Lost in Flight (6 page)

Riley’s main fantasy had been she’d turn up on his doorstep begging him to let her in.  And she had.  And what had he done?  Not turned her away – that’s for sure.  No.  He’d caved like an addict, then followed her back to her place like some salivating dog for seconds, thirds, and fourths. 

He stopped, looked at the sky, and rubbed his hands over his face.  
She
really was here – in Shanwick.  The ex-love of his life, former wife, sister of his best friend, and part of the only family he’d ever really felt he belonged to.

That woman had torn through his life like a tornado and together they’d wreaked havoc on just about everyone around them.  He’d loved her since he was 16 years old – when he’d first seen her really sing and she’d lit up the stage.  It took him nearly a year to pluck up the courage to ask her out and it had been intense from start to finish. 

A part of him still loved her, but a large part hated her as well.  He hated the way she could affect him and drive him crazy like no one else in the world.  She’d look at him with those dark eyes that haunted him, reminding him that as far as she was concerned he was a failure:  he couldn’t make her happy.  It hadn’t always been like that, but the end of their relationship tainted it all. 

Riley hated it, but he owed her.  He knew that.  Distance and self-reflection had given him that insight.  In fact, he owed all the Martins and whether Christina liked it or not, he was sort of here for her.  

Now he’d screwed it up.  He’d never planned on any of this happening.  He was going to keep himself in the background, but it hadn’t worked out that way. He didn’t know what he wanted more in this moment:  to hold her or hurt her, but neither was an option. 

With a last look at the Martin home, Riley decided he’d just get out of here.  It stood out on the landscape, not just as the last house on the street before farmland in Nowhere Ville but also, as a converted barn in a sea of plain little boxes.  He’d always thought the house suited them.  It was ahead of its time, different and creative, and had no place situated on that street.

Riley ran the rest of the way back to his farmhouse to get underway.  The farmhouse used to be Riley and Christina’s home when they were married.  They’d had a lot of fun here and times that weren’t so much.  The history didn’t bother him when she wasn’t here, but it did now she was back.

He stuffed his clothes in a bag and walked over to his parents’ place.  The house was empty and he presumed they were all at church.  Riley left the keys to his truck and farmhouse on the kitchen table with a note explaining that he had to be somewhere for work. 

Riley sighed.  He imagined his parents would be getting the low-down after church about the events that transpired this morning, and he didn’t welcome that discussion.  He got into his Audi A4 and shook his head.  “Christina Martin” – she was no good for him and he knew if he stayed, he was just a six-pack or half a bottle of whiskey away from making more of a fool of himself over her again. 

He didn’t know what it was about her and he’d stopped trying to analyze it.  She was unpredictable, talented, funny, and smart.  She was also a scatterbrained, stubborn, bat-shit-crazy-ass bitch.  She brought out every protective instinct in him and others less noble.  He didn’t know what the magnetic pull was, but he resented it.

Riley pulled out onto the road and as he passed the Martin home he saw Mandy and Bonnie leaving. 
Oh good one
.  Christina would have told them all about it and it would do the rounds amongst their friends.  He gritted his teeth and made his way to the highway, where he accelerated out of there.

What Riley needed was to get his head into work and Christina out of it.  He knew he shouldn’t have baited her, but he couldn’t help himself.  Watching her unravel gave him more pleasure than it should have and they’d inflicted enough damage to each other over the years.  This time, as far as he was concerned, they really were done.

********************

Riley made Seattle mid-afternoon and drove to his house in Fremont.  He hardly ever used this place because he traveled a lot for work, and he was becoming increasingly weary of that life-style.  Currently, the house was supposedly leased to the Martins to give them a base in Seattle, but it belonged to him.  On agreement, no one told Christina because they knew she’d refuse to stay there if she knew. 

Everyone knew it was lies by omission, but consoled themselves: it was either that or Ms. Psycho Martin would have a meltdown of epic proportions.  They all chose non-declaration for self-preservation. 

