Don listened with rapt attention as the boys told them all about their lake trip. He didn’t even scold them for the altercation with Seth. As far as he was concerned, they only did what was necessary to protect a friend. He commented that the kid was lucky he didn’t walk away with a broken jaw or something worse. Gen didn’t bother to mention how he, himself, could have made sure it was worse.
They were eating dinner, a pork and noodle stir fry expertly prepared by Kana, chopsticks included. Mika loved it. According to him, there weren’t very many asian or asian-style dishes cooked at his house, by order of Thomas Calhoun. It was just another way to dig at Mika for being different from the rest of them. Kana huffed and promised to make sure they had more Japanese meals just for him. When he protested that it wasn’t necessary, Gen said he actually enjoyed Japanese food so it worked out.
“How do you think I got so good at using these?” he laughed, clicking the sticks together.
“Besides, I was thinking about doing pork cutlets for when the kids come over. When is that, anyway? Thursday or Friday?”
“Thursday, I think,” Mika said, pulling out his phone and checking the text conversation with his mom. He stopped mid-chew at the most recent message received:
I need you to call me. Thomas left.
Mika looked up and excused himself from the table. He went to the living room and called his mother. “Sorry, we’re eating dinner and I just saw your message. What happened?”
“I don’t know, he just said he was done, and he left,” Jo said, as though she were still finding it hard to believe. “Just packed up the car and took off.”
“That happened today?”
“Early this morning, actually. But can you believe it, Mika? He’s gone! You’re finally free from him!”
Mika was speechless, unable to come up with one word to even think to say. Thomas was gone? For real this time, just…gone? He had left before following an attack on Mika, but he always came back. Even back when the abuse started and he was hauled off to jail, he never stayed gone for long. This time, there was no beating, no abuse. Thomas just left. But why? Does it matter? The asshole is gone! His abuser left…his house would no longer be hidden under a veil of fear and control.
Control…
What if this was just a ploy tactic? What if Thomas was playing a game? Biding his time before he came back just to torment them like before? He thought back to every other time Thomas had run away trying to avoid getting caught by the cops if they were called.
The cops…
He was hiding until the eyes were off him…he was waiting until they were no longer interested, until they felt sure he was no longer a threat to Mika and his family. He would be back…He always came back. Even if it took a few days, Thomas Calhoun always came back.
Mika closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Just pretend, Mika. Pretend to be happy…lie like always.
“Mika?” Jo said into his ear. “You there, honey? I know, it’s pretty shocking to me, too.”
Mika swallowed, fighting back the tears. He really wanted to believe just like his mother did. But he knew better…he knew Thomas’ mind probably better than anyone else and he hated himself for it. Mika knew how to put on that smile and that laugh to make everything seem okay for Jo, especially when he had to cover up a lie. His mother deserved some peace in her life, too, didn’t she? Couldn’t she see the game Thomas was playing?
No…no, she didn’t see it. Because she chose not to. She was choosing to believe the lie, he knew that, too. She was in denial because it was the only way she knew how to deal with the life she had. Mika had to let her live in that painting her mind created every time something like this happened.
“Yeah, I’m here,” he finally said, forcing his voice to stay level with a note of cheer…just as he had practiced a thousand times before. “It’s hard to believe he’s really gone.”
“I know, right? But he is! And good riddance! Finally, we can have peace and quiet. No more yelling, no more screaming or crying. Just laughing, like we used to do.”
Mika clenched his teeth and balled his fist. Like we used to…when Dad was alive, you mean?
“Yeah, it’s been so long since we’ve been able to breathe in that house,” Mika said. “So, are you still gonna want us to take the kids on Thursday so you can do whatever you need to do?”
“Yes, I do. And I was wondering, what do you think about spending the rest of Spring Break with Gen and his family?”
So, she doesn’t believe it…not really.
His fist relaxed slightly. “That would be awesome! But I don’t have any more clothes or anything. Everything I brought is in the laundry.”
“Don’t worry about that, sweetheart, I already have a bag ready for you.”
Wait, what?
“Um, okay, cool. I guess I can come and get–”
“No!” Jo said quickly. Mika heard the undercurrent of fear in that one word. What the hell, Mom? What aren’t you telling me? She cleared her throat. “No, it’s fine. Does Gen work tomorrow?”
Random… “Yeah, he has an early shift,” he said slowly. “I think he said he’s off at one or two.”
“Great, I can just bring your things to him at work, then. Anyway, I’ll let you get back to your dinner, I’m sure it’s something wonderful, right?”
“Pork and noodle stir fry,” Mika said. Before she could say anything else, he said, “Where are the kids?”
There was a moment of hesitation. It was brief…infinitesimally brief, but he caught it. “Oh, don’t worry about them, they’re fine. They went to play with the neighbor kids for a while.” And there it was…the crack.
“Mom–”
“Tell Gen I’ll see him tomorrow and you enjoy your Break, okay sweetheart? I’ll see you on Thursday.”
“Yeah, okay, I’ll call when we’re–”
“I love you, Mika. Talk to you soon.”
“I love–” the tone of the disconnect hit his eardrum like a shot. “You, too…”
His arm fell to his side, his thoughts running a million miles a minute. Something was wrong, he knew it. His mom was hiding something…something really bad. Thomas did something to her either last night or this morning before he left, and that’s why Ben and Ana were at the neighbor’s. She had called the cops, she had to have done. Thomas hadn’t left just to get out from under their scrutiny; Thomas Calhoun was on the run.
“Mika?” Gen said, his voice loaded with concern.
He didn’t move…couldn’t move. What could he even say? There was no faking emotions with Gen, he saw right through them. More to the point, Mika never wanted to lie or hide anything from him. Yet, how could he even begin to explain all that was swirling inside him?
He felt Gen’s arms wrap slowly and carefully around him, felt the warmth of his body at his back, felt the heat of his breath at the tip of his ear. He closed his eyes, allowing Gen’s strength to flow through him, comforting him without words. With Gen, he didn’t need to speak to tell him something was wrong; he already knew. Knew it in the way Mika stood, in the way he tilted his head, in the way he chewed his bottom lip, in the way he let his long hair curtain his face. Gen knew him more than Mika had realized.
“Is–” Mika began, his throat thick. “Is it is okay if–”
“Yes.”
Mika turned in Gen’s arms, dropping his phone, he gripped the front of his shirt, and buried his face in Gen’s chest. Gen didn’t ask any questions, he knew Mika would tell him when he was ready.
Kana and Don stood in the entryway to the living room, their eyes meeting Gen’s over Mika’s head.
“Something’s wrong,” Kana said.
Donovan Parker nodded. “I need to make a call.” He walked away, leaving the three kids alone. He dialed up one of his partners who answered right away. “Cline, it’s Parker. I need you to do me a favor…”
-*-
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