I patter around my living room, feeling slightly anxious, but I'm not sure
why. I pick up my cell phone, dialing the one person I can think of to
call.
********
"Hello?" I hear his warm voice and immediately smile.
"Hey, it's me," I answer. "Did you find anything on Eva's aunt?" I question.
"Nothing you want to hear," Jack answers me. "I was going to stop by tonight to tell Eva, so you wouldn't have to."
"Tell her what?" I whisper, feeling my stomach knot.
"Carol Hunter died nearly three years ago," he tells me. "Apparently she was murdered."
"What?"
"Seems her ex-husband roughed her up, at least the previous records show that. Although the murder charge on the ex was never substantiated---he had an alibi."
"Don't they all?" I breathe out.
"Aside from this ex-husband, there's no other family I could track down, unless she can give you another name," Jack answers me.
"I'm doubting it." I let out a sigh and shut my eyes momentarily. "What am I supposed to do?" I whisper aloud.
"There's nothing more for you to do. She's over eighteen and old enough to fend for herself," Jack reminds me.
"I realize that."
"Don't go trying to be the mother you never had, Sam. You'll only hurt yourself," he warns me softly. I know he's trying to look out for me, but I don't need him doing that.
"Jack, I have to go," I answer bluntly, hanging up the phone and feeling my eyes burn with tears. I see Eva making her way down the hall towards me and I let out a breath, allowing my eyes to dry and my thoughts to settle. I realize I have to give Eva the bad news, and I don't want to be upset while doing that.
"Samantha, what's wrong?" She immediately picks up on it and comes to sit down beside me. "Is it Martin? Is he not coming?"
"No," I shake my head, moving my hands over hers. "I spoke with the other agent who was looking into where your aunt is. Eva, she died three years ago."
"What?" Her eyes hold terror and fear, as she shakes her head no. Her breathing quickens and I realize she's having a panic attack.
"It's okay." I move closer, putting my hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"How is it going to be okay? Your family isn't dead."
"I haven't seen mine in years," I answer softly, " so they might as well be." I let out a soft sigh. "I'm here for you, Eva. You'll have to get a job and try to make it on your own, but for a month or so I'll help you out."
"No," she shakes her head, standing up briskly. "I don't need your charity."
"Eva." My hand moves to her arm as she turns around to face me. "If you leave now, where are you going to go?"
She's quiet, her mind racing with the possibilities or perhaps excuses.
"Stay the night," I offer. "It won't hurt either one of us."
"You have Martin coming over," she reminds me, her eyes wide, as she wipes her tears away. "I can't stay and be an imposition."
"You're not," I reassure her. "First thing Monday morning, you're going to fill out some job applications."
"I planned on doing that."
"You can stay here as a roommate," I offer her, "but it's a temporary arrangement, until you find someone else your own age. Okay?"
She nods her head and her red-rimmed eyes have dried. "What about Martin?" she muses.
"What about him?"
"Won't he want to stay?"
"He'll be in my bed," I tease. "There's plenty of room for three under this roof."
She laughs softly, feeling slightly more at ease. She follows me back towards the sofa, resting her head on my shoulder. "Do you know how Carol died?"
"I don't have all the details but it was a homicide that remains unsolved," I tell her honestly.
"I bet it was my uncle."
"Her ex-husband?" I question.
"Yeah," she nods. "He's the reason my mother and I kept away from Aunt Carol. Besides him being abusive, I saw him hit on my mother on more than one occasion, and I get this sick feeling like he might have done something a long time ago. There was this look he use to get in his eyes that would make me want to run to the bathroom and vomit."
Eva buries her eyes in my shoulder and I move my hand into her hair, soothing her.
"Did you ever tell anyone?"
"Who?" She eyes me sadly. "No one else in our family would have believed me. I was just a child."
"Did your mom and you ever talk about it?"
"She told me not to be left in the room alone with him. She made sure of it, and then decided it would be better if she ceased all contact with him."
"Probably a wise decision."
"Yeah, I didn't realize how much so until now."
"I'm sorry about your mother, and your aunt," I offer her.
"I know, and thanks for everything you've done. I just feel awful staying with you."
"I know," I laugh softly. "You want to be independent. Eva, there's nothing wrong with accepting help from someone."
She nods her head and shuts her eyes for a few minutes. "Is it all right if I go lie down?"