He made his way to the hospital to see Christina’s little sister, Gabb,y and his friend, Jed.  When he walked in both of them looked up in surprise.  Gabby grinned at him.  “Hey you!  What are you doing here?” 

Walking over, he gave Gabby a kiss on the forehead.  “I missed you.”

She beamed and held up an iPad, and an iPhone.  “What do you think?  They’re gifts from Johnny.” 

Riley nodded.  “Nice.”  Looking at Jed he asked, “Brother, can I crash with you tonight?”

Jed shrugged.  “Of course.  The house is yours and it’s free.  My roommate went back to Shanwick where I thought you would be.  Did you see her?” 

Riley gave him a pointed look and said, “Yeah,” then rapidly changed the subject.  He saw the look that passed between Jed and Gabby and the smiles that crossed their faces.  Gabby asked him innocently, “How did that go?” 

For a moment, Riley thought the gossip must have preceded him, but then he realized they were both just teasing him.  He smiled.  “Fine.”  Giving Jed the head nod to follow him outside, Riley gave Gabby another kiss on the forehead telling her he’d be back tomorrow. 

When they were out of earshot, Jed asked, “What happened?” 

Riley looked at him and laughed.  “Not good.”  The two men shared a quiet chuckle.

“I take it you ran into her then,” Jed grinned. 

Riley supposed you could call it that.  It felt more like getting hit by a freight train than a chance encounter.  “Oh yeah,” Riley said, “I’ll tell you about it later.  I’m going to go and have a beer… or six.” 

Jed raised an eyebrow.  “That bad huh?” 

Riley grinned.  “Worse,” then he turned on his heel and left.

Chapter Five – May Day

Christina, D.C., The Past, Wednesday 4 April 2012 (Six months earlier)

In the last six months, Christina often mused on the way life can change in an instant.  One moment, life is planned in a certain direction and the all-important goals achievable and within your grasp.  Then in another moment, everything changes, goals are re-evaluated and paths altered.  Whether this is for better or ill is only seen in retrospect, but the resulting impact of how things collide and the decisions made in that moment is never without consequence. 

On the day Christina found out her baby sister, Gabby, was in intensive care she was working on a case that was, on reflection, similar to all the other cases she’d worked on nearly every other day of the year.  Christina was an associate at the law firm Bindman & Associates in D.C. and on a career path to becoming a partner.  She was driven in her professional life and the protégé of one of the senior partners, Debbie Bindman.

Christina was attractive with shoulder blade length caramel hair, like her father, and dark eyes like her mother.  She had olive skin, stood just over average height, and had a serious demeanor that intimidated people.  This aspect of her personality had been developed and nurtured on purpose, reinforced by her mantra of the 3Ds: determined, driven, and devoted to her work.  Other people would have called her “difficult.” 

There was also defiant, but she tried to channel that into her cases and use it for “good.”  From time to time, it did seep out in other areas of her life: like her penchant for “biohazard/grunge” pajamas, steampunk jewelry, vintage clothing, and vinyl records.  Very few people in her professional life saw this aspect of her because she made sure she kept them at a distance.

The other D she could add, but refused to acknowledge ended with the letters “imples.”  She had them, and although her smile could transform her face from winter to summer, she didn’t do it very often.  A full smile would have shown her dimples and they made her look frivolous and friendly. 

If, however, her peers in her professional life had seen Christina in high school they would not have recognized her.  Her office in D.C. was a long way from her hometown of Shanwick and her ex-husband, Riley.  This was no coincidence.  It was a carefully pre-planned, deliberate act.

One of the legends that circulated about her professionally was that she had been identified as someone with promise as a law student and advanced because of her intellect.  Like all legends, there are kernels of truths, fantasies and metaphors contained within.  Debbie Bindman’s daughter, Gillian, had been one of Christina’s friends at university and Debbie had represented a young Christina in her divorce proceedings from Riley.  A more accurate description, known only to a few, is that Christina was placed on Debbie Bindman’s radar in extenuating circumstances.

