I See You (complete)

Chapter Sixteen - Part One

My parents agreed to let me stay home from school for the next two days. I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on anything anyway. The first day, let's call it Day One, I puttered around the house, attempted to reorganize my room, tidied up the kitchen pantry that didn't need tidying, and texted Claire and Lara whenever they texted me to tell me how boring class was. So, basically, I did nothing for a whole day. It felt like the longest day of my life.

Day Two was totally different. Rita texted me that morning to tell me that Cade was getting stronger and that he would probably be released the following morning. They'd taken the breathing tube out once he'd woken up and his throat was healing up. It had been so sore when he'd woken up. I thought of when he had shouted at me and how that must have hurt him in more ways than one.

His dad was still being held by the police and wouldn't be released without bail until his hearing in a few weeks, so he wasn't a worry. No one would pay bail for him.

Cade was going home soon.

Oh, how I wanted to be there when he got home. Rita texted again an hour later and said that she would be heading home to clean up the house. She wanted it to be nice for him when he got home. I texted her right back and asked if I could come and help her, to which she responded "yes" to my great relief. I needed something to do and it would feel so good to do something for Cade, and for Rita.

My mom had left the car at home for me in case I needed it, so I drove over and met Rita just before noon. We met at the door, and together, we walked into the house. Rita hadn't been home since it had all happened and I knew it was going to be hard for her to walk in. I was thankful I could be there with her.

It was a shamble in the light. Lamps overturned, couch cushions scattered throughout the room, a broken vase with deadened flowers on the floor, shattered fragments from a mirror all over the living room floor. There were empty beer cans littered everywhere, as well as an empty, broken bottle of whiskey. But the worst sight was the dried-up pool of blood at the end of the hallway that had been Cade's. Rita raised her hand to her mouth as she stared down at it. I took her other hand and squeezed it.

"He's okay. Everything will be okay," I assured her. She nodded and then straightened herself up and went into the kitchen. I followed close behind.

"All the cleaning supplies are in here." She opened the cupboard below the kitchen sink and started pulling out spray bottles and cloths.

"How about if I clean up the hallway and living room, and you tackle the kitchen?" She nodded in agreement to that, looking somewhat relieved. We both knew by hallway I meant the blood, but I didn't say so.

After I had cleaned the hall floor, I set about righting all the furniture. It didn't take long to get the house back into order. I opened the curtains that had normally stayed closed and the light of day shining in made it feel okay somehow. Better.

She made us a light lunch of baloney sandwiches as there wasn't much in their fridge. We toasted to new beginnings with our glasses of water. While we were eating, she got a call from Cade. The hospital had decided he could go home tonight around dinner time if that was okay with Rita. Cade wanted to go home and had pushed them to let him go. She immediately said yes to that, clearly excited and smiling at the prospect of bringing her son home again, and to a clean house. As they talked, my mind was spinning with an idea. After she hung up the phone, I voiced my thoughts.

"Rita," I began hesitantly. "I was thinking that maybe when you go back to the hospital to get Cade, I could make dinner and have it all ready for you when you get home?"

She looked at me, her lips pursed thoughtfully as she considered my idea. "I don't know, Rachel. He was so angry that you were there. I don't want to upset him again."