Starlight in the Heavens - 13. Chapter 13

Part 13 - Brian

Before meeting up with Mandy and Anthony, my plan had been to head out to Denver and settle in. I was born a city boy, and in a way, the city was comfortable. It was something I knew. The city was also a place where I could blend. No one cared enough about the person next to them to even notice if they were different. It was also a place that I could maybe find someone to settle down with. I was tired of one offs— meet me in the bathroom for a quick blow, take me home for a night of play— all of it. When it came right down to it... I was damn tired of life itself.

So, when I came across a little gang of perverts roughing up a woman and kid, no one was more surprised than me that I got involved. And no one was more surprised that I put myself in the place of watcher and protector of said woman and kid. Okay, maybe the kid. I'd always had a soft spot for little kids, especially when they were threatened. It just didn't seem right to me, to pick on someone so young.

But, the woman was another story altogether. I had three sisters, and between them and my mother, I knew that women were nuts. Even outside my family, I'd spent enough time in school and work to deeply ingrain my thoughts on the female persuasion. I was not persuaded. No way, no how.

So, why did I feel the need to protect this woman? Maybe it was just because she was the kid's mom. Yeah, that was it. Sure... keep telling yourself that. But, there was more to it. I just didn't have a clue what it was.

A sign at the side of the highway said there was food up at the next exit, and a glance in the rearview mirror told me Anthony was getting hungry. He was rubbing his belly and staring at the mirror. What a funny guy. He wouldn't come right out and ask for something to eat. I was guessing that had something to do with the way he and his mom had been traveling. So, he would just stare and hope I'd get the message.

I grinned at him and nudged Mandy. She was staring out the window at the passing scenery and turned to look at me.

"I'm going to stop in the town up ahead. Lunch sound good to you?"

She gave me the same placating smile she had when I'd suggested the restaurant the night before and the cafe that morning. Her eyes seemed even more faded than when we first met. I felt a pause when I realized that she was giving up. She knew her son was safe with me... and she was letting go.

I didn't understand that attitude. She was his mother. It was a mother's responsibility to care for, nurture, love, and protect her child. Uh huh, just like my mother did for me. Not for the first time, I found myself wondering where Anthony's father was in all this mess.

Mandy wouldn't say much, about him or the reason she had taken off with her son. I gathered that there had been problems with some of the people where they'd lived. She'd said the problems were very similar to what I'd experienced in the restroom the night before. People were drawn to Anthony, and not all of them were innocent.

There was a small cafe not far off the highway exit and I decided we'd give it a try. When we pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car, I paused and looked around. Something about this little town intrigued me. It felt comfortable... like home. I'd never felt that way about a place, especially for a town under five thousand. That was just too confining. I couldn't very well hide in a place like that. Still, maybe I'd been hiding for too long. Maybe losing myself in another city wasn't such a good thing to do... especially now that I had two others that depended on me.

I felt Anthony's small hand as it slipped into mine and smiled down at the boy. He was such an angel.

"You ready for some grub?"

He giggled. "Yep."

When I lifted him up and settled him against my hip, he surprised the hell out of me by throwing his arms around my neck and planting a sloppy kiss on my unshaven cheek.

"I like you, Uncle Brian. You're funny."

He was still giggling as I walked around the car to collect Mandy. She was still sitting in the passenger seat and staring out the window.

"Mandy," I tapped on the glass. "Come on out."

She looked up at me, but didn't move to open the door until Anthony put a hand on the glass. Then her gaze shifted to her son. I swear you could see the light come back into her eyes as she looked into Anthony's. I set Anthony down and opened the door. Just as fast as the sparkle came into her eyes, it faded. Something was seriously not right with this woman. I just couldn't figure out what it was.

"Come on, Mandy. Let's get something to eat."

She allowed me to guide her into the cafe. There wasn't a host or hostess, so we did as the sign in front said and found our own table. It didn't take long for a waitress to come over and introduce herself as there weren't but a couple other patrons visible. I ignored them for the most part and took a look at the menu. Pretty normal fare for a cafe, I thought I'd settle for a burger and fries. Mandy didn't even look at the one she had in front of her. Anthony sat in on his knees looking at the pictures.

"What would you like, bud?"

"Hmmm, can I have this?" His small finger pressed against a picture of a grilled cheese and tomato. Leave it to a kid to pick grilled cheese.

"Sure you can. You want some soup too?"

"Yeah!" Such exuberance at the thought of soup. I had to snicker.

"Let's see... they have chicken noodle or vegetable beef."

He scrunched up his face as he thought about his options. I was on the verge of letting loose a full blown belly laugh when his face softened... decision made.

"Chicken."

The waitress, she'd said her name was Judy, came over with a booster seat. "Here, kiddo, you might be more comfy sitting with this."

His eyes sparkled at me when I lifted him so she could place the riser on his seat. When I set him back down and Judy pushed the chair in close to the table, Anthony rested a hand on her arm before she could leave.

"Thanks," was all he said, but you would have sworn he'd just given her a million dollar tip by the smile on her smile.

"Sure thing, honey." She winked at him and turned her attention to me as I sat down. "You guys know what you'd like?"

I glanced at Mandy and sighed. Would she eat if food was put in front of her? Maybe if I got her a bowl of soup.

"Yeah, I think we are. I'll have the burger and fries, medium, with a coke. The lady will have a bowl of vegetable beef," I glanced at Anthony and watched him nod, "soup and a glass of raspberry tea. And the short one," Anthony giggled, "will have a grilled cheese with tomato and a cup of chicken noodle. I think maybe a glass of milk to go with that."

Anthony nodded his head with enthusiasm. The boy had a firm love of milk.

When the food arrived, I put a spoon in Mandy's hand and touched her cheek. She turned to me and when I said, "Eat," she complied, though not with any life.

As we ate, I took note of the other customers. There were only three tables being served at the moment and two of them held unremarkable patrons. They were what you would expect to see in an off the highway diner. But the third...

She sat unmoving and stared at the three of us. Each time I looked at her, I felt a tingle along my spine. An older lady, my guess would have been maybe sixty years of age. But my guesses weren't all that good. Her hair was long and white, braided and hanging at her back. Her eyes were an almost opaque light blue, and the intensity of her gaze was stifling.

"What's with the woman?" I asked Judy at the end of our meal.

"Woman?" She looked around before pausing. "Oh... Miss Sherry."

"Yeah... if that's her name; she's been staring at us since we sat down."

"Oh, no... no, she can't stare. Well... I mean, she looks like she's staring, but really, she's just facing in your direction." Judy bent closer to my ear and whispered. "Miss Sherry's blind."

Okay, that explained the opaque look of her eyes. But, I could swear...

"Child."

I jumped, hitting my knees against the table. Of course, this sent Anthony into a fit of giggles. I traded glaring at him with looking with surprise at the woman we'd just been discussing. Back and forth between the two. I must have made quite the spectacle, because all too soon, the kid was in hysterics.

"Shhh."

I stared at 'Miss Sherry' when Anthony went quiet. She had one finger against her mouth in the all known gesture of "let's be quiet now". Her hands were those of a twenty year old— strong, slender, and without blemish. Her face, though seemingly plain, was bright with life. It was only her hair, and the strangeness of her eyes that made one think of age. Or maybe not... like I said; I'm no good at things like that.

Miss Sherry stood between Mandy and me and put a hand on Mandy's shoulder. One second Mandy was dead still, and the next, she was in the woman's arms and sobbing.