Page 59 of Road to Absolution
Completely relating, I exhaled smoke. “Fucking life.”
“True story, kid. True story.”
Not being a smart ass, I confessed, “I guess I’m not a kid anymore.”
“And you never will be again after that accident. Try to survive it.”
A plane flew overhead as I playfully held my arms wide. “I thought I already did.”
His eyes squinted through the smoke as he took a drag. “Shit, that was the easy part. Hence the meltdown earlier.”
The ruse over, I let my arms fall. “Are you one of the men who’s had flashbacks?”
He was putting out his second cigarette before I even finished one. “I am.”
My bare toes gripped the roof. Then let go. Then gripped. “When did they stop?”
“When I ran.”
Not the answer I was expecting. “Where’d ya go?”
He stared up at the sky. “Anywhere that I carry triggers.”
Leaving wasn’t an option for me. Nor was moving Lilah from a safe place. My tongue pushed against my cheek. “Damn… Then what?”
“Came to peace with my shit.” He eyed me. “Wanna tell me what’s wrong with your hand?”
I walked to the edge and peered over. “Nope.”
“How about telling your wife?”
The parking lot was only half full. “Not a chance.”
I appreciated him not asking again. In silence, we each had another smoke. I rather enjoyed it. “If my jail sentence continues, can we do this again tomorrow night?”
“Only if you don’t ask for a kiss afterward.”
Laughing, which felt fantastic, I sat back in the chair because I was already tiring. “How about a hug?”
He unlocked the wheels and got to pushing… “Maybe your next career choice should be a comedian, not a biker.”
“Dinner?”
We entered the elevator. “No-can-do, but—”
As the doors shut, he dropped an iPhone in my lap. “No way!”
“And you already have a text.”
After a tap on the screen, I opened my only message. It was from Tucker:
She’s out cold but got her flowers, ya’ big ol’ softy
As the elevator went down, so did my heart. There was a picture of Lilah, curled up with her beautiful round belly, sleeping in a bed with a black and white checkered blanket. Next to her was a vase of roses on the nightstand.
My finger grazed the screen. I love you, baby.
