Chapter 2: Crash Into You


Naomi sat curled up on the sofa when Evan finally walked in. He walked right past her probably thinking she was some Hank Med patient who had shown up...either that or a hobo, the later technically being true. She watched as he headed right for the fridge and opened it. What a warm welcome. Maybe she should have went with Hank to the local crab shack for his date. It was weird, he had offered to let her tag along on his date, but she wasn't up for socializing just yet. Right now, she just wanted to lounge around in an oversized t-shirt and shorts. Hence the hobo look and while Evan ignored her.

So, she forced herself up from the couch and walked to the kitchen. Evan's back was still to her. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she smiled because she was going to prank Evan like she did all the time when they were little. This would be the ultimate freakout because he didn't even know she was in the Hamptons. They said that she needed to start to enjoy the little things to help get through her grief. She wasn't sure she believed those who told her that, but she couldn't resist making Evan scream. Her inner child wanted to be released.

Naomi quietly walked up behind Evan and began to blow air on his neck. He hated that. She pulled her head back as Evan reached to touch his neck where the air had been blown. Naomi smiled. When he removed his hand, she blew against his neck once more. The second time, Evan always turned his head to look behind him, so she ducked down low. Typical Evan didn't even think to look there. Naomi slowly stood back up and leaned against the counter with her arms folded across her chest, just waiting for Evan to turn around. She couldn't help but smile as she waited.

A few moments later, when Evans' arms were full of sandwich items, he turned around. Just as she had predicted, he screamed and tossed the sandwich stuff from his arms. Naomi managed to catch the mayo before the jar smacked her in the face. Evan then stood there staring at her. He slapped his face a few times which made Naomi chuckle.

"Nomes? Is that you?" Evan said in disbelief. Naomi couldn't help but notice that Evan greeted her the same way Hank had. While the two boys certainly had their differences, they were more alike than they realized.

Naomi bridged the gap between her and Evan before she threw her arms around him. "It's me, big brother," he said squeezing him. Evan squeezed her back just as tightly. The two younger Lawson siblings held each other for a few moments. Naomi could feel tears once again beginning to prick her eyes.

When they finally released Evan asked, "How are you doing? Seriously?"

She rested her hands on her hips "I think I should be asking you and Hank the same thing. You guys broke up?"

Evan's face contorted. "Whoa, Hank told you? He's the one that made us swear that we wouldn't…"

Naomi put a hand up to stop her brother. He stopped and let her explain. "Hank didn't spill the beans. Divya did."

"Oh."

"And that right there is why you two have issues. You're both so quick to blame the other. I mean, sure one of you usually screws up, but you play the blame game instead of talking to each other about it. I think my fourth graders were better behaved and prepared to tackle tough situations than two grown-ass adults."

Evan folded his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know what's going on."

"Specifics no. But I've put up with you two your shenanigans my entire life. I think I thing or two."

"I hate to tell you Nomes, but I learned a thing or two about you too. Just like right now, I know you're deflecting because you don't wanna talk about what's going on in your life."

He was right. Evan had her pegged. But Lawsons don't just take it. They take the other person down with them swinging. "What do you want to know Evan? Do I miss Zach? Of course. He was my husband. What do you want to hear? That I moved out of the city because I just couldn't stand walking by something and constantly being reminded of him? Well, I did. Happy?"

Evan looked at her rather seriously. "Are you?" he asked.

"Of course not," Naomi scoffed. She tried to keep her strong facade up, but it came crashing down. Tears began to slip down her eyes when she sobbed, "He's dead, Evan. He's dead."

Evan nodded his head and wrapped his arms around his sister, holding her tight as she cried. His shirt soaked up her tears and while Evan thought that rather disgusting, he knew that his sister needed him right now. That was the difference between fighting with Hank or Naomi. Hank was older and so he was always right. Evan and Naomi, despite any differences they had always managed to forego such things. Besides, Evan always thought his job was to look out for Naomi.

"I'm here, I'm here," Evan whispered to help comfort his sister. He too was mourning the loss of Zach. Evan had always liked Zach. When he still lived in the city, Evan and Zach would do stuff around the city together. It was a relationship that was originally forced by Naomi, but Evan nurtured it all on his own. Evan had wanted Zach to stand up in his wedding to Paige, but that day would never happen. Tears started slipping from Evan's face.

