For dust you are, and to dust you shall return
Genesis 3:19
May drummed her fingers impatiently on the table. She checked her watch. He was late. She rolled her eyes. He usually was. He worked too much. But he didn't do it because he was a workaholic. He did it so he could support himself and someday maybe, just maybe, her as well.
He had invited her to coffee at a small shop deep in the heart of Queens. He had said he wanted to discuss something important. May was itching to know what. She checked her watch again. Two minutes had passed since she had last checked. The little bell on the door jingled. May perked up. Her boyfriend of two years walked in the coffee-shop. May stood up to embrace him. She had seen him a couple days ago, but it felt like forever.
"So,'' said May, after they were both seated with steaming cups of coffee. "What is it you would like to tell me, Ben?''
Ben sighed, running a hand through his brown hair. He was handsome in a nerdy, boyish way. Tall, thin, with large-framed glassed. He had big blue eyes that twinkled when he smiled. Ben and May had started dating right out of high-school.
He reached across the table and took her hand. "May, we're only twenty.''
Her heart sank. That's not what she wanted to hear. But he next thing Ben said made her spirits soar.
"But I don't want to wait any longer,'' he continued, "I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. The wedding will be small, simple. At first we could only afford a tiny flat to live in. We would have to wait a couple years to have children. I'm sorry for all that, but I promise I'll always love you and be a devoted husband. I think we would be very happy together. What do you say?"
Tears of joy shone in May's eyes. That was what she wanted to hear. She was about to answer him when her phone started buzzing. She blushed. "One sec,'' she muttered. May fished her phone out of her purse. But the number was unknown. Annoyed, she canceled the call.
Ben was watching this unfold with the most amused expression. "Well?''
"Ben, I—"
Just then her phone buzzed again. It was the same number that had called just seconds ago.
"I would answer that,'' suggested Ben.
May frowned. She was tempted to turn off her phone. But it could be important. She didn't have much of a choice. "Hello?''
"Good afternoon,'' said a man's voice. "Is this May Reilly?''
"Yeeeess,'' said May slowly, confused. "This is she.'' Did she know this man?
"Hi, May. You are Richard Reilly's sister, correct?''
That was creepy. "I am, yes.'' May's heart was beating faster. She glanced nervously at Ben. He didn't seem to be able to here the man on the other line.
"Can I help you?'' She asked.
"I'm sorry to inform you that your brother and his wife have been in an accident. Please report to the Queens Central Hospital as soon as possible. Thank you.'' He hung up.
May trembled. Richard was her only sibling. He was six years older, but they were remarkably close. His wife, Mary, was like a true sister to May. What had happened to them?
May stuffed her phone into her purse. "I have to go,'' she said quickly, and rushed out of the shop. She didn't explain a thing to Ben.
Luckily, the Queens Central Hospital was only a few blocks away. She ran the entire way there. When May arrived she was almost completely out of breath. She took only a brief moment to recover, before hurrying in the revolving glass doors.
"I'm here to see Richard and Mary Reilly,'' May told the woman at front desk.
The grim-faced woman brought up their report on her computer. "Floor six.''
May hurried to the elevator. She pressed the 6 button. While it made its ascent, she fiddled with the strap on her purse. For the first time, she thought of how she had left Ben without an explanation. But May didn't even feel guilty. Ben would understand. And she had bigger problems.
The elevator door opened. May rushed to the Floor 6's front desk. She quickly explained everything to the man stationed there.
"Doctor O'Brian will see you,'' he calmly told her. "Please wait.''
"But—''
"Please, ma'am.''
She dropped in a nearby chair. It was made of old velvet. Several other identical chairs and a couch were arranged in a semicircle, all empty. May flipped through a couple magazines, but none interested her. She found herself staring miserably at a large tank full of clownfish. "Miss Reilly?''
May jerked alert. She shot to her feet. A tall, old man walked in the room. He was completely bald except for a wispy mustache. He wore a doctor's coat and sophisticated gold-rimmed glasses. But what really caught May's attention, was what he carrying. A little boy, about two years old. He was small, dressed in a hospital gown, and had his head buried in the doctor's shoulder.
"Peter!'' May gasped.
At the sound of his name, the child lifted his head. He turned and saw his aunt. Registration filled his brown eyes. "May!" He wailed.
May stumbled forward. She took her nephew from the doctor's arms. She held Peter close to her chest as he sobbed his little heart out. May was in shock. No one had told her Peter was there. Had he been an the accident too?
The doctor spoke. "Hello, Miss Reilly. Please sit down. We have a lot to talk about.''
May numbly obeyed. "Is Peter okay?''
"He has a minor concussion, but no treatment is required. He might feel a little off for a couple days though.''
"Aunt May, I don't feel so good,'' he whimpered.
