Page 128 of Behind the Bars

“I can just imagine his mind spinning. It’s breaking my heart…” Elliott had been MIA for hours now, with no word. The sun had set a while ago, and still, he wasgone.

“I know, me too. I just can’t imagine where he might be.” He exhaled audibly. “We checked every gym, every jazz bar, hell, even the music corner on Frenchmen Street, and nothing. I literally have no clue…maybe we should wait for him to cool off? I’m sure he’ll return toDaze.”

My mind was racing, and my gut was tight with nerves. “Jason, can we check one more place?” Iasked.

He put his car into drive and nodded. “Just tell mewhere.”

We parked the car and hurried to the alleyway on Frenchmen Street. Jason let out a sigh of relief as we stared at Elliott sitting on top of thedumpster.

“Thank God,” he whispered. “Should we both goor…?”

“I’ll go,” I told him. “If you could let Laura know we found him, that would be great. Thank you for everything.” I pulled him into ahug.

“Of course.Anytime.”

He headed out, and I took a few moments to observe Elliott. His shoulders were rounded, and his hands gripped the edge of the dumpster. He seemed sodefeated.

“Hey.” I smiled, walking hisway.

He looked up and gave me a broken grin. “Hey.”

“Can I sit withyou?”

He took a moment before he scooted over, making room for me to join him. “I’m s-sorry.” His voice cracked. “I’m sorry for yelling at you. My mindwas…”

“Hurting. Your mind was hurting, and I understand. You just worried us, that’s all.” I lay my head on his shoulder and scooted closer to him. “Talk tome?”

His body shifted a bit before he reached out to take my hand into his. “I just don’t get it. I’ve been going over it in my head all day. I don’t get why she’d w-want to visit him. I don’t getit.”

“Your mother’s a beautiful woman, and she’s smart. She wouldn’t just make this decision without having a solid reason of her own. You know this. You know yourmom.”

“She’s toogood.”

I shook my head. “We need more people like her. We need more people who are toogood.”

He grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. “I still don’t understand,though.”

“I know, but maybe that’s the thing, ya know? Maybe it’s not for us tounderstand.”

“What do youmean?”

“She has her reasons. She didn’t ask you to come over for you to talk her in or out of going. She had already decided,Eli.”

“Then why did she callme?”

“For you to hold herhand.”

He swallowed hard and closed his eyes. “This isn’t about Todd’s or Marie’s healing, isit?”

“No, it’s about your mom’shealing.”

“Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you for not letting me wander toofar.”

“Always.” I glanced around the alleyway and listened to the music coming from the bars. “Why did you come back here?” Iasked.

“Because I wanted to stay angry. I didn’t want to ease up on my fury about what happened, if that makessense.”

“It does. Is it hard for you? Being backhere?”

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