Page 8 of Shelter for Shay
Something in Shay’s chest ached. A sudden need to know this man and that was an unwelcome feeling. “I want to write him back,” she said, surprising herself. “I want to tell him… you’re still here. But things have taken a turn. I think he’d want to know.”
Margaret didn’t speak for a long moment. But then she reached for Shay’s hand and squeezed. “Good,” she said. “He deserves the truth. And you could use someone like him in your corner, too.”
“I’m not doing this for me, Mother.” Shay cocked a brow. “I’m doing this for you… and for Moose. It’s closure.” She held her mother’s hand, leaning forward and kissing her cheek. “We know the end is near. Everyone here knows that too. The flowers, the letters and cards, people show they care every day. But this boy meant something to you and you to him. I think you both deserve the chance to say goodbye.”
A tear rolled down her mother’s cheek. “Maybe that apple didn’t fall so far after all.”
3
MOOSE – THE REFUGE, NEW MEXICO
The chickens would’ve hated it here. Too dry. Too windy. Too quiet.
Moose stood barefoot on the porch of the small cabin at the edge of The Refuge and squinted toward the ridgeline, the desert sun already baking the horizon a hazy gold. A coffee mug cooled in his hand, forgotten. On the little table beside him lay an envelope, creased from the travel, his name written in neat, deliberate script.
For some reason, he hadn’t been able to open it. It was from Lake George. The return address was Margaret’s.
But it wasn’t from his old school counselor. He knew her handwriting and that neat scribble wasn’t hers. Nope. Worse, something about the way the letters eased from one word to the next had felt heavy, like the words inside were going to hurt.
That was the only explanation for why someone else would write to him and not his beloved school counselor.
He closed his eyes and conjured up his last memory of Margaret. The day he’d left for boot camp. He hadn’t expected to see her at the bus station. Honestly, he hadn’t expected anyone to come say goodbye. There was no love lost between him and anyone in his hometown. At least not back then. Today, he had acouple of friends. People from his past who’d crawled out of the woodwork. People who’d come face-to-face with his folks—not in good ways—and had reached out. He valued those people for their kindness. Not toward his parents, but toward him.
However, the day he’d left, he still felt empty, lost, and alone in a world that had tossed him aside as one of those people who hadn’t mattered. As someone who probably wouldn’t do anything but screw up his life. Even he wasn’t sure he’d be able to make it in the Navy. He’d had no confidence in himself. All he had were the words of one kind, sweet school counselor who had told him only he could forge a path through the darkness. Only he could light the flame to see the other side of the tunnel.
God, she was good at metaphors.
He’d been sitting on the bench with his duffel. Inside that bag were a few articles of clothing, a couple hundred dollars, and Margaret’s address so he could write. He’d promise he’d write. He’d often wondered if others had made that same promise. When he’d left his parents’ home that day, his mom had reminded him that he’d been an afterthought in her life. Just one more dig. One more punch in the gut. One more rip at his heart, tearing him down.
Right before the bus rolled to a stop, Margaret appeared. She stood before him with a smile and an envelope. Her parting words had been:Go make your mark on this world and don’t ever let anyone tell you that you’re not good enough. You’ve worked too hard to get this far. It’s up to you now, Matthew. Prove all those idiots just how wrong they are.She handed him the envelope and left.
He still had that card and note. It wasn’t much. Just a congratulations card with a few kind words and a check for a hundred dollars. A check he never cashed and not once did he ever feel guilty about that. Even though a few times, in herletters, she begged him to do so. But he couldn’t take her money. She’d given him everything already.
He blinked opened his eyes, sat down slowly, and unfolded the letter. He sucked in a deep breath and began reading.
Dear Matthew—Moose,
I hope it’s okay that I’m writing you. My name is Shay. I’m Margaret’s daughter.
She received your letter a few days ago and had me read it aloud to her. I haven’t seen her light up like that in weeks. It meant something to her—honestly, it meant everything.
I didn’t know about you—at least not your name. She never shared names. Said it was a boundary she had to keep. But she remembered you—always. After reading your letter, she told me that you were one of the good ones. One of the ones who made it. She’s so proud of the man you’ve become. Of all your accomplishments. She was gushing over you, and that’s when it hit me. That’s when I knew who you were. Well, not really. But there was always this guy she wanted me to meet.
Anyway, I don’t know how much you know about her health. I’ll be honest—she doesn’t have much time. Things have declined faster than expected. She’s still sharp, still herself, but she’s fading and I fear the end is closer than any of us could honestly be prepared for.
If there’s any part of you that wants to say goodbye, I wanted to make sure you had the chance. Not out of obligation. But because she’d want to see you again.
Thank you for writing. I think it brought her peace. I hope it brings you the same.
—Shay Whitaker
Moose folded the letter carefully and set it back on the table. His hand trembled as it dropped to his knee.
Margaret.
If he hadn’t been so damn afraid he’d run into his parents—well now just his mother these days—he would’ve gone back to Lake George to visit. But Margaret always seemed to understand those demons. Understand that, for him, going back meant reliving the hell that had been his childhood and he never wanted to do that. He’d gotten out. He’d made a life for himself and he was proud of who he’d become.
Going back meant he’d have to face the boy he once was and that was just too much to bear. He’d put that kid behind him and had done exactly what she told him to do.
