Chapter 23
Fletcher
Danyelle’s father moved quicker than I had ever seen. He caught her before she took a real spill on the shards. He stared exasperatedly at her mother before gently setting Danyelle down on the couch nearby and running a hand through his curls. They were like mine—well when my hair had been straight—and I liked him right away.
“Come again?” he said to Ceon, who was staring with worried eyes down at Danyelle.
“I said, I said—”
“Speak up, boy,” he said.
Ceon’s eyes snapped up from Danyelle and he swallowed. I knew his throat was dry…He was afraid.
I stepped forward.
“Danyelle came to help me.” I said, before staring down at her. She looked haggard out, and then I thought about the stress she must have carried on her shoulders. Her mother sat, her brow furrowed, trying to wake her up.
“I used to live in the SO,” I said, staring her father in the face. My eyes did not waver. “And they wanted to split us up because of funding. So the 4 of us,” I said, gesturing to Ceon and S&M, “Well, we ran off. Joe let us live in the deli undercover for a while, and when he died, we just…” I searched for the right words. “Stayed.”
Danyelle’s dad grunted, but said nothing, and I respected him even more for it.
“Ceon only has a—well, had—a bagging job at the market, so I realized all 4 of us couldn’t live on his $200 a month. Besides, we needed water and light and stuff, so I took Sarai and Matt and tried to look for another place to settle down and Ceon could join us later. I asked Dan to help.”
Danyelle’s mother was frozen in place.
“But,” Ceon said, finally finding his voice, “What they both didn’t know was that in just a few days authorities would legally have to stop looking for the 4 of us, 5 years after we initially ran away. But if we were caught,”
“You’d get thrown back into the SO,” Mr. McKenzie finished.
I nodded.
“So Danny came back for us with Ceon!” Matt piped up, awake.
Mrs. McKenzie smiled faintly, and Danyelle stirred.
“Huh?” she said.
“Nothing,” I said. “I was just telling your parents what happened.”
She looked expectantly at her mom. “Mom,” she said. “Please help them.”
“You didn’t have to ask,” her mom said.
Ceon breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’ve been neglecting you quite a bit, and I realize that…”
“So have I,” said her dad. “So I’m staying.”
Danyelle shot up straight. “Really?”
“Really.” He grinned. His nostrils flared quite a bit, but I liked it.
I took a mind-picture just then as they hugged.
I didn’t know them that well, but I would in the months to come, and they would be the parents I lost, and so much more.
It’s corny—I know—but it’s true.
And I don’t give a damn.