Page 26 of Now and Forever

“They’ve set a trial date. The prosecutors would like Seth to fly out there so they can take another statement.”

“Another…?” Malcolm groaned. “Is that typical?”

“Fairly. They want to verify they have all their ducks in a row. Get a sense of what Seth’s going to be like on the witness stand, find out if he’s remembered anything new or if his story has changed. All those factors combined determine how they’ll build their case when it goes to trial.”

Malcolm ran a hand across the top of his head. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.” He let out a long sigh. “When?”

“This week, if you can manage it. The sooner the better. I told them I’d discuss everything with you then get back to them.”

“Jesus,” Malcolm muttered. “I’ll let you know Tuesday.”

“Not a fan of Mondays?”

Malcolm gritted his teeth. “Not when my boy’s GED final falls on that day.”

* * * *

Seth had never been on a plane before. Daddy had given him the window seat so he could enjoy the view and he had to admit it was rather spectacular. The flight was short, so they’d be landing soon, but that only added to his nerves. Even though meeting with the prosecutors wasn’t as terrifying as having to take the witness stand, it would still be a reminder of what was to come.

And, he’d be back on Idaho soil.

Daddy took his hand. “We’ll leave the minute you’re done with the prosecutors, baby. Then when we get back, we’ll take that trip to Cannon Beach that I’ve been promising.”

Seth kept his gaze trained on the tiny squares of land and farms below them but squeezed Daddy’s fingers. “That’s okay, you don’t have to do that on my account.” He was considering taking a nap for about a month when they returned home.

“What if I want to do it on my account too?”

Seth turned away from the scenery and regarded Daddy. He was being selfish. “Sorry. You’re right.” He offered him the closest thing to a smile he could manage. “That would be nice.”

Daddy brought their joined hands together and kissed his knuckles. “I’m looking forward to it.”

The flight attendant made an announcement that they were preparing for landing and Seth tensed. Daddy checked his seatbelt then hooked his arm through Seth’s and laced their fingers together again. If only he could calm down, make Daddy proud of how strong he was. Seth swallowed hard. But he wasn’t brave. He was on the verge of breaking apart.

By the time the plane’s wheels hit the runway and the roar of the brakes filled the cabin, droplets of sweat had beaded on Seth’s upper lip. He swiped the back of his free hand across his mouth, then realized his hairline was just as bad.

“Damn,” he whispered. “Damn, damn, damn.”

Daddy didn’t admonish him. Instead, he gently stroked his arm and rubbed his thumb over and over Seth’s skin. As they slowly taxied to the gate, Seth closed his eyes and counted his breaths. He needed to pull himself together. Allowing his past to infringe on his present needed to end.Shut Your Eyesby Snow Patrol jumped into his head and he sang it to himself. The song had become his anthem, helping him to focus and remember it was about him and Daddy together no matter what.

Once the seatbelt light had turned off, Seth marveled at the mad rush to exit the plane. Maybe the passengers had somewhere important to be or were excited because someone they missed was waiting to see them. Seth tried not to cling to Daddy. Being back in Idaho was messing with his head and he had the bizarre impression that if someone saw him touching Daddy, they’d report him to the church.

Daddy grabbed their bags from the overhead bin then handed Seth his. They’d packed light since they didn’t plan on staying long, so they didn’t need to bother with baggage claim. Once they were herded off the plane, Seth noted that the terminal was similar to Portland’s, but seemed as if it might be smaller. He’d probably be able to tell better once they were outside. However, it was clean, nicely laid out and boasted small shops and restaurants the way PDX had.

Daddy came to an abrupt halt and Seth stumbled.

“Hello. What brings you here, Detective Smith?”

Seth’s throat closed up. He’d hoped they’d have a chance to make it to the hotel and get settled first before speaking with anyone.

The detective regarded them sheepishly. “I’d hoped to reach you before you boarded. When I couldn’t, I decided to come greet you in person, explain the situation.”

“Explain what?” Daddy sounded irritated.

Detective Smith sighed. “Why don’t we sit down and grab some coffee. There are a lot of details I need to share with you.”

He gestured toward a bagel shop that was part of the short row of food services and a tourist shop.

Daddy nodded after a moment of consideration. “All right.” He turned to Seth. “Unless you’d rather not right now? We can wait, baby, but I’d rather we hear what he has to say so you’re not stressing about everything.”

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