My exhaustion suddenly hit me like a wave, and I stifled a yawn. "I should go get some rest."
"Yeah. You should," Tanner replied gently.
I turned to smile at him, feeling a warm glow of gratitude towards my friend. Tanner had become a true ally to Jaimie and me.
Stepping closer to him, I whispered in his ear, "I'm glad you and your brother finally found each other. I'm glad someone of your own is here for you again."
He looked puzzled as I bid them goodnight and watched them exit the room.
As I walked closer to the bed, where my baby slept soundly, I wished Xazix could help Tanner overcome his struggles with alcoholism.
Silently, I climbed onto the bed, gazing at my little one's peaceful face. I pressed a tender kiss to his rosy cheek and watched his tiny chest rise and fall rhythmically.
"Luck is on our side, Jaimie," I whispered, smiling wistfully. "We are safe again...for now, at least." But I knew that Dale would never let go of his possession, and I couldn't rely on others to protect us indefinitely.
One day at a time, I reminded myself, taking solace in the progress I had made so far.
That was my last thought as I fell asleep.
3
TANNER
As Xazix and I walked out of the room, I couldn't help but feel surprised at Jasamina's gesture of hugging me. She had always been afraid of any physical contact, so this was unexpected.
Xazix noticed my surprise and asked, "A penny for your thoughts?"
I grunted in response, not wanting to talk about it just yet. I had a feeling that Xazix wanted to have a serious conversation with me, and I wasn't ready for it.
"We have to talk," he said, motioning towards the nearby chairs.
I knew exactly what he wanted to talk about, but I remained silent as we made our way to the living room. We settled down on two different couches, facing each other.
Silence lingered in the air as we waited for someone to start the conversation. Finally, Xazix spoke up. "What happened, Tan?"
"What happened when?" I asked, trying to avoid the inevitable.
"Two years ago. What happened after the accident? What happened to you? Where did you go?"
I couldn't bring myself to talk about it. The pain and memories were still too fresh in my mind. The accident had left me broken, physically and mentally. It was the worst day of my life.
"I...I'd rather not talk about that," I replied, closing my eyes in an attempt to keep the memories at bay. I stood up from the couch and walked over to the fridge, grabbing the only non-alcoholic beer in there. Jasamina and the baby had made me quit drinking alcohol. I didn't want to scare her with my drunken behavior, and I knew I wouldn't be much help to her if I was constantly intoxicated.
"Here," I said, handing Xazix a can of the non-alcoholic beer. He accepted it, and we both opened our cans.
Xazix was still waiting for me to answer his question, but I couldn't. I didn't want to relive that horrible day. It was better to be numb and deaf to the world than to think and remember.
I just can't.
XAZIX
Asking Tanner about what happened two years ago was like opening a door that he didn't want to walk through. The expression on his face was enough to tell me that he didn't want to talk about it. It was clear that something terrible had happened to him and the pain was still raw.
I watched as he went to the kitchen to get two cans of beer, handing one to me. I took a big gulp, still studying his face. He wasn't going to talk about it anytime soon, so I decided to change the subject.
"What have you been doing since then?" I asked, trying to break the silence.
He looked at his can and replied, "Drinking."
"Why drinking?" I inquired.
"It helps me cope. The bottle has been my only companion for the past two years. I just wander around, getting drunk to keep the memories at bay. It's hard to think when you're drunk," he smiled without humor, "That's what I've been doing."
The room fell silent afterward, leaving me unsure of what to say. I couldn't fathom what could have turned my brother into the person he is now. He seemed like a shadow of himself, and it broke my heart to see him that way.
"What about you?" he suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
"What do you mean?" I asked back.
"How have you been? What have you been up to? How's everything back home?" he questioned.
"After you 'left,' I had to quit my bounty hunting job and come back home to help out with the family business. Without you, Mother and Father were never the same, so I had to step up and take care of things for them. Your supposed 'death' really affected them, and they still aren't the same till now."