Page 10 of Moonshine Lullabies

“Yeah.”

“Wait for me, then.”

“Alright.”

He sat back down and I turned and nearly crashed into Jessie.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Crossbow,” she answered, and I turned sideways in the hall so she could go past me and retrieve it from the kitchen. I went across and put the first-aid kit away. When I turned to go back out into the hall, we met again.

“Gonna have Tate help me tarp off that front door,” I said.

She nodded. “Okay.”

“It’s not that cold yet, but it’ll get there.”

She nodded. “There’s stuff out in the garage.”

“I know where it’s at,” Tate piped up.

“You do what Mr. Collier says, now. Y’hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She nodded curtly and disappeared back into her room.

I jerked my head at Tate to follow me and he gave a nod and took me out the ruined front door and around the side of the house to the detached three-car garage on the property.

We worked to tarp off the front door with this shit that was supposed to be used to temporarily insulate windows. I liked it better than hanging a blue tarp because it was clear and I could see through it. We put the stripping up and around the top and two sides of the door, kidding some with each other and cuttin’ up.

He was coming out of his fear and loosening up some. I was glad for that.

“So, uh, are you staying?” he asked, and I looked up and nodded.

“Yeah. I’ll be right out here on the couch,” I told him.

He seemed relieved and nodded a little too quickly.

“You did good,” I told him and he swallowed hard.

“I’m not a kid anymore and I hid like a little kid,” he complained.

“You’re right,” I told him. “You’re not a little kid, but youarea kid still. But after today? You just had a hard introduction to being a man, and we’re all proud of you.”

He swallowed hard and nodded but looked like he was trying really hard not to cry when he said, “I’m old enough now that I should be the one to protect my mom – not the other way around. And she got hurt and—”

“Hey,” I cut him off. “Your mom is a strong lady, and she went full mamma bear today. She ain’t got much time left to do that. In fact, this was probably the last time, right?”

I gave him a pointed look, and he straightened up, picking up what I was putting down. A look of resolve overcame his young face, and he gave a hard nod.

“I’m gonna talk to Uncle Nuckie,” he said. “See if he’ll teach me how to fight and how to shoot. I mean, I already know how to shoot. I just mean… shoot a human, you know, if I have to.”

I gave a nod. “Well, I hope you never have to,” I said.

“Me too, but I mean… yeah. I will!” he said quickly. “To protect myself and definitely to protect Mom.”

I sighed and said, “Don’t tell your mom I told you this, but shooting a person? It ain’t really no different from the mechanics of shootin’ an animal. You just point and shoot – it’s hard, believe me, and it’s loads different after the moment, but really, in the moment? Right when you go to pull the trigger? Just like with a buck, or an angry gator, you just have to commit and know that it’s you or them and that ithas to be you. You have to be the one to walk away and live. For your mom, and your friends, and your uncle.”

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