Broken by Willow Rose Page A

like this, with you,
then ... well then ... please just let us get out here."
     
    I glanced after Aiyana and Luyu for a long time
after they had left the car. Aiyana carried Luyu towards the bus stop. She was crying because she
wanted to stay with William, she said. William had burst into tears as well and
was screaming for Luyu . It was a heartbreaking
display. It was devastating to see them like this. But they were only
displaying how I felt inside.
    "We'll see them again," I told him trying to
comfort him as well as myself. As soon as William had calmed down and I had
seen Aiyana and Luyu get on
the bus and drive away I grabbed the phone and called the clinic. I told Julie
that Aiyana would call soon to make an appointment
for Luyu and instructed her to clear the calendar for
that day so I would only have to take care of that one patient. "She is
very important, and she can choose any day she wants," I said. Then I hung
up. With a heavy heart we set the directions towards our home.
    William was still sobbing in the backseat every now
and then calling Luyu's name out.
    "It's okay buddy. I miss them too," I said.
Then I did something I had never done before. Something that I wasn't very
proud of, but felt was necessary. I asked him to lie for me. I asked him to not
tell his mother where we had been and who we had been with. "If she asks
about your day you just tell her you had a great day. Don't say you didn't go
to school; just tell her that you had fun." In that way it wasn't really
lying, I told myself. It was just withholding parts of the truth.
     
    Heather was sleeping,
Sarah told us as we walked through the door. Heather had been to the doctor and
was told to stay in bed until the fever came down. The doctor had said it
seemed to be nothing but the flu and it should be over in a week. Then he had
given her something for the sore throat.
    "And you're both home mighty early?" Sarah
said as she took William's backpack and stared pointedly at my still damp,
sandy pants that she had ironed the day before. I shrugged. I didn't need to
explain myself to her. Without a word she went into the kitchen and unpacked
William's lunch. William ran upstairs to his room while I went into the living
room to pour myself a drink. I needed it before I was ready to face Heather
when she woke up. Sarah came to me with William's lunch pack in her hand
lifting it up to show me it.
    "William didn't eat anything today," she
said. "Didn't even care to unpack it. Could he be coming down with
something? Maybe the Mrs. gave him the flu?"
    I drank a huge sip of my whiskey. It burned in my
throat on its way down. "Maybe," I said as I stared into the empty
glass with only ice-cubes left.
    "Seemed fine though just now, don't you
think?" Sarah said. "Do you want me to take him to Dr. Harris in the
morning?"
    I turned and shook my head. I walked past her and
poured myself another drink.
    "I guess we can wait and see," Sarah said.
    "I guess," I mumbled.
    Then she left me and I heard her fumble around in the
kitchen asking herself where on earth she could have put the steaks she was
going to prepare for tonight's dinner.
    I stared at the waters outside of our windows. It had
started raining as it often did in the afternoons on warm days. I opened a door
and listened to the sound of raindrops hitting the wooden deck. I sat at the
patio table with my drink, letting the humid air enclose me, causing me to
sweat. I closed my eyes and thought of Aiyana . Aiyana's eyes looking at me, Aiyana's mouth laughing, Aiyana's fingers crawling up my arm,
touching me accidentally or on purpose. I pictured her hair, her lips, and her
neck. I pictured myself kissing her, devouring her, drinking from her lips and
making passionate love to her. Love nothing like the love I ever made with
Heather. The sadness was overwhelming. The longing for being with her, for
making love to her again filled me with sorrow. Because I knew it could never
be.

Chapter 9
    None
of us had any