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“What if he doesn’t come back?” He dropped the tone of his voice to hide the emotion in it.
“I’ll figure it out then.” She climbed the stairs two at a time, trying to outrun the crazy fear that was contained in those cellar walls. Her children’s laughter was a soothing sound when she slid open the glass door. Their high-pitched squeals pierced the desert air as they chased each other around the yard burning off their sugar rush. Sally’s head whipped to the side, her eyes full of concern, as Tessa stood on the porch with her chest heaving.
“Oh Arthur,” she said and patted the step beside her. “Come here and sit with me for a bit.”
Tessa stopped herself from screaming for Mason and Emily and dragging them away. The woman’s calming presence made that action seem awkward and rude. Besides, in the light of the now normal and setting sun, the crippling fear was beginning to ease. She plopped down beside Sally and put her head in her hands.
“Don’t mind him.” Sally rubbed Tessa’s arm with strong fingers. “Arthur was never good at mincing words. It might not be as bad as all that. You never truly know.” Her voice was soothing. Tessa sighed as she sat up straight and looked around their back yard. There was a plastic enclosed greenhouse tucked against the side fence. How did I never notice that before?
“I have a gut feeling he is right, but I don’t know what to do. Landon is supposed to be home tomorrow.”
“And he still might be.” Sally smiled. “The kids were telling me all about it. What time are they coming in?”
Tessa blew out a hot breath as she watched Mason trying to teach Emily how to do a cartwheel. Normal words. Normal conversation. This was something to hold on to. “The ombudsman sent an email out Friday morning before all of this,” she waved her hand to the sky, “and they said a noon release. Which will probably be closer to two but you know how that goes.”
She reached for Tessa’s hand and held it within hers. “Are you driving to pick him up?”
“Of course.” She nodded. “I’ve never missed a homecoming.”
Sally chewed her bottom lip as her gaze drifted to the yard. “If you want to, you can leave the kids here. It might be a fun surprise for you to bring him home like that.”
She voiced the growing fear that was gnawing at Tessa’s stomach. She’d have to take the freeways tomorrow and if what they said about the cities was true…
“We’ll be okay. I can’t leave them alone during this and they are so excited to pick up their dad. I’m trying to keep their life as normal as possible.” She knew she was clinging to fraying strands, but no matter how sweet Sally was, she and her husband were still strangers.
Sally held her hand in silence as they sat there on the porch step. Emily tumbled over her feet, falling into the dirt, and Mason helped her upright as he told her to blink the dust away. Emily ran off giggling and Mason tried to catch her.
Sally sighed, squeezing Tessa’s hand. “Do you know what you’re going to wear?”
