Slowly rising from the chair, my muscles protested and made it known what they’d endured in that tobacco field. I eased closer and looked Pa over. It was the most peaceful I’d ever seen him. Too bad drugs knocking him out was what it took to achieve it. I brushed his long, wild hair off his forehead and then smoothed the side of his bushy beard, praying to God that this would be a turning point. Considering we’d already passed the breaking point, I guess there was nowhere else to go but to make some sort of turn.

Vance drove me home and walked me to the door. Cupping my cheeks in his palms, he said resolutely, “We’ll get through this together.” He pressed his lips to my forehead.

I was tired of getting through everything by myself, so I really liked the sound of that. Clearly I was failing anyway. “’Kay.” I leaned forward and kissed him. It was just a brief peck, and then I let myself in the house.

I autopiloted through a thorough shower, rebandaged my arm, and dressed in a clean shirt and pair of shorts so I’d be prepared for whatever showed up next. I fell face-first into the bed. As my body began to float in a doze, the bed dipped on both sides. I rolled over and stretched my arms out in invitation. Two small bodies snuggled close. Clinging to the twins, I let go for a while and gave in to sleep.

Chapter 15: AFTERMATH

An entire day was lost after Pa’s catastrophic tornado, as if the turbulence from Friday night had managed to wipe away Saturday. The hospital called to let me know they were not allowing visitors, so it was best to stay home and work on recovering myself. Once the nurse reassured me Pa was resting and would remain sedated, I took them up on it and hunkered down with my sister and brothers the entire day.

We barely left the shelter of my room. At one point Charlotte pilfered the kitchen and came up with two loaves of white bread and a jar of peanut butter that sufficed as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No one wanted to leave the room or talk, so we mainly rested. Vance was somewhere in the house, but not invading our personal moment of mourning and coming to terms with all that had transpired. No one gave him permission to stay, nor did he ask for it, but it was a comfort to know he was there if we needed him.