Page 98 of Left Behind

“Does Grammy have a mailbox?” she asked.

“Yes, she does, but it’s too early for the mail carrier, so we can’t get her mail and take it to her,” he said.

Ava thought about that. She knew what mailboxes were, but they’d never had one. Linette and Bubba’s mail went in the mailbox on their porch, and all of Corina’s mail had gone to a little box in the lobby of their apartment building, but then the thought of Corina made her frown.

Wiley saw the frown, but opted not to comment. Sometimes a person just needed to have a moment on their own without everyone wanting to know what was going on. He felt Linette’s anxiety and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

“Love you, baby. You’re fine, too.”

Linette rolled her eyes.

He winked.

A few minutes later, he began slowing down and then turned off the blacktop onto the gravel road that led to home.

Ava was all eyes now, a little cowed by the heavy growth of trees on either side of the driveway, but as they came out into a clearing and she saw a house with a big front porch that was as long as the house, she felt better.

Linette was in awe. This was anything but a simple mountain home.

“Is this home?” Ava asked.

“This is your grammy’s home,” Wiley said, and pulled up as close to the porch as he could get. “Stay seated, sugar. I’ll get you out and we’ll make a run for it.”

She grinned, entranced by the idea. “Make a run for it, Linnie,” she echoed.

Linette laughed. “I will,” she said, and pulled up the hood of her raincoat and made a run for the porch.

Wiley pulled the hood of his windbreaker up over his head and jumped out, circling the car to get Ava and Phillip. He pulled the hood of her poncho up over her head, tucked Phillip into her arms, and yanked her out.

They were immediately hammered by the falling rain, and Ava squealed.

“Run for it, Bubba!”

Wiley laughed and was up the steps and under the cover of the porch in seconds. They left their rain gear on a chair by the door and went inside.

“Mom! We’re home!” he called.

“I’m in the kitchen,” Shirley called.

“Something smells good,” Wiley said.

Linette sighed. Here we go.

Ava shivered with expectation. This house felt happy. She tucked Phillip back under her arm as they went.

Shirley was drying her hands at the sink when they walked in. “I’m so glad you all came to see me! Welcome to our home, Linette. You and Ava turned on the light in my very dreary day. The weather is a scandal, isn’t it?” Shirley said.

Wiley grinned. His mom had always referred to bad weather that way. “Don’t I turn on any lights?” he asked.

She swatted at his backside. “You light fires, Wiley. That’s why I love you.”

He dodged the swat. “What smells so good?”

“Brownies. I made a double batch.”

“My favorite,” Wiley said, then wrapped his arms around her, swung her off her feet and danced her across the floor, delighting in the laughter in his mother’s eyes.

“Put me down easy. I’m still wearing this cast for another week,” she said when he finally stopped.

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