us
and you may not fib, but you do tell lies. Everyone lies, Ari and
you will lie for me. I know you will and I will lie for you,
too.”
“I am not keeping anything from anyone.”
“Liar.”
Cries rang out through the house.
Julia jumped at the piercing sounds of Ava’s tortured
screams and I turned on my heels without saying another word,
running up the steps two at a time. Julia’s shadowy frame slipped
the sopping wet hooded sweatshirt back on as she opened the kitchen
door and stepped into the stormy darkness.
My night would be one nightmare followed by
another.
I went to Ava and Max and found them coiled together.
Both were crying, their eyes squeezed tightly shut. Max’s pillow
was wet with tears. Ava’s was wet with sweat and she was talking in
her sleep, uttering scared, rushed words that I couldn’t
understand.
I stayed with them and soothed their sobs all night
as the thunder rolled, the lightning struck and the rain pummeled
our beach home.
Max woke at daybreak with swollen red eyes. His face
and nose were chapped from having had his tears wiped away all
night with the hem of my undershirt. Max gasped at the sight of me
sitting there at his bedside. He pushed himself down from the
mattress and ran the few steps to his reading chair in the corner
where I sat. He threw his arms around me and then pulled back and
held my face in his hands. His heart hammered through his chest. He
looked me straight on in the eye and then wrapped his arms back
around my neck in a tight squeeze. I hugged him back, my arms
wrapping all the way around his small frame and I held him as
closely as I could.
“What did you see, Max? What made you so sad?”
“You,” he whispered.
“Me?”
His head dipped in a sad nod.
“Alright … can you tell me what was I doing?”
“Walking away.”
My forehead pulled into a crease and I eased Max back
so I could look closely at him. “Was your mama in the dream with
you?”
“Mmm hmm.”
“I was walking away from you both?”
Max nodded again and wiped his nose with his
shirtsleeve.
“That was just a nightmare. It wasn’t real. I will
never walk away from you, or Ava. I promise you, Max.”
Resting his head on my shoulder, I rocked him back
and forth while I watched Ava sleep. Her nightmares passed and she
visibly relaxed. Ava buried her face into Max’s pillow and began to
stretch out her legs. With a smile on my face, I watched her move
her arm to feel around the blankets for me. Setting Max on his
feet, I went to her side and sat on the mattress next to her,
stilling her dancing fingertips with my hand. Her eyes opened at my
touch and she stared wide eyed at me.
“Oh, God!” Ava cried out and wrapped her arms tightly
around me, just as Max had.
“It was just a dream, Baby. I’m here.” I ran my
fingers down her soft arms. “I’m here.”
Ava nestled her face into my chest, inhaling
deeply.
I kissed the top of her wild and messy bedhead. “I
won’t leave you, Ava.”
“I know. I know you wouldn’t. I know you would never, could never. It was just a nightmare, Ari. Not all of them
are real.”
“That’s right.” I kissed her salty pink lips. My hand
rested on her stomach where I could feel the baby kicking and
moving around.
“I bet you’re hungry. Why don’t you and Max clean up
and I can start breakfast?”
“Ok,” she agreed. “We won’t be long.”
At the upstairs hall, I glanced down below and was
surprised to find Rory walking into our kitchen and, just as Julia
had done the night before, he kicked his flip flops off at the
mat.
“Hey,” I called down to him and he turned to look up
at me.
“What are you doing here this morning?” I asked and
took the steps two at time towards him.
“I can’t find Jules. She bailed on me last night. I
had this thing planned and she flaked…”
My stomach rolled and my esophagus was hit with
rising bile. I swallowed acidic stomach juice. She should have been
back to their condo hours
and you may not fib, but you do tell lies. Everyone lies, Ari and
you will lie for me. I know you will and I will lie for you,
too.”
“I am not keeping anything from anyone.”
“Liar.”
Cries rang out through the house.
Julia jumped at the piercing sounds of Ava’s tortured
screams and I turned on my heels without saying another word,
running up the steps two at a time. Julia’s shadowy frame slipped
the sopping wet hooded sweatshirt back on as she opened the kitchen
door and stepped into the stormy darkness.
My night would be one nightmare followed by
another.
I went to Ava and Max and found them coiled together.
Both were crying, their eyes squeezed tightly shut. Max’s pillow
was wet with tears. Ava’s was wet with sweat and she was talking in
her sleep, uttering scared, rushed words that I couldn’t
understand.
I stayed with them and soothed their sobs all night
as the thunder rolled, the lightning struck and the rain pummeled
our beach home.
Max woke at daybreak with swollen red eyes. His face
and nose were chapped from having had his tears wiped away all
night with the hem of my undershirt. Max gasped at the sight of me
sitting there at his bedside. He pushed himself down from the
mattress and ran the few steps to his reading chair in the corner
where I sat. He threw his arms around me and then pulled back and
held my face in his hands. His heart hammered through his chest. He
looked me straight on in the eye and then wrapped his arms back
around my neck in a tight squeeze. I hugged him back, my arms
wrapping all the way around his small frame and I held him as
closely as I could.
“What did you see, Max? What made you so sad?”
“You,” he whispered.
“Me?”
His head dipped in a sad nod.
“Alright … can you tell me what was I doing?”
“Walking away.”
My forehead pulled into a crease and I eased Max back
so I could look closely at him. “Was your mama in the dream with
you?”
“Mmm hmm.”
“I was walking away from you both?”
Max nodded again and wiped his nose with his
shirtsleeve.
“That was just a nightmare. It wasn’t real. I will
never walk away from you, or Ava. I promise you, Max.”
Resting his head on my shoulder, I rocked him back
and forth while I watched Ava sleep. Her nightmares passed and she
visibly relaxed. Ava buried her face into Max’s pillow and began to
stretch out her legs. With a smile on my face, I watched her move
her arm to feel around the blankets for me. Setting Max on his
feet, I went to her side and sat on the mattress next to her,
stilling her dancing fingertips with my hand. Her eyes opened at my
touch and she stared wide eyed at me.
“Oh, God!” Ava cried out and wrapped her arms tightly
around me, just as Max had.
“It was just a dream, Baby. I’m here.” I ran my
fingers down her soft arms. “I’m here.”
Ava nestled her face into my chest, inhaling
deeply.
I kissed the top of her wild and messy bedhead. “I
won’t leave you, Ava.”
“I know. I know you wouldn’t. I know you would never, could never. It was just a nightmare, Ari. Not all of them
are real.”
“That’s right.” I kissed her salty pink lips. My hand
rested on her stomach where I could feel the baby kicking and
moving around.
“I bet you’re hungry. Why don’t you and Max clean up
and I can start breakfast?”
“Ok,” she agreed. “We won’t be long.”
At the upstairs hall, I glanced down below and was
surprised to find Rory walking into our kitchen and, just as Julia
had done the night before, he kicked his flip flops off at the
mat.
“Hey,” I called down to him and he turned to look up
at me.
“What are you doing here this morning?” I asked and
took the steps two at time towards him.
“I can’t find Jules. She bailed on me last night. I
had this thing planned and she flaked…”
My stomach rolled and my esophagus was hit with
rising bile. I swallowed acidic stomach juice. She should have been
back to their condo hours
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