Broken Identity by Ashley Williams Page A

and—”
    “No, wait! I can do that! I’m not so full I can’t walk.”
    Andrew stood and took their glasses to the sink. “All right, then. Follow me.”
    Ronnie was overjoyed to discover that his uncle hadn’t forgotten a single item. He busied himself by lining up his stuffed animals against the wall as Andrew lugged in the heavier things.
    “No, I want my toy box over there, next to the giraffe,” Ronnie said as he stood on his bed, ordering his uncle all over his room every time he changed his mind about something. He gave him a thumbs-up when the last item was set in place. “Perfect.”
    Andrew wiped his forehead and sat beside Ronnie on the edge of the bed, bowing the mattress with his weight. “And we’re done.”
    “You’re sweaty,” Ronnie said, as if that weren’t already a well-known reality to Andrew.
    Andrew looked down at his wet shirt and sucked in another deep breath of air. “Thanks to you. Do you mind?”
    “As long as you don’t smell,” Ronnie said, flashing him a cautioning look.
    Andrew laughed out loud. “Thank you for your bluntness.”
    “I don’t know what bluntness means, but you’re welcome anyway.”
    Andrew gazed around the room and guessed it to be almost twice the size of Ronnie’s old bedroom. “Wait…one thing’s missing.”
    Ronnie looked around him, confused. “What?”
    Andrew pulled out a container of colorful thumbtacks from his pocket. “Your puzzles. Don’t tell me you’re going to keep them under your bed where no one can see them. You ought to cover the walls with them.”
    Ronnie looked stunned. “You mean you’ll let me do that? Poke holes in the wall?”
    Andrew pulled out a puzzle of an underwater scene and held it out in front of him. “I think these masterpieces deserve to be seen.”
    Ronnie smiled sheepishly and threw his arms around his uncle. “Thanks, Uncle Andy. Here, let me help.”
    Andrew hung all six puzzles, letting Ronnie once again decide for himself where each one would go. “Now the room’s complete. Like it?”
    Ronnie nodded. “A lot. It’s really big too. Bigger than my other room was.”
    Andrew sat down beside Ronnie again and said, “Do you know what tomorrow is, Ronnie?”
    Ronnie stared up at the ceiling as he thought. “Wednesday? Because today’s Tuesday, right?”
    “Yes. Wednesday is a church day. Have you ever been to church?”
    “A little. Sometimes Daddy and Mommy would take me at Christmas to watch a play.” Ronnie’s voice cracked slightly at the mention of his parents. He wasn’t sure if that scar would ever leave his life. He looked up at Andrew and said, “Are they having a play tomorrow at your church?”
    Andrew chuckled and shook his head. “No.”
    “Then why are you going? I thought that’s why people go. That’s why Daddy and Mommy went.”
    “Well, you see, Ronnie, church is where we go to learn about Jesus and sing songs to Him. It’s a place where we go so we can get close to God and hear about the Bible. It’s important that we go to church.”
    Ronnie nodded his head, even though he still didn’t quite understand. “How come?”
    “Because Jesus loves us. Do you know that?”
    Ronnie shrugged. The only love he had ever felt in his life came from the one sitting beside him now. As far as he knew, no other form of love existed. “Why do you love Jesus, Uncle Andy? Did He do something for you?”
    Andrew tried not to appear disappointed. Oh, Ronnie. If you only knew.

    Drake still tasted vomit. Still felt the anesthetic of shock. He had his hands on the steering wheel like he was going to strangle it. Someone was not going to be happy to know he had found out. Everything.
    Drake hit the brakes midway into his driveway and let the screeching sound be the only warning. As he jumped out of his truck and banged the door shut behind him, he realized he was still shaking.
    You’re dead. Nothin’ but a dirty liar. Drake felt sick again and gripped his stomach. A mass of emotions