"Don't you start crying on me too," Naomi groaned.

"What?" Evan sniffed. "I'm not crying. You're crying. These tears on my cheeks are yours."

Naomi shook her head. "I think you could use a 4th-grade science lesson on gravity."

"There she is," Evan said smiling. "There's my sister."

Naomi rolled her eyes and then looked at the floor which was covered in lettuce, tomato, bacon, turkey…"Are you gonna pick that up?"

"Back to nagging I see. I'm no doctor, but I think you'll make a full recovery." Evan smirked at his sister before he picked the stuff from the floor. Almost all of it had come out of the wrappers or had been smashed. He tossed everything in the trash and then looked at his sister. "Well, there goes dinner."

"Good thing I already ordered delivery pizza," Naomi said. "Pizza-comfort food of the gods."

The doorbell rang.

"That must be them. I'll go get it."

In her oversized shirt, pajama shorts, and a messy bun Naomi opened the door. But instead, the man standing outside was not holding a pizza. Instead, the man's eyes just kinda bugged-out as he saw her. He was dressed nicely. Too nicely-dressed to be the pizza guy. But she didn't want to assume anything, so she asked, "Where's the pizza?"

The man didn't say anything. He opened his mouth to say something, but then he didn't and closed his mouth. Naomi was about to repeat herself when a man dressed in a polo shirt and baseball cap came carrying a pizza box and 2-liter bottle of root beer. "That'll be $21," the man said.

Naomi reached for her pocket when she realized that the pajama shorts she was wearing didn't have any pockets. Her money was still upstairs. "I'll be right back," she said. Naomi quickly spun on her heel, but lost her balance and crashed to the floor. She heard Evan call her name to see if she was all right when a pair of arms reached under her arms and picked her up from behind. She looked up to see that it was the weird nicely-dressed man who had been standing outside the door first. Naomi had no idea who he was, but she didn't have time to ask. She had to get her cash to pay the pizza guy.

She quickly ran upstairs to the guest room where she would be staying indefinitely. Even though she had been there only a few hours, it looked like a bomb had gone off in the room. Everything she owned was strewn about. "Purse, where are you?" Naomi cooed to the inanimate object. She knew it wouldn't talk back, but it was kinda her thing. Her old students got a kick out of it.

When she finally had her purse, she rushed back downstairs. The pizza man was gone and the awkward, nicely-dressed man still stood there. Only this time he was holding her pizza and the bag with the soda was on his arm. Naomi stopped on the stairs and blinked slowly, watching him.

"I have your pizza," the man said somewhat timidly, holding it up toward her.

"I can see that," Naomi responded slowly. She then continued walking downstairs before walking past the man, looking for the pizza guy. Did he leave? She was confused. But then she looked up at the man who was watching her in the corner of his eye. "Did you pay for it?" Naomi asked with her hands on her hips.

The man just nodded.

"I had money for it, you know." Naomi held her wallet up.

The man just nodded again.

She pulled the money out of her wallet and handed it toward him.

But he shook his head and held up a hand to stop her.

She tried once more.

Again, he refused her.

Naomi sighed.

"Well, you paid for it, so you might as well stay," Naomi said. She was going on the assumption that since he was knocking on their door, he probably knew her brothers. Although it wasn't until after she offered the invitation to stay that she realized he might be a patient. She tucked her hair behind her ear and softly smiled. Her therapist told her to just go with things, take life as it comes. "I do make a mean root beer float if I do say so."

The man looked about ready to refuse her offer, so she grabbed his free hand and led him toward the kitchen. He looked like he was about ready to have a heart attack when she grabbed his hand and he was hesitant to follow her, but he did.

Evan stood up after cleaning up the mustard jar that broke to see his sister walking in with…"Dr. Sacani? What are you doing here?" Evan asked with a mustard smear on his face.

"He's staying for pizza," Naomi offered nonchalantly. "And root beer floats. I saw some ice cream in the freezer and I'm claiming it."

"Oh-kay," Evan said slowly, his brow furrowed. He watched as Naomi released Dr. Sacani's hand before she walked to the freezer. He shook his head in confusion. "When did you two meet?"

