Page 9 of Almost There
“Give it to me.” Tessa laughed as she reached for the handset. “Arthur, we’re fine. Stop worrying about us so much.”
“Alright,” he grumbled on the other end of the line. “We’ll be in touch tomorrow night when you get to Beatty. Sally sends her love.”
She waited through the silence that seemed to stretch forever. Now was his chance to tell them, and when the words didn’t come, she knew the answer. But still, she had to make sure. “Did he come home?”
Mason moved closer to her side. His gaze was fixed on the radio like he had x-ray vision and could see through the miles they’d put between them. She placed her hand on her son’s back and let herself wish alongside him.
“No word yet.” Arthur sighed. “But we’re keeping an eye out.”
Her heart broke all over again when Mason’s shoulders dropped, but she put on a brave face for her son as she handed over the transceiver.
“Miss you, Art.” Caterpillar kissed the speaker with a loud smack.
“I’ll give you something to miss…”
Caterpillar turned off the radio.
“It’s okay, buddy,” Tessa whispered against the top of Mason’s head as she pulled him close to her side. “He’ll be back soon.”
Mason nodded, struggling not to cry, and she glanced up at Robin who was holding back tears too.
Emily stood up and brushed the dirt from her pants with a dramatic yawn. “Is it bedtime yet?”
Tessa fished out a book from the suitcase and read the kids a story. Then she tucked them under the dusty red comforter on the queen-sized bed in the back of the spare RV camper that Caterpillar rented out to Airbnb guests. She turned off the battery powered fairy lights above their heads as they fell asleep. There was a compost toilet rigged in the bathroom and a gas-powered range in the small kitchenette that she tiptoed past. The beige shag carpet muted her steps.
Robin laid with her legs stretched across the two-seater fold out couch. She flipped through an old wedding gown magazine from the coffee table with Landon’s Winchester rifle propped by her side.
“You should get some sleep.” Tessa sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “It’s been a really long day.”
“Maybe you should take your own advice.” Robin glanced up. The bruise on her face was fading to a dark yellow with purple streaks, but the sight of it made Tessa’s protective anger rise all over again.
“I’m serious. Get some sleep. Your body needs to heal.”
“My body is fine.” Robin ran her tongue over the scab on her bottom lip. “But if you’re going to insist on driving and handling everything by yourself, the least I can do is stand watch for a couple of hours so you can sleep. I’d prefer not to die in a fiery crash tomorrow when you nod off at the wheel.”
“I didn’t say I…” Tessa’s voice trailed off. Did I say I didn’t need help? “I just don’t want to put anymore pressure on you after everything you’ve gone through. But I’m not stupid enough to say that I don’t need help. Everyone needs help.”
Saying those words aloud sent a tremor up her spine and she felt like she couldn’t breathe in enough air. Tessa turned, lowering her face so Robin wouldn’t see it twisted with worry. It’s okay to need help. Landon would laugh at her right now and she knew it.
“Look,” Robin broke the awkward silence. “I owe you a lot for kidnapping me.”
“I didn’t kid—”
“Whatever you want to call it,” Robin cut her off. “But thank you again for saving me from myself and dragging me to safety even though I’m a stranger. I promise that I’m not a child that needs saving though, and I am not a threat. You can trust me.”
“I do trust you,” Tessa whispered, suddenly so tired it was hard to see. “But I don’t know who else to trust.” Robin drew her knees to her chest and Tessa made her way to the couch, slumping down on the worn cushions.
They sat quietly for a few moments until Robin reached over and placed a warm hand on her back. “I’ll try not to freak out when men get too close anymore.”
“You have every right to be cautious.” Tessa shook her head. “Never apologize for that.”
“Okay,” Robin said. “Then I promise to always tell you when you’re being stupid. You can trust me and yourself and those weird mom instincts. And also, go to bed. It’s late and, like I said, I’m not ready to die just yet.”
“Me either.” Tessa smiled and tried to bury the fear behind a healthy dose of sarcasm. “Wake me up in a few hours and then you can get your beauty rest while I take the next shift.”
Moose padded over to the couch, taking her spot as she stood, and curled up next to Robin. She stroked his fur as she settled back in with her magazine.
“Traitor.” Tessa rolled her eyes.
She crawled into bed next to her babies and pulled them close, feeling the warmth of their breath on her skin. But sleep eluded her as she stayed alert listening for a foreign noise or something that needed her attention. You can trust Robin.
Still, her mind wouldn’t shut off. First-night syndrome. Tessa sighed, remembering the study she’d read on human brains and how one hemisphere didn’t completely relax on the first night in a new environment. Some leftover relic from the caveman days probably. The body’s will to survive even when unconscious. Landon would say that she worried too much. Don’t think about Landon.
But she couldn’t stop imagining what he would say about them being here or what it would feel like for him if he ever came back home to their empty house. When he comes home. The hollow ache of loneliness expanded in her chest.
Emily turned, mumbling something from her dreams, and wrapped her arms around Tessa’s waist. Soft tears rolled down her cheeks as she stroked the curls on her daughter’s head until sheer exhaustion shut down the conscious part of her brain and carried her away.