Page 54 of Question Everything

“Let’s go,” he replied, and she stood first, turned and reached out her hand to help him up off the soft cushions.

Just then both Conor and Tim came back down the staircase. Each had a gun in their hand.

She felt a shiver run up her spine.

“What’s going on?” Kyle asked, his voice laced with concern.

“Someone’s in the backyard. We’re going to see who it is and handle it.”

“Not without me, you’re not.” Kyle turned to his brothers and said, “Wait for me. I’m going to get my gun.”

Then he grabbed Maeve’s hand, and she could feel the intensity in his grip. “Go get my mom and Sibby and tell them to take the kids to the cedar closet. Send my dad to me and take Daisy to the safe room. Remember what I told you to do?”

“Lock the door and be very quiet?”

“Exactly. Do it now. Go and hide. I’ll come get you when we know more.”

She nodded her head. “Wait. What about Millie?”

Just then Kyle’s youngest sister appeared, gun in hand, Geoff trailing behind her. “Let’s do this, boys,” was all she said.

As he was about to let her go, Maeve pulled Kyle close and said, “Please be careful.” Then, in a whisper she hoped only he could hear she said, “I love you. Come back for me.”

He looked at her and she instantly knew one thing for sure. She was never going to be able to go and leave him behind. She had never loved anyone the way she loved him and that had to count for something.

Maeve hurriedup the stairs and found the door to Sibby’s room open. She was not there, but Maeve realized that she must have gone to get her children and rouse her parents. Moving further down the hallway, she found them huddled together in the boys’ room.

“We’re heading to the basement. I’ll go get Daisy. Take a warm sweatshirt. It’s cold down there.”

Sibby just nodded her head in agreement as she tried to wrangle her sons together, all three of them sleepy and confused. As she held her youngest child, Maeve noticed a crack in Sibby’s armor. Her hands were shaking.

“It’s going to be okay, Sib. Kyle won’t let anyone harm us. I know it.” Maeve reached out and placed her hands over Sibby’s, squeezing lightly.

Sibby’s eyes widened for a second, but then she drew in a deep breath and composed herself once more. “Let’s go boys. Time for an adventure,” she said quietly in a falsely upbeat tone.

Maeve gave her a quick wink and ran down the hallway for Daisy. The baby was sleeping soundly, blissfully unaware of what was going on around her. She lifted the warm child up into her arms, hoping that she wouldn’t wake. Then she grabbed a blanket, threw it over Daisy and rushed back to the staircase just as Sibby, her mother and the boys started to make their way downstairs. Kyle’s father had already grabbed his own gun and was formulating a plan with his sons.

It was dark. Just the faint glow from the dying embers in the fireplace offered the dimmest light in the corners of the room, but the house was now familiar to her, and Maeve knew the way. Kyle was waiting for them at the basement door. He had one finger over his lips to indicate to his nephews that he didn’t want them to say a word. He silently ushered them all down the wooden steps and when Maeve, who was bringing up the rear,reached him, he whispered in her ear. “We talked about this eventuality. You know what to do.”

“Be careful, Kyle. Please.”

“Don’t come out until I give you the ‘all clear’ signal, understand?”

“Yes,” she whispered as she took one final step into the cedar closet. She turned to him. “Just promise me that you’ll come back.”

“I won’t be able to stay away,” was the last thing he said before he shut the door, leaving her with his family and the overwhelming guilt that she’d brought this plague into this house. She turned the lock and looked at Sibby and Colleen. “I’m so sorry,” was all she could say.

“Don’t be,” Sibby said. “You’re family now, and that means you have our protection. We stand up for one another. Always.”

The tears threatened again, and Maeve willed them away. She had to be strong; that’s what Kyle would want of her.

Colleen was pulling some of the ski jackets off the rack and creating makeshift sleeping bags for the children. “Come gather around, you hooligans,” she said to her grandsons. “I’ll tell you a story.” Her lilting tone was calming, and the boys settled down quickly.

Sibby and Maeve both sank to the floor, each holding a sleeping baby, backs to the now locked and secured door.

“Do you think it’s those two men again?” Sibby asked. “You know, the ones who were trailing us at Halloween?”

Maeve blinked. “You know about that? Kyle didn’t want to scare you and tell you about them. He thought he’d succeeded.”

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