Page 57 of On the Ropes
I ducked between their shoulders, looked straight down and frowned. “And you’re okay with snakes, right?”
Midge shrieked and jumped back. And realized almost immediately I was lying. “Dean Joshua Knox-Morelli.”
Mom was laughing quietly behind her hand. “It’s been a good long while since we got you good, honey.”
Midge clicked her tongue at me, the motion dissolving into a smile when I looped an arm around her shoulders. The first year after my concussion had been the hardest of my life. My parents took it even harder. It was the migraines and the memory issues. My complete loss of identity and the near constant shit we heard about my retirement. In hindsight, I recognized how they rallied our neighbors, closing up ranks to protect me. But I only felt like I’d let everyone down.
Now they were back to being happy and loud and quick to tease. Though I’d never forget waking up in the hospital after my last match and seeing the real fear carved into their faces.
Mom patted my cheek softly. “All of your hard work is coming together so wonderfully.”
I indicated the neighbors and friends around us. “They’re all doing the hard work.”
Midge scoffed. “You’re underestimating yourself, Dean. Sometimes certain situations need a leader. We’re proud of you for stepping up.”
I cast my eyes to the ground, uncomfortable with their praise.
“I always thought Tabitha was special,” Mom said quietly. “I used to tell Drew after those groups we went to at the Lavender Center that she would do great things. And I wasn’t wrong, was I?”
“You weren’t wrong,” I said, trying not to think too hard about stars and solar systems and right hooks.
“So I think we’re ready,” Tabitha said, propping her hands on her hips. Alice perked up like she was about to meet the Queen. “And you don’t need to worry about saying the perfect thing. I’ll be editing, but people don’t like perfect responses anyway. They like recognizing themselves in others. That means flaws and awkward stuff and messiness.”
Eddie shrugged and Alice smiled.
“Why don’t you start by telling me how Annie took care of this corner of Tenth and Emily Street.”
“Well,” Eddie started, “Annabeth…Annie, she was a one-of-a-kind lady. She didn’t trust nobody to come help us if we needed it. Did trust her neighbors though. She believed we all needed to stick together. That’s why I know if she could see what’s been happenin’ where her house used to be, she’d be mad as an alley cat.”
“And what has been happening here?” Tabitha asked gently.
Alice sniffed, raised her chin. “The city condemned Annie’s beautiful house. Tore it down without any sensitivity to the fact that a human being once lived there. But I believe turning this place into something that makes our neighbors happy is exactly what she would have wanted.”
“Like what?” Tabitha asked.
Eddie looked around. “You’ve been talking about making it like a park. I like that a lot. Just having all the trash gotten rid of makes me feel proud of what we can do, you know?”
“Oh yes, I agree,” Alice said.
“And what were some of your favorite things about Annie?” Tabitha asked.
Alice actually giggled. “Do you remember how she used to dress up as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and make those presents for the kids?”
Eddie chuckled. “Oh yeah, of course I do. It’d be fucking midnight—wait, can I curse?”
Tabitha grinned. “Sure, why not?”
“So it’d be fucking midnight,” Eddie continued, “and Annie would come walking down this street in some dime-store Santa outfit, trying to drag a bag full of toys while singing.”
“She had a truly, truly terrible singing voice,” Alice said sweetly.
“Like nails on a chalkboard. But the chalkboard was in a room full of sick pigeons,” Eddie said. “We never had the heart to tell her. Not even in church.”
“Sometimes, after she’d leave presents for all the houses with kids, she’d leave these tiny flasks of liquor for the parents. She spent Christmas Day at rotating houses, since she didn’t live with anyone and her family was so far away,” Alice said. “But having to leave the people you love to come to some place new is a common experience in this neighborhood, even today. We all knew what it was like to have your heart in two places at once.”
I saw Tabitha blink rapidly.
Eddie leaned closer to the camera. “And let me tell you, that woman could throw a block party like it was her damn job. You never saw so much food in your life.”
