Thank you all so much for your reviews! I've got a couple of chapters that seem like they're an introduction, but if you stick with me, I promise it will pick up!
"You really have an island all to yourself?" Michael asked for the third time as we got off the launch.
"Since Nikolas isn't here, I do. But Elizabeth and Lucky and Cameron lived here for a little while. And Nikolas lives here when he's home."
"Don't you get lonely?" he asked, lugging his one bag behind him.
"Do you want me to take that?" I offered.
"No, I can take it. So don't you get lonely without Nikolas or anyone else here?"
I sighed. "Yeah, I miss him, but that's why you're here, isn't it? To keep me company. And you can choose any room you want in the whole house."
"Really?"
"Yep. Any that you want."
"Cool!" he cried as I opened the front door. I disarmed the alarm system and he went running in, dropping his bag at his feet.
I just stayed there for a minute, watching him disappear down the hallway and smiled. It was good to Michael out of the hospital, acting the way a kid should. He had lost so much because of AJ, and there were times I doubted that he could become a kid again.
"Millie," Michael asked, slowly coming back into view. "Where are the bedrooms?"
I laughed and picked up his bag. "Come on, I'll show you."
"I'm hungry," Michael announced when we were unpacking his clothes. He had tried out every bed that he could find, and finally chose the one next to mine, closest to the room that Nikolas had filled with game machines.
I looked at my watch. It way well past seven. "Let's have some dinner."
"Okay," he agreed quickly, jumping to his feet. "Which way's the kitchen?"
I pointed the way for him, and he ran past me. "What are we having?"
Uh-oh. I hadn't thought that far ahead. I had kept some food for me, but nothing that Michael would be too interested in. What were ten year olds eating these days anyways? Hamburgers. You can't go wrong with hamburgers. Except I didn't have any. Chicken? Nothing that he would eat.
I flipped on the light and he momentarily forgot about what was for dinner. Instead, he stared wide-eyed around the kitchen, which was still sparkling from the last time it had been cleaned. I hadn't been home enough to make a mess or experiment with recipes. In fact, I think I had done all my studying for exams living on milk and microwave popcorn. Looking around the kitchen made my own stomach grumble. I didn't want to have to go out again to take him out for dinner. He had to be at the hospital for nine the next morning, and I didn't want to keep him up too late. Although he was staying with me, he had to be at the hospital for an out patient program at the hospital. He was still seeing psychiatrists twice a day and finishing his grade five.
"You know my dad wouldn't let my mom in the kitchen?" Michael asked, his eyes still wandering around the room. I found him sounding sad, more than anything. "She always made a mess of everything. And she couldn't cook anything. My dad would always make the best spaghetti sauce though." He was quiet a minute or two longer, the blinked hard and focused on me. "So, what are we having for dinner?"
My mind raced. "You know, I was thinking- and don't you dare get into thinking that I'll let you do this every day- we could skip dinner and just have ice cream sundaes."
"Yeah!" he shouted and pumped his fist into the air. I went to the freezer and pulled out a tub of vanilla ice cream and put it on the counter. I was about to get the toppings when the phone rang.
"Why don't you get out the toppings that you want and I'll get that?" I suggested. He quickly ran to see what goodies awaited him.
"Hello?" A pause. My blood ran cold when there was no voice at the other end. "Hello?"
"Hi Emily, it's me," Monica's voice came softly.
"Hi mom. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine." Her voice didn't sound fine. I was immediately worried about her. She had been through so much the past couple of months, and seemed to have been losing a lot of weight and getting tired all the time.
"So, how are things with Michael?"
"They're good," I answered, glancing back at the tub that Michael was trying to scoop ice cream out of. "We're just having dinner."
"Oh, good. I'll make this quick then. I was wondering if you wanted to go out for dinner tomorrow night."
"With Michael?"
"No, I was thinking the two of us. What about lunch?"
"Sure. That would be great. What time?"
"Twelve thirty at the PC Grill?"
"I'll be there."
"Okay, I'll see you then."
"Okay. Take care mom. I love you."
"I love you too, Em." Something in her voice wasn't right. But maybe she wanted to tell me whatever it was over lunch the next day. I turned back to Michael, who had bent the silver spoon into a 90-degree angle trying to scoop out the ice cream with no success. "Here," I said, hanging up the phone. "Can I help you with that?"
"Millie?" A small voice came in the dark of my room. I immediately turned on my light and looked at the door. Michael was standing there squinting in his pajamas and rumpled hair.
"Is everything okay?" I asked.
"I had a bad dream," he explained without a hint of shyness.
I pulled the covers down in the bed beside me and I patted a spot beside me. He quickly crawled in brought himself close to me.
"Do you want to talk about your dream?" I offered. "Sometimes that helps me after I've had a bad dream." Except for the one that I was living in.
He shook his head vigorously.
"Do you want to sleep with me?"
He nodded, but didn't say anything.
"Is it okay if I turn off the light?"
He nodded, but again didn't say anything. I turned off the light and lied down beside him. He quickly curled into me.
"I'm sorry I woke you up."
"Oh, Michael, you don't have to be sorry for that." Truth was, I hadn't been sleeping. I couldn't fall asleep. Or maybe I was afraid to. Afraid of the dreams that would come. I gently kissed the top of his head and put my arm around him.
If I couldn't keep my own bad dreams away, at least I could keep his.