Page 84 of Left Behind

Wiley nodded, imagining the woman in a full-blown hallucination.

“And what did the pills do to Clyde?” Wiley asked.

“He tried to kill his old lady and made two people dead. They never got to go home again, and the police put him in prison forever.”

The day was as still and hot as it could be, but in that moment, Wiley felt a cold wind blow through him. He set their drinks aside, pulled Ava into his arms, and held her, pulling her close. The words she knew. The life she’d witnessed, and now he was processing the answer to a question they’d had ever since Clyde Wallace nearly beat their mother to death, and why he shot two random people that day. They’d always known he was a mean drunk. And they’d always known he messed with drugs. But this put a whole new light on the why and how of it. Ava sat up, pointing. “Look! The man is hanging the swing, and the slide is there! Will I get to play on this today?”

“Yes, you will,” Wiley said.

“Will you take a picture?

“I will take a picture and send it to all of your brothers and sisters, and to Grammy.”

She shivered with excitement. She’d never been lauded before. Never posed for pictures for anyone. Never felt seen. Until Bubba.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

Wiley smiled as he returned the hug.

“Thank you for such a good hug,” he said.

“Thank you for my swing.”

Chapter 13

The crew was still working when lunchtime arrived, so Wiley coaxed Ava inside long enough to feed her, and then miracle of miracles, there was a knock at the back door, and when Wiley answered, the crew boss was there.

“It’s up and ready for testing,” he said. “Got a spare kid around here who might be willing to do that?”

“Me!” Ava shrieked. “I would be willing!”

Wiley laughed. “Then wipe your hands and face and let’s do this,” he said.

An hour later, Wiley and the crew were all still out in the yard, watching Ava try out all of the attachments on the swing set to make sure they were safe and secure. Once they were good to go, Wiley paid them, but Ava was launched into perpetual motion, sitting in the swing, going back and forth, and higher and higher. She had a death grip on the ropes and a gaze fixed on the sky above, and in her mind, she was flying, and Bubba was the wizard who’d given her wings.

She played until Wiley went out to bring her inside.

“Ava, you need to come in, get a drink, and cool off,” he said.

She didn’t argue. She didn’t beg. She just slid down the slide into his arms.

“It was fun, Bubba,” she said.

“Good. It’s not going anywhere. The swing is here now and so are you. It’ll be ready to play on after you’ve rested.”

She nodded and let him carry her into the house. He carried her to her bedroom, sat her on the bathroom counter and washed her face and hands with a cool, wet washcloth, gave her a big drink of water, then carried her to bed. Her head was drooping as he took off her shoes and tucked her and Pinky in beneath a blanket.

“Sleep good, Ava,” he whispered.

“Bubba?”

“What, honey?”

“You’ll still be here when I wake up?”

“Yes,” he said.

She sighed, pulled Pinky beneath her chin, and closed her eyes.

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