Heaven Sent (5 page)

*

Maudrina was seated atop the bleachers by the time I had arrived. Knowing the bottom rung was reserved for me and Guy, she had settled at the top.

“I need a favor,” she said as I arrived by her side. I hadn’t yet sat down.

“Sure. Anything.”

She had a tuna fish sandwich in her hand. A bottle of cranberry juice was on the bench next to her. “I wouldn’t ask, but you’re my best friend.” She placed extra emphasis on the words
best
and
friend.

I knew something had been bugging her, and I felt my shoulders tightening with concern. “Sure,” I said again, sitting next to her, staring at her with nervous eyes.

“I told my Dad we were going to have a slumber party next Saturday night. I know I should have checked with you first—”

“No, no, it’s fine. It sounds like fun. I’d love to do a sleepover.”
False alarm.
The tension in my shoulders began to ease.

“Oh. Okay. Only thing is I won’t be there.”

“Excuse me? I don’t understand. What do you mean you won’t be there?”

“We’re having a sleepover at
your
house next Saturday night, but
I
won’t be there,” she said as if explaining to a second grader. She gave me a long, hard stare before focusing on her sandwich. She took a large bite and began to chew.

“Okay. And where will you be?” I asked, thinking
maybe it isn’t a false alarm after all.

“Oh… I guess I’ll be having my sleepover with Curtis.”

My heart began to palpitate. This was as far away from a false alarm as you could get. This was a four alarm fire.

I opened my mouth to respond, but my thoughts came crashing together, one on top of the other. I couldn’t form a cohesive sentence.

“D… don’t look at me like that,” she stammered. Her attention shifted back to the sandwich. She took another bite. Her eyes darted to me while chewing and then back to her sandwich.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to… What the heck is going on?”
Finally a cohesive thought.

She stopped chewing. “Curtis thinks it’s time,” she said softly. This time she didn’t look away. Her moist eyes were on mine.

“Okay. And what do you think?” I asked in a guarded tone. I could tell this was hard for her, and I didn’t want to make it any harder.

“I love him, Megan. I know that, so yes, I guess it’s time.”

Not exactly the answer I was looking for. “Look, if you’re not sure—”

“I’m sure, all right!” The words detonated from her lips. “I just need you to support me on this. Can you do that?” she blurted.

I got a sinking feeling in my stomach, like I’d just taken a leap off a high diving board and was hurtling downward. “Umm, sure,” was all I could manage.

We sat in silence for several moments, watching the cheer team on the field go through a few new routines they might use next year. The girl atop the pyramid was new at it and kept losing her balance. While our eyes were on the cheer team, our minds were on what Maudrina had just told me.

“It’ll be my first time.” She’d spoken so softly I almost didn’t hear her. “I want it to be special,” she said a little louder. She wasn’t looking at me. Her eyes were still on the field. “The first time should be magical.” There was childlike optimism in her voice. Or was it fear?

“It will be magical. I know it.” I smiled and gently squeezed her hand. I was trying to be reassuring. I was trying to be a good friend. But all I kept thinking is:
If it’s supposed to be so magical, why are there tears in your eyes?

I didn’t say that, of course. Maudrina was my best friend. She had supported me through Satan wanting to take me as his bride, and demons capturing Guy, and my despair over Guy’s leaving with Roxanne and possibly never coming back. Surely I could support her in this—couldn’t I?

“What are you thinking?” she asked, drawing my thoughts back to the ugly present.

“I’m thinking how lucky you are to have someone like Curtis in your life.” I know it was a lie, but what else could I say—best friend, remember?

A smile brightened her face, the wrinkles that had appeared in her brow smoothed over. She believed me.

“I think so, too,” she said softly. “He’s always so romantic. The perfect gentleman. I’m a lucky girl.” Despite her smile, there was concern beneath the glassy surface of her eyes.

I nodded and smiled back, suddenly angry with myself for lying to her. But I didn’t know what else to do. She had always been there for me. It was my turn to be there for her, so I kept the phony smile on my face, chatting amiably, until the bell rang.

