Sunshine Valley 

Lying there

     Dillon leaned up against the doorframe watching Evie sleep. His body and mind were torn in half. She was so beautiful lying there. How could anyone hurt her? Would she ever want to be in another relationship? Had he missed his chance? If he would have ran her down and told her how he felt all those years ago, would things be different? 

     This was his Evie. 

     He smiled to himself. She had the quilt wrapped under her chin but her feet were hangin’ out. A chuckle caught in his throat. Afraid he’d wake her. This was cute.

     When he was 10? 9 or 10? Now, he wasn’t sure. He had went home after school, laid his backpack beside the door, before walking into the kitchen. His dad was asleep at the kitchen table, snoring. Arms hanging loosely at his side. His mom was staring into the open fridge. He just stood in the doorway of the kitchen for a long time. Feeling the cool air from the fridge. Finally his mother flopped her greasy head around toward him, “what do you want?” She moaned more than talked. 

     In as timid of a voice as he could muster, he whispered, “I’m hungry.”

     A blood shot, red, swollen eye glared at him from the mass that was his dad’s head. With one swift motion; Dillon had never known his dad to move that fast before, the chair he was slumped over in slammed to the floor. Dillon jumped. His dad tore off his belt and started swinging the buckle at him. He screamed as the buckle connected with his side. Running for the door, his dad got several licks on Dillon’s back. He was able to snatch the back pack as he bolted for the door. 

     Jack picked the sobbing child up, took him home and Lily treated him and fed him. But it was Evie that talked him to sleep. Jack had made him a cot on the floor of Evie’s room. Much softer than his bed at home. Evie got out of her soft bed and made him trade places. When he laid down in her spot, her bed was the second softest thing he’d ever touched. Warm and smelt like heaven. His adult mind knew that would be what lying down beside her right now would feel like. 

     He wanted to kick off his boots and go lay down with her. Not in the floor beside the mattress but with her. Wrap his arms around her. Bury his nose in her hair. Feel the rise and fall of her back against his chest. 

     The longer he stood there, the weaker he was becoming. He felt gentle vibrations coming from his pocket. Time to go back. 

     He never knew what Jack said to his old friend. His dad never tried to beat him again. There were other, more cruel methods. 

Sunshine Valley