Page 14 of Life After Levi

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“Did that help any?”I ask as I take him back to the motel. He seems to be more at ease, so I hope his answer is yes.

“Definitely,” he replies, reaching over to take my hand in his. “Can you stay for a bit and talk?”

I glance at the time on my GPS monitor. When Levi’s life insurance came in, I was shocked that I was the majority beneficiary and I tried to give it to Dale and Miriam, who refused, especially since I was pregnant with their grandbaby. Instead, I let Dale help me find a safer vehicle, one with all the bells and whistles that would do well with our chaotic winter weather. I then bought the cottage, and then the rest went into an account for Levinia. In fact, Dale helped me petition to get a monthly stipend for Levinia, which also goes into the account. By the time she graduates, she’ll have the money to do whatever she wants, whether it’s attending college or joining a trade school.

“Um, didn’t Levi ever talk to you about the folklore that surrounds this region of the country?” I ask. With Vinnie spending the night at her grandparents’ house, I have a rare night off from both work and also being a mom, but I’m definitely superstitious and I never thought to leave any lights on in my house. Not only that, but my blinds are all open as well. The last thing I want to do is go into a dark house with the blinds wide open.

“He mentioned you believe in them, but outside of that, he didn’t say anything specific,” he slowly replies. “Does one have to do with night?”

I shrug, slightly embarrassed at my probable irrational fear, especially given the fact that Idowork at night. However, before I leave for work, I have checked all the windows, closed every single blind, and left the light on over the stove. “Kind of,” I admit.

“Are you willing to share?” he asks.

“Um, it’s probably stupid, but the Appalachian Mountains are full of paranormal and supernatural folklore. Everything from Bigfoot to Mothman is purported to come from the Appalachians,” I say. “I close everything up at night because when we were kids, Levi and I swore we heard someone calling our names from the woods. It sounded like Levi’s dad, so we started walking toward it until we saw him bent over one of the tractors changing a tire. When we asked him, he told us the legend of mimics. He then said that was why they never went into the woods after sundown, that there were stories of things unseen during the day that came out at night. I guess it just stuck.”

Shrugging, I try to push off my unease. Even Levi sometimes made fun of how I insisted on being home before it got dark if the house wasn’t ‘prepared’ by already having an inside light on and the windows closed for the night.

“You know, it might just be old wives tales, of course, but if enough people claim that this or that has happened to them, there could be a kernel of truth, Em,” he replies, not sounding judgmental in the least. “There’s nothing wrong with what you believe at all. You’ve lived in the mountains your whole life so I’m positive there are other things you do that I might not since I grew up in Arizona. It doesn’t make you wrong, sweetheart, and I’ll never laugh at you for it.”

“Um, well, my house wasn’t left ‘ready’ for tonight to be honest. If you don’t mind going there, then I’d love to talk for a bit.”

“Can I run in and grab my pain meds first?” he asks.

“Absolutely. And I think I have a frozen pizza in my freezer if you get hungry or need to eat something to take them.”

He chuckles as he climbs out of my car. “After eating two burgers on top of a hot dog, I think I’m still good. Plus, I know Miriam plied you with more leftovers.” I giggle because he’s correct. I’ve got enough leftovers for the next few days.

“Then we can always reheat what she sent if either of us get hungry,” I reply. While I wait for him to return to the car, I briefly wonder what we’re going to talk about. Part of me wants to discuss the way I’m feeling, but I’ve never really been the forward type, so hopefully, he’ll initiate that conversation.

I grin when he returns in sweatpants and a T-shirt, along with a bottle of pills. After he gets in and puts his seatbelt on, he turns to me and says, “I figured I’d change into something more comfortable. I wasn’t totally dry when I put my jeans on, and they were irritating.”

“Not a problem. I plan to do the same once we get to my house.” With my eyes on the time, I carefully but quickly drive toward my house. It’s just turning dusk as we pull into my driveway, and I let out a sigh of relief.

“I’ll grab the leftovers if you want to get inside and get a light on,” he says.

“Thanks.” I quickly unlock my front door and hit the switch to turn on a living room light. With my imminent worry now not an issue, once he breaches the doorway, I close and lock the door behind him, then start closing my blinds.

His actions warm my heart as he starts helping me, not saying a word until we’re all done. As I put the leftovers away, I ask, “Do you want something to drink?”

“A Coke please.”

I grab one for him and a bottle of water for myself before I walk back into the living room and plop into my favorite recliner. The stuff that Levi sent me has been disseminated and put away already, and the box has been cut down and is in the recycling bin.

“So, you said you wanted to talk?” I ask, breaking the silence. It’s not uncomfortable by any means, but I’m anxious to know what he’s thinking.

I watch him play with his can of Coke while he clears his throat. Finally, he says, “I wasn’t sure of my reception when I came to Possum Creek. It’s been three years since Levi passed away, and the last thing I wanted to do was dredge up all the pain from losing him. Like I’ve shared, I’ve visited a few times when we had leave, and there’s something about Possum Creek that settles me.”

“That makes sense. The mountains have always been my home, of course, but I was willing to follow Levi wherever he was stationed,” I softly reply. “But if I’m being totally honest with myself, I think I would’ve missed being here too much. Levi was my home, too, of course,” I quickly rectify, “but there’s something about the fresh air, the bubbling creeks, and the majestic trees that embodies my family and his. That probably doesn’t make sense at all, but I understand what you mean about this area settling you.”

“Here’s the thing, Emerie. I knew a lot about you because we had a lot of downtime between missions or while waiting for stuff to happen. I know your favorite foods, what holidays you enjoy the most, and how good your chocolate cake is, which, by the way, he claims is better than his mother’sandyours.”

I giggle because he used to tell me that all the time. “Do you wanna know my secret?” I ask.

“Absolutely, especially since I’ve had Miriam’s cake before and it’s to die for,” he teases.

“I add a tablespoon of mayonnaise to the batter. It takes the taste to a whole new level.”

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