"Of course," I answer, watching as she heads off, and minutes later I hear someone knocking on the door.
"Hey Samantha," Martin greets me with a small bouquet of flowers, handing them to me as I open the door to him. "What's wrong?" Immediately he senses something's not right, and I place the flowers on the kitchen table while he shuts the door.
I feel his body behind me, and his hands moving around my waist. "It's been a long day," I answer.
"Eva?" He whispers into my ear and I nod my head, feeling tears slip down my cheeks. His hand moves to my shoulder, trying to turn me around in his grip. I allow my body to follow his leads but bury my head in his chest, so he doesn't see the weakness in me.
"Did she say or do something."
"No," I let out a breath. "Jack called with the news that her aunt was murdered roughly three years ago."
"Oh," Martin's eyes widen from shock as he pulls back to look at my face. I wipe my eyes but stare down at his chest, not letting his gaze meet mine.
"I offered for her to stay with me, until she can manage on her own. I wouldn't think it'd be more then a month or two."
"That's a long time to keep a guest."
"I know," I whisper, "but I can't let her go out on her own. She has nowhere to sleep. What other choice do I really have?"
"I'll support whatever you decide, Samantha, but I don't agree with it."
I let out an aggravated breath, breaking his hold from me. I move towards the sofa, putting my feet up so there's no room for Martin to sit next to me.
"Don't be mad with me," Martin whispers, his words sounding filled with regret. He bends down, his height equal with mine as he tries to meet my gaze. "What do you want me to do?" he questions.
"Nothing," I shake my head, glancing at the wall.
"Samantha, don't be this way."
"What way am I supposed to be?" My eyes stare down at his.
"Maybe I should go." He stands up and I feel more tears breaking through the barrier. I grab Martin's wrist, pulling him back towards me.
"I'm sorry," I whisper, feeling more tears slide down my cheeks. "I've just been through so much lately."
"You want to talk about it?" he offers, moving to sit beside me.
"I can't," I shake my head no.
"You know I'm here, if you ever need to talk," his eyes meet mine.
"I know," I smile softly, trying to reassure him. My tears have all dried and I feel his arms enveloping me in a hug.
I hear the door and let out a soft breath, curious who would be stopping by.
********
"Hello?" I hear his warm voice and immediately smile.
"Hey, it's me," I answer. "Did you find anything on Eva's aunt?" I question.
"Nothing you want to hear," Jack answers me. "I was going to stop by tonight to tell Eva, so you wouldn't have to."
"Tell her what?" I whisper, feeling my stomach knot.
"Carol Hunter died nearly three years ago," he tells me. "Apparently she was murdered."
"What?"
"Seems her ex-husband roughed her up, at least the previous records show that. Although the murder charge on the ex was never substantiated---he had an alibi."
"Don't they all?" I breathe out.
"Aside from this ex-husband, there's no other family I could track down, unless she can give you another name," Jack answers me.
"I'm doubting it." I let out a sigh and shut my eyes momentarily. "What am I supposed to do?" I whisper aloud.
"There's nothing more for you to do. She's over eighteen and old enough to fend for herself," Jack reminds me.
"I realize that."
"Don't go trying to be the mother you never had, Sam. You'll only hurt yourself," he warns me softly. I know he's trying to look out for me, but I don't need him doing that.
"Jack, I have to go," I answer bluntly, hanging up the phone and feeling my eyes burn with tears. I see Eva making her way down the hall towards me and I let out a breath, allowing my eyes to dry and my thoughts to settle. I realize I have to give Eva the bad news, and I don't want to be upset while doing that.
"Samantha, what's wrong?" She immediately picks up on it and comes to sit down beside me. "Is it Martin? Is he not coming?"
"No," I shake my head, moving my hands over hers. "I spoke with the other agent who was looking into where your aunt is. Eva, she died three years ago."
"What?" Her eyes hold terror and fear, as she shakes her head no. Her breathing quickens and I realize she's having a panic attack.
"It's okay." I move closer, putting my hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"How is it going to be okay? Your family isn't dead."
"I haven't seen mine in years," I answer softly, " so they might as well be." I let out a soft sigh. "I'm here for you, Eva. You'll have to get a job and try to make it on your own, but for a month or so I'll help you out."
"No," she shakes her head, standing up briskly. "I don't need your charity."
