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“What about your brothers and Cheyenne?”
“They were young. Too young to understand.”
After a few moments, her eyes shot up to mine. “Is this a…”
“Suicide note,” I finished.
Her hand clasped over her mouth and tears began to fill her eyes. She looked back down and I watched as she continued to read the note I knew by heart.
To my Literal Man,
I have to go. I’m so sorry. I wish I didn’t have to do this. If there was any other way, I would have found it. But there’s not. This is the only way.
I know this is asking a lot but please look out for your brothers and sister. They are going to need you.
Soon, this will just feel like a bad dream and we will all be together again. I promise!
I’ll see you soon. Please don’t be mad at me.
I love you to the moon and back,
Your Mama
Her eyes lifted to the top of the page and she read it again. Her brow wrinkled.
“What?”
“Nothing, it’s just she says that you’ll be together again.”
“She believed in reincarnation,” I explained.
“Oh…” I could see that she wasn’t sure what to say, and I didn’t blame her. I’d just needed her to read it, so I wasn’t the only person who knew it existed. I already felt lighter now that she’d seen it. I reached out my hand and she gave it back to me.
“Thank you for reading it.”
“Of course!” she enthused.
I wanted to know why she was here but was also scared to ask.
What if she was here to reiterate what she’d said in the office? Or worse, what if she was here to tell me that she was leaving?
“Is everything okay?” I finally manned up and asked.
“Oh,” she shook her head. “Yeah, um, I just got a call from Mr. and Mrs. DiNardo. They said that Richie called them from a treatment center. He told them that you arranged it. And I’m assuming you paid for it too since I know he didn’t have the money and his parents just found out about it today.”
I was quiet, waiting to see if she was mad that I’d interfered in her personal life.
“Did you do that?”
I folded the letter back up and put it in my wallet. “Yes.”
“But…why? You don’t even know us. I mean…you know what I mean.”
I took a deep breath. “I did it for Luna. I grew up with an alcoholic. My old man didn’t want to get help. I looked Richie in his eyes, and asked him if he did, he said yes. I believed him. Maybe he’ll get clean and stay clean, or maybe not. But I could help so I did.”
“So you didn’t take him to the bus stop?”
“I took him to Mrs. B at the boarding house. Her brother had some of the same issues and she knows how to deal with people in addiction. She fed him, had him take a shower, and drove him to a rehab center in Columbus. I know some people that work there and got someone else into the program. It’s good.”