When school let out, I headed over to the student parking lot where I found Harrison leaning against the white Mustang, his backside resting against the front fender, his long legs splayed out in front of him. The sunlight glinted off his shades. Cars were peeling out all around him as students fled the school grounds in search of adventure. Harrison seemed in no hurry to go anywhere. He lounged against the car as if he had all the time in the world.

When Harrison saw me moving in his direction, he smiled his smile. I had once despised his smile, filled with smug self-confidence, but now I had come to enjoy it.

“Did ya have a good day of learnin’?” he asked as I walked up.

The incident with Jack in the corridor came to mind, along with Maudrina’s revelation about her plans to sleep with Curtis. It had been a very educational day, although I opted not to mention it.

“It’s the end of the semester, so there’s not much learning going on. We’ve taken most of our finals, so we’re just treading water, waiting for the final bell on the final day.”

“Ah,” he said with a slight nod of his head. “Ya got plans for the summer?”

“I’ve got a part time job at Insomniacs’ Cafe.”

“Ah. They make a mean cappuccino.” There was something about the look in his eyes that lead me to believe he was asking about my plans for a reason.

“What about you?” I asked. There was a flash of what I can only describe as caution that disappeared in an instant.

He raked his hand slowly through his long blond hair. “Well…” he said taking in a long breath. “…that’s what I wanted to run by ya. I’m thinkin’ of leavin’ town fer a while.”

A sudden flash of panic rode through my belly. Harrison was my safety net. It’s easy to say you don’t need a safety net when there’s a big one spread out beneath you ready to catch you if you should fall. “Are you asking for my permission?”

His eyes dipped modestly. “I know ya depend on me, Megan. I know you’re an independent woman and all. But still, I know ya depend on me bein’ there.”

I let out a breath. “You’re right. I do depend on you being there. At least I did. But I think I’m ready take care of myself now.”

His eyes narrowed. “Yer yankin’ my chain.” His voice, while teasing, was filled with questions.

“Perhaps,” I said, adding a cryptic laugh. It was Harrison’s style to be cryptic, and I was throwing it right back at him. “So, tell me about this trip. If you’re leaving so suddenly, it must really be important.”

“It is.” His eyes darted around the parking lot, making sure no one was watching. “There’s a demon problem down under.”

“Australia?”

He nodded. “There’s an unusual demon uprising in New South Wales that requires my particular area of expertise.”

I hadn’t ever thought of Harrison as having a particular area of demon expertise. He was a demon tracker is all I knew. “Did you know that the Tasmanian devil used to reside on mainland Australia but now lives solely on the island of Tasmania?”

An odd smile wormed its way onto Harrison’s lips. “Yer nervous,” he said.

“No I’m not.”

“When yer nervous or worried, ya spout trivia. Yer spoutin’ trivia.”

Harrison knew me too well. I let out another breath. “You’re right. I am nervous. But only because I’m used to having you around. You have my blessing to leave, though,” I said, adding an enthusiastic smile. I realized that the panic I’d felt earlier was a knee-jerk reaction. I was used to having a safety net. But I didn’t need one—not anymore. With my newfound abilities,
I
was now my own safety net. Once I managed to get the anger inside of me under control, I could be formidable. “I’ll miss you.”

A questioning look appeared in his eyes. “You know I wouldn’t be goin’ if I wasn’t called upon?” I nodded. “I’ll miss you, too,” he said after a few moments. He fixed me with a wry grin. “Perhaps I need ta find someone to watch over ya?”

“No,” I protested. “I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Go. Take care of your business.”

Relief spread across his face, easing the lines in his forehead. “Not before you give us a big hug, luv.”

I smiled, moving into his arms for the second time that day. They felt familiar. “There was a time when neither of us would have said we missed each other,” I said softly. “And if we’d said it, it wouldn’t have been true. Life is strange and beautiful.”

“That it is,” he said. “That it is.”

As I was coming up the walkway, I caught sight of what appeared to be a package resting by the planter on our doorstep. I realized as I moved closer that the package was actually a basket, a large one, the kind you might pull out for Easter.