"Eva." My hand moves to her arm as she turns around to face me. "If you leave now, where are you going to go?"
She's quiet, her mind racing with the possibilities or perhaps excuses.
"Stay the night," I offer. "It won't hurt either one of us."
"You have Martin coming over," she reminds me, her eyes wide, as she wipes her tears away. "I can't stay and be an imposition."
"You're not," I reassure her. "First thing Monday morning, you're going to fill out some job applications."
"I planned on doing that."
"You can stay here as a roommate," I offer her, "but it's a temporary arrangement, until you find someone else your own age. Okay?"
She nods her head and her red-rimmed eyes have dried. "What about Martin?" she muses.
"What about him?"
"Won't he want to stay?"
"He'll be in my bed," I tease. "There's plenty of room for three under this roof."
She laughs softly, feeling slightly more at ease. She follows me back towards the sofa, resting her head on my shoulder. "Do you know how Carol died?"
"I don't have all the details but it was a homicide that remains unsolved," I tell her honestly.
"I bet it was my uncle."
"Her ex-husband?" I question.
"Yeah," she nods. "He's the reason my mother and I kept away from Aunt Carol. Besides him being abusive, I saw him hit on my mother on more than one occasion, and I get this sick feeling like he might have done something a long time ago. There was this look he use to get in his eyes that would make me want to run to the bathroom and vomit."
Eva buries her eyes in my shoulder and I move my hand into her hair, soothing her.
"Did you ever tell anyone?"
"Who?" She eyes me sadly. "No one else in our family would have believed me. I was just a child."
"Did your mom and you ever talk about it?"
"She told me not to be left in the room alone with him. She made sure of it, and then decided it would be better if she ceased all contact with him."
"Probably a wise decision."
"Yeah, I didn't realize how much so until now."
"I'm sorry about your mother, and your aunt," I offer her.
"I know, and thanks for everything you've done. I just feel awful staying with you."
"I know," I laugh softly. "You want to be independent. Eva, there's nothing wrong with accepting help from someone."
She nods her head and shuts her eyes for a few minutes. "Is it all right if I go lie down?"
"Of course," I answer, watching as she heads off, and minutes later I hear someone knocking on the door.
"Hey Samantha," Martin greets me with a small bouquet of flowers, handing them to me as I open the door to him. "What's wrong?" Immediately he senses something's not right, and I place the flowers on the kitchen table while he shuts the door.
I feel his body behind me, and his hands moving around my waist. "It's been a long day," I answer.
"Eva?" He whispers into my ear and I nod my head, feeling tears slip down my cheeks. His hand moves to my shoulder, trying to turn me around in his grip. I allow my body to follow his leads but bury my head in his chest, so he doesn't see the weakness in me.
"Did she say or do something."
"No," I let out a breath. "Jack called with the news that her aunt was murdered roughly three years ago."
"Oh," Martin's eyes widen from shock as he pulls back to look at my face. I wipe my eyes but stare down at his chest, not letting his gaze meet mine.
"I offered for her to stay with me, until she can manage on her own. I wouldn't think it'd be more then a month or two."
"That's a long time to keep a guest."
"I know," I whisper, "but I can't let her go out on her own. She has nowhere to sleep. What other choice do I really have?"
"I'll support whatever you decide, Samantha, but I don't agree with it."
I let out an aggravated breath, breaking his hold from me. I move towards the sofa, putting my feet up so there's no room for Martin to sit next to me.
"Don't be mad with me," Martin whispers, his words sounding filled with regret. He bends down, his height equal with mine as he tries to meet my gaze. "What do you want me to do?" he questions.
"Nothing," I shake my head, glancing at the wall.
"Samantha, don't be this way."
"What way am I supposed to be?" My eyes stare down at his.
"Maybe I should go." He stands up and I feel more tears breaking through the barrier. I grab Martin's wrist, pulling him back towards me.
"I'm sorry," I whisper, feeling more tears slide down my cheeks. "I've just been through so much lately."
"You want to talk about it?" he offers, moving to sit beside me.
"I can't," I shake my head no.
"You know I'm here, if you ever need to talk," his eyes meet mine.
"I know," I smile softly, trying to reassure him. My tears have all dried and I feel his arms enveloping me in a hug.
I hear the door and let out a soft breath, curious who would be stopping by.
