Page 125 of Left Behind

Linette sighed with relief. She’d known her dad was going to pull the “Daddy’s-girl routine, and Ava had just saved her from that.

“Ava, honey, let’s go to the living room and sit down so you can open your gift, okay?”

Ava led the way, chattering, but the moment she sat down, she noticed the shades were up and the curtains still open.

“Bubba, the curtains,” she whispered.

“Ah…right!” Wiley said, He began lowering shades and pulling curtains shut, then went through the house doing the same to all the windows, while Ava began tearing into her present.

“What’s happening?” Angela whispered.

“It has to do with where Ava lived before. She doesn’t feel safe until all the windows are covered. Drive-by shootings and gang-related neighborhood, I think.”

Chuck frowned. “Bless her heart.”

“And bless Wiley’s, too,” Linette said. “He’s the one who rescued her from it.”

And then Ava squealed just as Wiley came back into the room. “Bubba! Jewelry! Now I have two necklaces! Thank you, Nana. Thank you, Papa.” She jumped up and ran to Linette. “Linnie, look! It has a pink jewel! Can I wear it for a while?”

“Absolutely,” Linette said. She put it around Ava’s neck and fastened the clasp.

The moment she did, Ava shot out of the room.

“Where’s she going?” Angela asked.

“To look at herself in the mirror,” Wiley said. “I keep telling her she’s pretty, but she has a hard time seeing that in herself.”

“Why?” Angela asked.

“Because the woman who gave birth to her told her daily that she was a mistake. Because she was ignored and abused for the entirety of her seven years, and it breaks my heart. We didn’t know she existed until just a couple of months ago,” he said.

Linette walked up behind Wiley and put her hand on his shoulder. “I’m going to tell you now,” she said to her parents. “Ava and Wiley may not look alike, and the age difference is obvious, but they are two peas in a pod when it comes to honesty. They didn’t come with filters. We laugh daily at Ava’s view of the world.”

“And other times say to ourselves it’s a damn good thing Corina Dalton lives a long way away,” he muttered. “Oh. FYI…if she mentions Miss Mattie tonight, just know that’s the old neighbor who used to look after her for days on end when Corina would disappear.”

“My God,” Chuck muttered. “Where’s Miss Mattie now?”

“Ava just says, ‘Miss Mattie dropped dead.’ We don’t really know what prompted it, but from Ava’s standpoint, Miss Mattie was good. Corina was mean.”

“Ava also says Corina was an ass, which I am certain came straight out of her brother’s mouth first, but one cannot deny a truth,” Linette said.

Chuck burst out laughing. His estimation of Wiley Pope was rising.

“Supper is ready. Wiley, will you please tell Ava it’s time to eat?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and was out of the room in three long strides.

“Lord, but he’s big,” Chuck said.

“All the Popes are big, Daddy. He’s one of four, and the youngest brother is taller than all of them. There is also a whole mountain of giants just like them. If they are related to the Popes, they grow tall. Come to the kitchen. I made your favorite entrée and Mom’s favorite dessert.”

“Meat loaf and mashed potatoes?” Chuck asked.

“Poppyseed cake with pineapple filling and cream cheese frosting?” Angela asked.

Linette smiled. “Yes, to both of you. Follow me.”

Chapter 19

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