Page 2 of Her Unflinching Warrior (Omega Sky)
Once again, Gideon thought he might lose it.
“Well, both of you thought wrong.” He bit out the words and glared at his parents.
He turned around and picked up his backpack.
“Don’t you dare turn your back on your mother,” his father wheezed.
“I’ll fight this,” she whispered.
Gideon slowly turned around. He was tired. It was so hopeless. He’d looked for some kind of different answer, a way out, but there wasn’t any. This was the only way, he was stuck.
“How will you fight it, Ma? With what money? Pretty soon, we’re going to be living in Sister Ella’s back bedroom, with Pops on the couch and you on a blow-up mattress. Maybe there’ll be enough space for Mikey and me on the floor.” He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice.
“And you leaving is the answer?” his mother asked. She sounded like she was going to cry.
“Yeah. Yeah, it is.”
“I don’t understand, why would we live at Ella’s?” his dad asked.
Ahh shit, Ma hasn’t told him.
His mother looked heartsick. She looked over at her husband, her mouth opened, then closed. She took a deep breath. Gideon decided to rip off the bandage. He hated this for his mother, she’d worked so hard trying to keep things together. He needed to help her. It was his job while his dad was sick, he was the man of the family. He needed to rip the bandage off and make it easier for Ma.
“We’re going to lose the house, Pops. There wasn’t enough money to pay the taxes, even though Reverend Knowles took up a collection. And we’re months late on the mortgage.”
“What about Al Fortney?” His Pops asked, referring to his old boss at the body shop. “I know the accident was my fault, but you told me he was helping out,” he said, staring at his wife.
“He did, Honey.” His mother answered. “The money he gave us for three months helped augment my salary from the church and covered the mortgage before we got the donation from the church.”
“How did I not know all this?” His dad sounded lost.
“Doctor Turner said your memory would be good as new in no time, Honey. As soon as we get you to a good rehab facility, things will be fine.”
Yeah, with what money? I have to go work with Streetgamezzz, like yesterday.
“And our savings? Is it gone too?” his dad asked. “Everything we had to move out of North Highland to get Mikey away from the Crips, is it all down the toilet?”
His mother nodded.
For long moments his dad stared at her until finally, a tear rolled down his father’s face. “Are those fuckers still trying to recruit Mikey?”
“Henry, language,” his mother scolded.
“Sorry, Sela. But our boy is only twelve. We both were taking double shifts to get out of Highland so Mikey would be safe, and I screwed it all up by being careless. I still can’t believe that you’ve forgiven me for fucking up so badly.”
Gideon watched as his mother brushed a kiss on his father’s cheek. “There’s nothing to forgive. You’re the best man I know, Henry Smith. You’ve done everything possible for this family. I love you so much.”
Gideon turned away, not able to stand watching his father cry or the beauty of his parents’ love when he had to be so cruel. He took a deep breath to force back his own tears.
“Ma, I gotta go, or I’ll miss my bus.”
His mother grabbed the edge of the tablecloth and wiped tears from her eyes. “Don’t do this, Gideon. How can you break up our family? Now, more than ever we need to stick together.”
“I need to leave.” He zipped up his backpack, knowing that Mr. Douglas expected him by four o’clock.
“Where will you go?” His mother’s voice was uneven, as she stuttered out the question. “When will I see you? Will you call?”
“I can’t, Ma.”
