Page 64 of Left Behind

Ava pointed to the one on top. “That one, Bubba! It’s tall like you.”

He grinned. “You’re right! It is pretty high up there, and it’s just waiting for me.” He took it from the platter. “Cinnamon roll! Get in my mouth!” he announced, and took a big bite.

For some reason, that struck Ava as funny, and she collapsed in giggles. After that, every time she took a bite, she said, “Get in my mouth,” and Wiley would laugh like they were the funniest two people they knew.

Finally, the meal was over, and Wiley sent her to wash up while he cleaned up the kitchen. But as it began to get dark, he noticed Ava was getting anxious. She began worrying about the window shades being open, so he pulled the shades, and then the curtains need to be closed. But she was still pacing and uneasy, and finally, Wiley sat down beside her.

“What’s wrong, honey? Are you afraid of the dark? Tell me.”

“You have to pull the shades and curtains and stay away from the windows. At night, they shoot guns and fight in the street.”

A wave of horror washed over him. “That doesn’t happen here.” And then he thought of the bank robbery and being shot less than two months ago. “And if there ever is a bad man with a gun anywhere in town, the police grab him and put him in jail. I’m a policeman. That’s my job. I will always keep you safe, and I will always come to help you when you need it.”

She was staring at him intently, watching his face, hearing the words, and he doubted that she believed him. Only time would ease this fear. “Come on, we’ll go all through the house and make sure all the shades are shut and the curtains drawn, okay?”

He got up, took her by the hand, and they walked the entire house, checking the windows to make sure they were locked, and the shades and curtains pulled. And then he turned on the little lamp by her bed. The night-lights were on in the hall and in the bathrooms, and she could see all of the corners in all of the rooms and be satisfied no one was there.

“Is that better?” he asked.

She nodded.

He picked her up and hugged her. “I’m so sorry Corina didn’t keep you safe, but I will, understand?”

She hid her face in the curve of his neck and said nothing, but he felt her relax.

“Hey, how about I wash your hair at the kitchen sink; then you can try out your bathtub and have bubbles in it? Does that sound like a deal?”

Ava nodded, intrigued by the idea of washing her hair at the sink, and even more intrigued by the idea of bubbles in a bathtub.

Wiley got a step stool, a towel, and shampoo and headed for the kitchen with Ava at his side.

“You climb up here,” he said. “All you have to do is hold on to the edge of the sink and lean over, and I’ll do the rest. We’ll put this towel around your neck so I won’t splash your clothes.”

“Miss Mattie did this, too, when there weren’t too many dishes in the sink,” Ava said.

Wiley winced, wondering how many dirty pots and plates she’d had to dodge and then let it go. That was then, and this was now.

“Good, then you know how this works,” he said, and when the water was just right, he draped the towel around her little shoulders and leaned her over.

“Close your eyes. This won’t take long,” he said.

She flinched when the water hit the back of her head, but she didn’t say a word. By the time he got to the shampoo part, she was leaning against him.

“Am I scrubbing too hard?” he asked.

“No, Bubba. It feels good,” she said.

When he began to rinse out the soap, he was struck again by how fragile she felt. Her tiny bones were too prominent, but he doubted anyone could match Ava’s fortitude. She was the epitome of a survivor.

“All done, sugar!” he said, and pulled the towel up around her hair and gently squeezed until the water quit dripping. To his delight, when he removed the towel, her head was a mass of thick, white-blond natural curls. “Wow. Just look at how pretty you are!” he said.

“I wanna see!” Ava cried.

“Go look in your mirror. You are so pretty!”

Ava’s eyes widened. “Am I pretty as Corina?”

Wiley frowned. “She’s not the standard by which we judge beauty, little girl. You can’t be pretty on the outside if your insides are all mean and hateful.”

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