When her mobile phone went off that day, Christina ignored it.  She saw it was Johnny’s number, so she let it go to voice mail.  At the time, Christina viewed what was before her at work as much more important than anything her brother could possibly have to say.  She was wrong about that - very wrong indeed.

Around lunchtime, Christina returned Johnny’s calls.  He’d phoned about five times, but, at the time, she didn’t feel guilty.  That came later. 

Johnny was now a famous rock musician and his band had made it to the big time with their albums, “Back of Beyond”, “Ties that bind”, and the dark, edgy “Lost in Flight.”  Christina liked to keep those facets of her life separate from the new one.  If anyone asked about her connection to her famous brother, she returned their questions with an unblinking stare until they backed away hurriedly. 

As far as Christina was concerned, there was nothing to discuss.  He was famous, he was her brother, they were no longer close, and they didn’t speak often.  He had his life and she hers.  The uninvited were unwelcome to delve any further for information. 

As punishment, when the subject was brought up, Christina often had long discussions with colleagues of how when a personal life coincided with a professional one, someone was on the slippery slope to lacking ambition.  Or worse: not fulfilling one’s potential.  In those days, she’d been all about ambition and ‘fulfilling potential’.

Christina would never forget that phone call as long as she lived.  It signaled the end of her carefully constructed life because it was ripped from underneath her when she heard Johnny’s strained voice.  “Gabby’s in the hospital.  She’s been bulldozed out of a tree house and they don’t know if she’s going to make it.” 

In hindsight, she came to realize that the mind is an incredible thing.  It seeks to protect itself from the shock of impact by information it doesn’t want to process.  She couldn’t make sense of what Johnny was saying.  At first, she thought Johnny was playing an April fool’s joke on her and got the dates mixed up.

Her mind kept raising its defense mechanisms, making nonsensical things spring out of her mouth.  “But there has to be some kind of mistake.  Gabby’s too old to play in a tree house - it must be someone else.  Why was she in a tree house?  She’s 23.  It can’t be her.”

If this wasn’t Gabby, then there was no way her baby sister could be lying in a hospital maybe dying.  Johnny always had the patience of a saint – well – not so much a saint as that of someone who has consumed a vast quantity of marijuana over the years.  Speaking to her gently, Johnny informed Christina that:

1.
             
It was Gabby.

2.
             
She was in a tree house as a form of protest.

3.
             
It was a huge “effing” tree.

4.
             
She’d been bulldozed out of it.

5.
             
He didn’t know by whom.  He thought it was some corporate parasite or maybe the Government?

6.
             
It was a miracle she survived.

7.
             
They didn’t know if she would make it, and

8.
             
If she did make it, she might have brain damage, or be paralyzed.

He was at the hospital now and he was trying to contact their father who was working somewhere off grid.  Christina could hear the expectation in Johnny’s voice that she would come too, which was perfectly reasonable.  It’s what families do in crises, isn’t it? 

Except Christina had avoided family events for many years and only begrudgingly appeared.  It wasn’t so much the “family”, but the potential for close proximity to Riley.  Something everyone knew, but in the fashion of her family, didn’t discuss.

What shocked Christina the most, is that not only was she getting on the next plane, but that she wanted to.  Her body knew what to do before her mind did.  Marching down to Debbie Bindman’s office, Christina informed her what had happened and that she would be leaving to be with Gabby.  She’d gone to her place, left a note for her roommate, packed a bag, and took the earliest flight she could get.

Christina arrived at the hospital still in a daze, but seeing Gabby with a neck brace, her legs and arms in casts, broken cheek bone, abrasions, and hooked up to machines made her break down.  Gabby and Johnny looked so much alike, taking after their mother.  Both had dark wavy hair and were fine boned, with large dark eyes.  When they were children, Johnny and Gabby looked like pixies.