"Just now," Naomi responded. "That's who was at the door. Well, he was at the door first. Then the pizza guy showed up."

"Why were you at the door?" Evan asked Dr. Sacani.

Dr. Sacani looked rather surprised before he answered softly. "You said to stop by for some patient files."

"Riiight." Evan was still clearly confused. He just shrugged his shoulders and walked to grab some patient files.

Naomi searched through the cupboards for the glasses.

"Two to your left, upper cupboards, second shelf," Dr. Sacani said.

Naomi turned around and raised an eyebrow at the man.

He shrugged. "I saw Evan get a glass of water this morning."

She nodded her head. What an odd man. He didn't talk much. But he could remember where Evan and Hank kept the glasses stored after seeing it this morning while she had been there several times and couldn't remember. Intriguing

After setting the glasses on the counter, she began scooping ice cream. The man stood there awkwardly, watching her. It looked like she would have to start the conversation. "So, you're a doctor then?"

The man nodded his head.

He wasn't very talkative. But Naomi had experience making even the quietest of students find their voice. She knew better than to give up. Also, she had to refrain from asking yes or no questions. "I'm Naomi, Evan's baby sister. And you are?"

"Dr. Sacani."

"I assume you have a first name, Dr. Sacani. What is it?"

The man glanced down at the root beer floats before answering, "Jeremiah."

"I had a student named Jeremiah last year…" before she could finish, Evan returned with the files while Naomi went back to concentrating on making the root beer floats.

Dr. Sacani went back to staring at the floor. Right then and there, Naomi made it her mission to get Jeremiah Sacani more out of his shell. She had the time. Not that she thought anything wrong with him, she just knew from experience what a difference it could make.

"Alright, come and get it," Naomi said with a smile.

Dinner was an awkward exchange. It probably would have gone better had Naomi not invited a complete stranger to her over for dinner without Evan's permission. But what was done, was done. When Dr. Sacani finished his pizza and root beer float he said a quick thank you before he grabbed the files and practically bolted from the place. That made Naomi chuckle.

"Why did you invite him? I barely know the guy."

"He works for you, doesn't he?"

"Well yes but…"

"He paid for the pizza, Evan. Do you want me to apologize for being nice to one of your employees?"

Evan slurped the last of his root beer float. "No," he sighed. "How did you get him to talk though? When he was talking with you, that's the most I've heard him talk."

Naomi grinned. "A magician never reveals their secrets."

"You might want to otherwise I'm gonna have to send you on house calls with him."

"Is that a job offer?" Naomi laughed.

Just then Hank walked in. "Sorry, I'm late," he offered. "I wasn't expecting it to go that long. We just got to talking and one thing led to another…"

"If this is going where I think it's going, please stop while you're ahead," Naomi retorted.

Hank just smirked. He nodded his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I know I said we'd have a family discussion tonight, but I'm beat. Can it wait until tomorrow?"

Evan opened his mouth to argue, likely for the sake of arguing because that was all the two boys seemed to do these days according to Divya. But Naomi jumped in first. "How about a nice breakfast, just the three of us?"

"I can do that," Hank offered.

"Of course you can, you're unemployed," Evan scoffed.

"Evan…" Naomi scolded using her teacher voice.

"Fine," Evan sighed. "But I have a staff meeting tomorrow at eight."

"It's settled." Naomi smiled. Honestly, she was glad to be delaying the meeting a little longer because she honestly wasn't sure what to tell her brothers. Not that she planned on having it figured out by morning, but putting it off seemed better than facing it head-on. Naomi yawned and Evan looked at her with a slight smile.

"I got this, Nomes," Evan offered, gesturing to dinner. "Go get some sleep."

"Are you sure?" she asked before yawning again.

"I actually agree with Ev, you need some sleep. I think you've been overdoing things lately and the prescribed remedy is sleep. Doctor's orders," Hank gently chided.

Naomi sighed. 'Okay. Okay. I can take a hint." So with that, she hugged both of her brothers goodnight before she headed back to her room. For the first time since Zach died, she was able to fall asleep within minutes. Things might eventually be okay after all.


Author's Note: So, now we have met Evan...and Jeremiah...dun dun dunnnn...Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/followed/favorited this story. It means a lot. Thanks for continuing Naomi's journey with me!