The Night Before by David Fulmer Page A

know,” Joe said. “I’ll find them a hotel, I guess.”
    â€œAnd then what?”
    â€œThen what?”
    The reverend’s face darkened. “You one of these damn do-gooders, sir?” His rumbling tone turned harsh. “You stick yourself in someone else’s business and then get all proud ‘cause you did them some little favor? So you can feel good at Christmas time? ‘Course, the rest of the year, you ain’t nowhere to be found. You one of them?”
    Joe felt his face burning. “No, I - nothing like that.”
    Callum regarded him with a faint contempt. “You think you were just going to dump them on me, now that you played the hero? Why you want to do something like this?” He stretched his arm and pointed a heavy finger in the direction of the chapel. “That’s a child out there.”
    â€œI’m going to deal with it,” Joe said.
    Reverend Callum tilted his head, as solemn as a judge. “That’s right, you are,” he said. “Cause you ain’t got a choice now. Not if you’re any kind of a man.”
    The arm came down. Joe dropped his head, mortified at his foolishness. After a moment, Reverend Callum’s gaze calmed, along with his tone. “Ain’t like I ain’t seen it before, son. Seen people do like this, I mean.”
    â€œYes, sir, I understand.” Joe felt the guilt settling on him. “I’m sorry.”
    â€œI’m sure you are,” the reverend said.
    â€œI wanted to…”
    â€œTo what?”
    â€œGet my mind off what happened. Before, I mean.”
    Now the reverend treated him to an inquisitive look. “And what did happen?”
    â€œSomething at home. With my wife.” Joe hoped that he wouldn’t have to explain.
    â€œWell, whatever it was, I’m sorry,” the reverend said. “But it don’t matter. What matters is that woman and her baby.”
    Joe said, “I’ll take care of them. I will.” The reverend’s face remained passive. “I’m going to go talk to her. We’ll figure something out.”
    He had only gone a few steps when Reverend Callum said, “Son?” Joe stopped. “You can dump them on me if you need to. Just don’t make it worse.”
    â€œI won’t,” Joe said. “And I won’t.”
    When he opened the door to the chapel, what he saw caught and held him there. Nicole was sitting in the front pew, holding a sleeping Malikah across her lap. The light was low and had a golden cast that seemed to envelop them. It was a sweet picture. He thought the mother was also asleep until he stepped closer and she raised her head. He sat down next to her and they both watched Malikah doze. The child’s face was angelic.
    â€œI remember my kids when they were that age,” he said.
    â€œHow old are they now?” Nicole said.
    â€œNine and ten.”
    â€œWhere they at?”
    â€œAt home with their mom.” He paused, pushing aside the images that seeped into his mind.
    â€œI want you to know I’m going to help you out here. Find a place for you to stay, I mean.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œWhy? Because… because I’m the one who came and got you. And I took you out of the shelter. So I think I should. I want to.”
    Nicole didn’t speak, studying him closely, and he figured she was waiting for the catch.
    He said, “I’m guessing you can’t go back to your house.”
    â€œWon’t,” she said, and swallowed. “Don’t want to.”
    Joe turned slightly to face her. “What were you doing with him?”
    She took a long moment before saying, “I met him in rehab. I had a drug problem. Me and him both did. He was funny. Always made me laugh. So after we got out, I saw him some more.” She paused. “I lost our apartment and so we moved into the house with him and his mama. It would have been fine. If it