Forest of Shadows by Hunter Shea Page B

don’t you turn in and we can talk more in the morning. I’ll clean up in here.”
    He smiled with sleepy eyes and a full belly. “I knew I kept you around for a reason. I’m going to check in on Jessica then I’m sacking out. Thank you for everything.”
    He trudged up the stairs and crept into Jessica’s room. She was curled up in a ball, her little mouth open and whistling with each inhalation. Her sheet lay crumpled on the floor. He picked it up and spread it back over her. Instantly, her legs relaxed and straightened out slightly. 
    “Daddy’s home,” he whispered and kissed her cheek. 
    With so much on his mind, he was sure he’d have trouble finding his way back to the land of slumber once he settled in to bed. For once, when it came to sleep, he was wrong. 
     
     
    The next morning, with Jessica and Liam playing in the yard, John revealed his plan to Eve. He had waited until she was finished cleaning up the breakfast mess, on her insistence, and settled into a chair with her second cup of coffee before dropping the bomb. 
    It seemed like an eternity since she had last made a sound or motion. 
    “You know, you’ll catch flies if you don’t close your mouth pretty soon,” he said, hoping some levity would stir Eve from her temporary paralysis. 
    She sipped her coffee pensively, gently placed it on the table, crossed one leg over the other and rolled her neck until it gave a tiny crack. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, held it and relaxed. 
    “Better now?” he asked. 
    “Much.”
    He started to pace around the kitchen, his sneakers occasionally squeaking on the clean tiles. 
    “I know it sounds crazy, but in actuality it’s killing two birds with one stone. Come to think of, it’s killing a whole flock of birds.”
    Eve said, “I’m sorry for the way I reacted. If you wanted to surprise me, you succeeded. I know that the trip to Alaska was a huge step for you. I just had no idea there was more in store so soon.”
    “So you don’t think I’m crazy, I mean, crazier?”
    She smiled and shook her head. 
    “Not a chance. A little offbeat, but that’s always been your M.O.” She touched his hand reassuringly. 
    “I’m not pretending to have all the answers here. Right now it’s still an idea. Even though I left the first month’s rent and a one month deposit, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m as good as there. There’re still a lot of things that have to fall in place. I knew that I had to really get the ball rolling while I was in Shida or there’d be no chance of ever pulling this off.”
    He got up to check on the kids. Jessica sat opposite Liam in the grass under the shade of a tree rolling a ball back and forth. Liam laughed and clapped his hands every time the ball bounced into him. 
    “What are you going to do about Jessica?”
    Running his hands through his hair, he said, “That’s the hard part. My being away for a month or so will be tough on her. Hell, it’ll be murder on me. I was thinking of asking my father to come here and stay with her, maybe hire someone to help out around the house. And of course I’d ask if you could stop in from time to time to check up on them.”
    “You wouldn’t even have to ask,” she quickly replied. 
    “As nutty and out of character as the whole scheme even sounds to me, the part about not being with Jess every day and night is what’s casting some doubt.”
    “Have you thought of bringing her with you?”
    “Sure. It’s so beautiful up there. I’m sure she’d love it. But what if there’s really something in that house? I know that nothing can harm her, but what if she gets frightened? It’s not like I can just bring her to your house if something scares her.”
    “Knowing Jess, if there is a spirit in that house, she’ll be more fascinated than frightened.” Eve laughed. Despite her working knowledge of the subject and the exposure through assisting John on occasion, she was still a doubter. She was sure