pair of her running
shorts and an old DPI tee-shirt. On top of the dryer was a folded
stack of beach towels and in the dryer was a forgotten-about load
of wrinkly whites. Yanking out an undershirt, I pulled it on over
my head, and took the shorts, tee-shirt and towel to Julia.
“Put these on and give me your wet clothes.”
Standing before me, Julia removed the sweatshirt and
then crossed her arms at her waist and pulled at the hem of her wet
tank, removing her shirt in one swift move. I shifted uncomfortably
and looked everywhere but at her. She flopped the wet tank in my
open palm and exchanged it for Ava’s dry tee-shirt. She did the
same with the shorts while I fidgeted.
“Done?” I asked when Rory’s wet boxers joined the
tank top in my hand.
“Done. At ease, Ari, I don’t have anything that you
haven’t seen before.” Julia grabbed the towel and ran it vigorously
through her sopping wet hair.
She followed me into the kitchen and I dumped her wet
things into the sink, then turned to look at her, crossing my arms
over my chest.
“What are you doing here at three in morning?”
She climbed onto a stool and fidgeted with Max’s
sticky toy dinosaur.
“I’ve … It’s just,” and she started to cry again in a
choking sob. Scrambling for a tissue, I had to settle for a roll of
toilet paper from the guest bath down the hall.
“I had no idea this was going to happen. Ari, I am so
sorry.”
“Ok, what is happening? And why are you sorry?”
Chills crept up my spine.
“You would do anything for me right, Ari?”
I didn’t answer her.
“ I would … I would do anything for you .
You and I have been through a lot together. I … you mean so much to
me. We have a bond that no one else has. When my parents died, you
were the only one I would talk to -- remember? It was just you and
me. I was so scared of everything, so scared that those men were
coming back to kill me. I was so terrified in the dark at night
that I would hide under my bed, but you always found me, and you
would crawl under there with me with a flashlight and sometimes you
would…” she sniffled and wiped tears away from her cheeks. “You
would read to me. Remember? You probably read me The Lord of the
Flies more than fifty times.” She laughed in spite of her
tears.
“You always cried when Piggy died.”
She smiled at me and then paused. “Yes, I did -- poor
Piggy. You fixed me, Ari. You took every damaged and broken piece
of me and made me better. You made me whole again. I owe you.”
“You don’t --”
“We grew older and the stories stopped.”
My eyes closed at her words.
“You kissed me under that bed, Ari … every night. You
had sex with me under there. We turned into adults together. You
told me things I know you’ve never told her. You told me ,
Ari, remember? I know who you are. I loved you. You told her you never loved me but … I know you did. I know you
still do love me, too. You would do anything for me … even now. And
I will do anything for you, too.” She picked at the small, dirty
Band-Aid on her wrist.
“Julia, we shouldn’t be talking about our past
together. This is inappropriate. If you need to talk with me, come
by my office. I’m free for lunch on Monday. We can talk then.” A
breath pushed heavily from my lungs. “I know what I told you in the
past, but who I am does not matter. My bond is with Ava.
Only Ava. I’ve made my promises to her and there isn’t anyone left
to make me honor my heritage. I do love you, Jules, but I love you
like --”
“Like family?”
“Yes, family. Now, let me call Rory. My cell is
upstairs. Stay here. He can come get you.”
“You can’t. He can’t know I am here.”
“You're worrying me, you know.”
“I need you to help me.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“I need you to tell lies, Ari.”
“I don’t--”
“Don’t say you don’t lie, because I know you do. You
lie. I’ve caught you. You may not be as dishonest as the rest of
shorts and an old DPI tee-shirt. On top of the dryer was a folded
stack of beach towels and in the dryer was a forgotten-about load
of wrinkly whites. Yanking out an undershirt, I pulled it on over
my head, and took the shorts, tee-shirt and towel to Julia.
“Put these on and give me your wet clothes.”
Standing before me, Julia removed the sweatshirt and
then crossed her arms at her waist and pulled at the hem of her wet
tank, removing her shirt in one swift move. I shifted uncomfortably
and looked everywhere but at her. She flopped the wet tank in my
open palm and exchanged it for Ava’s dry tee-shirt. She did the
same with the shorts while I fidgeted.
“Done?” I asked when Rory’s wet boxers joined the
tank top in my hand.
“Done. At ease, Ari, I don’t have anything that you
haven’t seen before.” Julia grabbed the towel and ran it vigorously
through her sopping wet hair.
She followed me into the kitchen and I dumped her wet
things into the sink, then turned to look at her, crossing my arms
over my chest.
“What are you doing here at three in morning?”
She climbed onto a stool and fidgeted with Max’s
sticky toy dinosaur.
“I’ve … It’s just,” and she started to cry again in a
choking sob. Scrambling for a tissue, I had to settle for a roll of
toilet paper from the guest bath down the hall.
“I had no idea this was going to happen. Ari, I am so
sorry.”
“Ok, what is happening? And why are you sorry?”
Chills crept up my spine.
“You would do anything for me right, Ari?”
I didn’t answer her.
“ I would … I would do anything for you .
You and I have been through a lot together. I … you mean so much to
me. We have a bond that no one else has. When my parents died, you
were the only one I would talk to -- remember? It was just you and
me. I was so scared of everything, so scared that those men were
coming back to kill me. I was so terrified in the dark at night
that I would hide under my bed, but you always found me, and you
would crawl under there with me with a flashlight and sometimes you
would…” she sniffled and wiped tears away from her cheeks. “You
would read to me. Remember? You probably read me The Lord of the
Flies more than fifty times.” She laughed in spite of her
tears.
“You always cried when Piggy died.”
She smiled at me and then paused. “Yes, I did -- poor
Piggy. You fixed me, Ari. You took every damaged and broken piece
of me and made me better. You made me whole again. I owe you.”
“You don’t --”
“We grew older and the stories stopped.”
My eyes closed at her words.
“You kissed me under that bed, Ari … every night. You
had sex with me under there. We turned into adults together. You
told me things I know you’ve never told her. You told me ,
Ari, remember? I know who you are. I loved you. You told her you never loved me but … I know you did. I know you
still do love me, too. You would do anything for me … even now. And
I will do anything for you, too.” She picked at the small, dirty
Band-Aid on her wrist.
“Julia, we shouldn’t be talking about our past
together. This is inappropriate. If you need to talk with me, come
by my office. I’m free for lunch on Monday. We can talk then.” A
breath pushed heavily from my lungs. “I know what I told you in the
past, but who I am does not matter. My bond is with Ava.
Only Ava. I’ve made my promises to her and there isn’t anyone left
to make me honor my heritage. I do love you, Jules, but I love you
like --”
“Like family?”
“Yes, family. Now, let me call Rory. My cell is
upstairs. Stay here. He can come get you.”
“You can’t. He can’t know I am here.”
“You're worrying me, you know.”
“I need you to help me.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“I need you to tell lies, Ari.”
“I don’t--”
“Don’t say you don’t lie, because I know you do. You
lie. I’ve caught you. You may not be as dishonest as the rest of
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