She kissed his forehead. "You're alright."
"I'm Doctor Daniel O'Brian,'' he introduced himself. "As you know, your brother and his wife were in an accident. A car crash, to be exact. Unfortunately, it was a head-on collision. Your brother, who was driving, was killed instantly. Your sister-in-law had a epidural hematoma. She died only minutes before you arrived. This little guy, Peter, was miraculously unhurt. We have checked our databases and it shows you and your mother are the only living relatives. I understand your mother is nearing her time, so forth the responsibility of Peter falls to you. You can either raise him yourself or put him in the foster care system.''
May tried to breathe. She couldn't. An overwhelming sense of grief filled her. No tears came.
"I'm very sorry, dear,'' said Doctor O'Brian.
"I'll take him,'' she finally gasped. "I'll raise Peter myself.''
O'Brian smiled sadly. "That's extremely charitable of you. I'll run a background check and then we'll work towards making it official.''
"Thank you,'' May whispered.
The doctor dipped his head and swept off.
May sat down on the couch. She rocked Peter until he fell asleep. She couldn't think. It was like her nerves had turned to stone. Her brother was gone. The closest thing she'd ever have to a sister was gone. Her mother would die within the year. May stroked Peter's gentle curls. She loved her nephew. She really did. But could she raise him? There wasn't any other option. She couldn't let him go.
"May!'' Ben rushed to her side.
"Ben?'' May said dimly. She hadn't seem him come in.
"May, I was so worried! I couldn't find you anywhere! I thought I heard the voice over the phone say something about the hospital and your brother and. . .'' He was suddenly quiet as if he had noticed Peter for the first time. "My God.''
"I'm sorry.'' May's eyes filled with tears. Ben moved beside her onto the couch. He wrapped his long eyes around her and the sleeping toddler. May let loose the tears. She sobbed big, choking sobs. She wasn't aware how long they sat there. But eventually she calmed down and told Ben everything.
"I'm so sorry, May.'' Ben's eyes were full of tears of sympathy.
"I'm sorry I left you there.''
"No, it's fine, trust me.''
They sat in silence for a while.
"What am I going to do?'' May asked. "I'm not ready to raise a child. I don't have the resources. I don't have the money. I don't—"
"Stop.'' Ben put a finger to May's lips. "We'll raise Peter together. He can be our kid. You have custody of him. You and I will get married. Make you an official Parker. And this little guy can be our little Peter Parker. Don't ever worry about the money. I'll find a second job.''
"But—''
"Shh. I want this, May. I want you.''
Another tear spilled down May's cheek.
"What do you say?''
"I love you.'' May kissed Ben. This was going to work. It would be hard. But happy. It would be the three of them, the Parker Family. And no matter what happened, May would always protect Peter.
And no force in the universe could ever change that.
"Hello, Peter? Hi, honey. This is Aunt May. Please call me back as soon as possible. I love you.''
Eighty-two. That was how many times May had called Peter. She had finally controlled herself enough to leave him a voicemail. How long had he been gone? Two days? Three? May didn't know. She had called, texted, emailed, et cetera. May had tried every way to contact her nephew. Eventually she called Michelle, who hadn't even gone on the field trip. Ned, who had, confirmed her worst fears: Peter went on the spaceship. And he hadn't returned.
May had rewatched the News clip over and over. The odd circular mass floating in the sky. A tiny figure scaling it. Falling. Catching itself. Then the porthole disappeared out of the atmosphere. Into outer space. From the first time she saw it, May thought it was Peter aka the Spider-Man. She had had a sliver of hope that it wasn't until Ned told her Peter jumped off the bus.
But that wasn't all. Tony Stark was involved, May knew it. She had seen Iron Man on tv too. (A strange man in a red cape was also there, but she doubted he was important.) She mentally kicked herself. She never had trusted Stark. Not with the "internship", not with the Spider-Man. This was his fault.
May called the police again. There were still no sightings of the disk. It was still in space. May wasn't worried Peter would suffocate; she at least trusted Stark to try to protect then teenager. No, she was worried about simple things. Was Peter cold? Was he hungry? Was he lonely? Was he in pain? What was going on? Would she ever see him again? Would she ever know what happened to her nephew?
She sat on the sofa. Her phone was beside her. She waited. For anything. For anyone to call and tell her something. May didn't even expect it to be Peter. He probably dropped his phone. Or the service in space was really bad.
May didn't know what to do. She wanted Ben. He would know the next step. He would comfort her. But Ben wasn't there. He was dead. Which was why May had to believe Peter was alive.
May closed her eyes. Something was happening. She didn't know what. Maybe it was just her exhausted, muddled brain overreacting. She heard a commotion outside the apartment. A car crash. Like the one that had killed her brother and left May with Peter. Her Peter. She sighed.
She turned to dust.