I wasn’t surprised. Tony was very thoughtful, always dropping off gifts for my mother. He didn’t need a special occasion. He enjoyed surprising her. There was a handwritten tag hanging from one of the handles:

Someone to watch over you

A huge grin began spreading across my face as I realized it wasn’t a gift for Suze after all. It was a parting gift from Harrison for me. I recalled the wry grin, and him saying
perhaps I need ta find someone to watch over ya?
Harrison had dropped off the gift while I was still at school.

My fingers trembled with delight as I pulled back the colorful tissue paper and looked inside. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d received a gift from a guy. Even though Harrison was more like a brother to me, a gift from a guy was something special.

Inside there was a soft pink and gray blanket, and curled up on the blanket was the cutest gray-and-black kitten.

“Well, hellooo,” I cooed with delight, as I picked up the kitty and cuddled it close to my face. The kitten’s soft fur tickled my cheek, and I laughed. “You are too precious.” A soft purring emanated from deep in the kitty’s chest, vibrating against my face. I could feel myself falling instantly in love.

There was a pink nylon bedazzled collar around the kitty’s neck. Leave it to Harrison to find a collar with flair. A shiny name tag hanging from the collar read: Amanda.

“Amanda,” I sang, all smiles. “Harrison has left you here to watch over me.” She continued to purr. She couldn’t have been more than a few months old, and her purring was like the laugh of an infant, filling me with sweet delight.

I’d wanted a pet for some time and had mentioned it to Harrison on countless occasions. And he remembered. He really was the best big brother. There was just one hurdle I had to cross if I intended to keep Amanda—my mother. Our home had been a pet-free zone. There was no reason for it. We both liked pets; we’d just never gotten one. That was about to change.

*

“Look who I found,” Suze called as she entered the house, home from work. “He was pulling up just as I turned into the driveway.”

“I’m in the kitchen,” I called back.

She entered with Tony in tow.

“It’s such a beautiful evening, I thought I might take you two lovely ladies out to dinner” said Tony, looking around at the pots on the stove. He sniffed the yummy fragrances in the air. “Looks like I’m too late.”

I was making chicken cacciatore—the easy way, with spaghetti sauce from a jar and some chopped veggies dumped in. The chicken had already been sautéed and was simmering in the sauce. Water was boiling in a big pot waiting for the noodles to be dumped in. “Sorry, Tony. Maybe we can get a rain check. There’s plenty here if you’d like to stay,” I said as I continued working away.

“Ooh, chicken cacciatore,” said Suze as she peeked into the pan on the stove. “Yes, stay. My daughter makes the best chicken cacciatore.”

She smiled at me and I smiled back. “Why thank you, Mom.”

Amanda was in her basket safely in my room. My plan was to bring Amanda down after dinner. You know, after my mother’s belly was full and she’d had maybe a glass of wine or two and was feeling really happy. Tony made her happy. His being there was a plus.

“Dinner should be ready in twenty minutes.” I turned my smile on Tony. “So, will you stay?”

“I can’t turn down the best chicken cacciatore, now can I?”

“No, you can’t,” I said my smile widening. “Why don’t you guys grab a glass of wine and chill out. I’m sure you both had busy days.”

“Now I see the advantage to having girls,” Tony said, nudging Suze playfully in the side. She nudged him back.

“Girls are the best,” I said as I poured noodles into the boiling water. Of course, the particular girl I was thinking of happened to be the cutest little gray-and-black kitty cat.

As Mom and Tony headed off to chill the wine, a spasm of guilt convulsed in my gut. I didn’t like manipulating my mother with food and alcohol. Yet I needed this. It came down to more than just wanting a pet. I needed Amanda in my life.

Just as Maudrina needed Piddles and Sam to be there for her whenever circumstance turned her life upside-down, to show her unconditional love no matter what else was happening with her, I needed Amanda for those same reasons. If I was ever going to climb out of the funk created by Guy’s absence and get past the rage lurking in my soul, something extraordinary had to occur. And it had. Amanda had come into my life.

*

Dinner conversation was filled with laughter. We talked about school and work, garage and estate sales. When our bellies were full and the laughter subsided, Tony and Suze cleared away the dishes. While they were in the kitchen loading the dishwasher and stealing kisses like a couple of school kids, I snuck upstairs, bundled Amanda in her blanket, and brought her down to be unveiled.