Page 56 of In the Shadows

“Ricky, it’s so good to see your face,” she said.

“Well, I have a face that will make you even happier to see.” I turned the phone so Joey’s face showed.

“Oh My God!” she screamed, and the motherly tears began flowing. “Joseph Thomas Hayes, don’t you ever scare us like that again!” Now she was full blown balling and so was he.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” he slipped. “I mean Mary, I didn’t mean to.”

“Don’t correct yourself, I know what you mean to my boy and calling me mom is inevitable so feel free to start now.”

Fuck, now I was crying with them. The grip my hand had on his tightened.

“Okay, Mom,” he told her. We could hear Brandon in the background as it was dinner time in Seattle.

“Someone heard your name and is chanting ‘JoJo’ so I better hand the phone over.”

Before she could move out of the way, Brandon’s face popped up in its place. “JoJo! Ricky!”

“Hey, buddy,” we both said.

“JoJo, did you get gum in your hair? Mom had to cut mine too when I did,” he said, and we laughed at the innocence in his question.

Damn it, it felt good to laugh again.

“No, bud, JoJo got hurt,” I told him.

“JoJo okay?” His little face turned sad and I instantly regretted saying that to him.

“I’ll be okay, bud,” Joey told him, “but I miss you.”

“I miss you too, JoJo. When you come see me?” he asked.

“Hopefully in a couple weeks Ricky and I will be home,” Joey told him.

“Yeah!” he cheered. “How many times do I have to sleep until then?” he asked, trying to count on his fingers.

“Um, fourteen,” I told him which I knew was too high for him to count, “but when it gets closer we’ll call and let you know for sure, okay?”

“’Kay.”

“Tell them bye, Brandon,” I heard my mom say in the background.

“Bye, Ricky. Bye, JoJo. Love you,” he told us.

“Love you too, buddy,” we both said before Mom took control of the phone back.

“He looks forward to these calls, I swear anytime mine or Brett’s phones ring he races us to them. Crazy kid.”

We laughed.

“But seriously, Joey, it’s so good to see your face. You scared us. Is your dad still there?”

“Yeah, so are the guys. They started PT with me today so they can help transport me home,” he told her.

“When is that?”

“They said if all goes well I should be sprung in two weeks. Stoli, I mean Ricky,” he blushed at his mistake, “has been amazing.”

“My boy loves you,” she told him. “Take good care of his heart, okay?”

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