say picking the cards up off the table.

"Just read 'em," Breccan pushes. I open the first two, one from Breccan, one from Alma, but the third makes me pause. I stare at my name scribbled in thin, sharp letters.

I clear my throat. "Do you know who this one is from?" They glance at each other, concern growing on their faces. "Maybe I shouldn't open it."

"Don't be silly," Alma says. "It's just a birthday card." She tries not to let me catch her cautious look toward Breccan, but the hesitation in her voice gives her away. "Just open it."

I slide my finger under the flap on the back and slip the card from its cover. Balloons and a birthday cake adorn the front. Bright. Colorful. Happy. No, this card is not going to ruin our evening. Without a second thought, I flip it open.

Have a wonderful birthday.
-Talum and Derek

A warm smile creeps across my face, loosening the tension in my chest. "Whose idea do you think this was?" I display the card for Breccan and Alma to see.

"Derek for sure," Alma says. "See, I told you there was nothing to be worried about." She playfully sticks out her tongue, but I can see the relief in her subtle sigh.

"Here, I've got one more thing for you." Breccan pulls a crumpled package from the floor. The paper crinkles as he sets it in front of me, a metal ting ringing from the countertop.

"What is this? It looks like a child wrapped it," I tease glancing over the purple and blue paper. "And why is there so much tape?"

"Shut up and open it. I never claimed to be good at wrapping things." After struggling to get it started, the paper falls off.

"Breccan—is this what I think it is?" I resist the urge to jump from my seat and stare at the metal part sitting on the counter. A thin bar attached to a round head. It looks more like a metal mallet than a car part. "The distributor!" I squeal wrapping my arms around Breccan's neck.

I can't remove the smile plastered on my face. After my parents' death, our valuables were placed in storage units. As the years went on, Nana sold items to pay for the things we needed. But she listened if either of us wanted to keep something. And I couldn't bear to see the 1957 Corvette go, even if it would have gotten us the most cash.

My father's dream became my own. He always told me that one day we would ride in it together. We would drive and drive until the sun became the moon and back again. I would sit in its white and red cracked leather seats, listening to music or reading while he worked under the hood.

Now, that car sits under a dust cover in Breccan's garage, and we tinker with it from time to time, knowing that without some essential parts that's where she'll stay. But this—this beautiful hunk of silver was one of them. Tears well as I sit back. "Thank you." I lean into his chest again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he says with a little chuckle.

"Can we go now?" I stand. "Can we work on it?"

Breccan's smile grows wide, he can't hide his desire either. "Sit. It'll be there tomorrow and the next day. We don't have to rush."

I meet his honey eyes once more. "I don't know how I'll ever thank you. I'll pay you back, I—"

"No. It's a gift." He furrows his brow, feigning offense.

"But it's not cheap."

"I got a good deal. Don't worry about it." He smirks and takes a drink of ice water.

"Now get that dirty thing off the counter. Dinner's done." Alma pretends she doesn't want anything to do with the car, but the flicker of a smile tells me otherwise.