hands. He looked dead tired. “Not so good. She’s declining pretty rapidly.”
Rita came walking out of her office, a white envelope in hand. “Here you go honey,” she said as she handed it to Austin across the counter. “I put a little bonus in there too.”
“You didn’t have to do that, Aunt Rita,” he said as she came around the counter and hugged him.
“I know,” she said as she patted him on the back. “But I know these aren’t easy times for you or your family financially.”
I noticed Emily then, standing quietly at the end of the counter, holding a book in her hands. She watched with concern in her eyes as Austin wiped a stray tear from his eye.
“Is everything okay?” she asked quietly.
Austin practically jumped when he heard her and looked embarrassed to have her see him crying. “Uh,” he stuttered. “It’s Emily, right?”
She just nodded.
“Um, it’s just my sister,” he started to explain, even though he really didn’t have to. “She’s been waiting for a new kidney for a long time now, but she isn’t up high enough on the donor list. She’s not doing so good.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said, her eyes sad looking. “That’s terrible. How old is she?”
“Seven,” his voice cracked as he spoke. He took a deep breath as he wiped his eyes again. “I’d better get back to the hospital. Mom hasn’t slept in a few days. I’m going to see if I can get her to go home for a bit.”
Rita just nodded, a sad look on her face.
“Good luck,” was all I could say, wishing there was something that I could do.
Austin walked back outside. I noticed Emily’s eyes following him when she suddenly said, “I’ll be back in just a minute.” With that, she dashed out the door.
I didn’t mean to spy, but I couldn’t help but be curious while I watched through the glass as Emily caught up with Austin. She talked to him with rapid words I couldn’t make out. Austin’s brow furrowed for a bit, he asked something that looked like “why?” and Emily started talking rapidly again. When she was finished, he just looked at her for a long moment, like he was evaluating what she had said. And then he suddenly hugged her. When he stepped away he pulled a pen out of his pocket. Searching for a scrap of paper, Emily finally offered her hand. Austin started writing something down, hugged her again when he finished, then got in his car and left.
Emily was beaming when she walked back into the bookstore. I hadn’t seen her look that happy since before Cormack was gone.
“What was that all about?” I questioned, making sure Rita was out of earshot.
“I’m just going to go visit Austin’s sister in a little bit,” she said as she sat down at the counter. “Austin is going to go put his check in the bank and then swing back by and pick me up.”
“Why?” I asked, looking at her doubtfully. Somehow I sensed she wasn’t telling me the full story.
“Because she’s a sad little girl who could use all the support she can get,” Emily said innocently.
I looked at her doubtfully for a moment longer.
“Oh yeah,” she suddenly spoke up. Reaching for the book she had been holding earlier, she slid it down the counter. “I wanted to buy this book.”
“Vampires?” I said skeptically as I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Hey,” she said defensively. “At least it’s not angels.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
My shift ended and I drove home through the dark. The air felt still and cold as I parked the GTO in the driveway and walked up to the front door. The door creaked as I opened it, startling me in the dead quiet of the evening.
And then I saw Alex, sprawled out on the living room floor. His t-shirt was shredded to pieces around him, his wings spread out around him. He clutched at his bare chest, his eyes wide and staring up at the ceiling.
“Alex!” I
Rita came walking out of her office, a white envelope in hand. “Here you go honey,” she said as she handed it to Austin across the counter. “I put a little bonus in there too.”
“You didn’t have to do that, Aunt Rita,” he said as she came around the counter and hugged him.
“I know,” she said as she patted him on the back. “But I know these aren’t easy times for you or your family financially.”
I noticed Emily then, standing quietly at the end of the counter, holding a book in her hands. She watched with concern in her eyes as Austin wiped a stray tear from his eye.
“Is everything okay?” she asked quietly.
Austin practically jumped when he heard her and looked embarrassed to have her see him crying. “Uh,” he stuttered. “It’s Emily, right?”
She just nodded.
“Um, it’s just my sister,” he started to explain, even though he really didn’t have to. “She’s been waiting for a new kidney for a long time now, but she isn’t up high enough on the donor list. She’s not doing so good.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said, her eyes sad looking. “That’s terrible. How old is she?”
“Seven,” his voice cracked as he spoke. He took a deep breath as he wiped his eyes again. “I’d better get back to the hospital. Mom hasn’t slept in a few days. I’m going to see if I can get her to go home for a bit.”
Rita just nodded, a sad look on her face.
“Good luck,” was all I could say, wishing there was something that I could do.
Austin walked back outside. I noticed Emily’s eyes following him when she suddenly said, “I’ll be back in just a minute.” With that, she dashed out the door.
I didn’t mean to spy, but I couldn’t help but be curious while I watched through the glass as Emily caught up with Austin. She talked to him with rapid words I couldn’t make out. Austin’s brow furrowed for a bit, he asked something that looked like “why?” and Emily started talking rapidly again. When she was finished, he just looked at her for a long moment, like he was evaluating what she had said. And then he suddenly hugged her. When he stepped away he pulled a pen out of his pocket. Searching for a scrap of paper, Emily finally offered her hand. Austin started writing something down, hugged her again when he finished, then got in his car and left.
Emily was beaming when she walked back into the bookstore. I hadn’t seen her look that happy since before Cormack was gone.
“What was that all about?” I questioned, making sure Rita was out of earshot.
“I’m just going to go visit Austin’s sister in a little bit,” she said as she sat down at the counter. “Austin is going to go put his check in the bank and then swing back by and pick me up.”
“Why?” I asked, looking at her doubtfully. Somehow I sensed she wasn’t telling me the full story.
“Because she’s a sad little girl who could use all the support she can get,” Emily said innocently.
I looked at her doubtfully for a moment longer.
“Oh yeah,” she suddenly spoke up. Reaching for the book she had been holding earlier, she slid it down the counter. “I wanted to buy this book.”
“Vampires?” I said skeptically as I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Hey,” she said defensively. “At least it’s not angels.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
My shift ended and I drove home through the dark. The air felt still and cold as I parked the GTO in the driveway and walked up to the front door. The door creaked as I opened it, startling me in the dead quiet of the evening.
And then I saw Alex, sprawled out on the living room floor. His t-shirt was shredded to pieces around him, his wings spread out around him. He clutched at his bare chest, his eyes wide and staring up at the ceiling.
“Alex!” I
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