Page 94 of Broken Discipline
Ramona scooped her arms underneath Larkin’s torso and legs, and I pulled Leon out of the bed, resting his head on my shoulder. He was getting big, and I could tell, even at four years old, that he was going to be big like me. But inside, he was like his mother; he wanted to protect his sister, just like Ramona took care of everyone else, but herself. The stairs bounced underneath us, and Leon stirred, lifting his head. His sleepy eyes took in the crowd.
“Daddy?” he whispered.
I acknowledged a few people who made eye contact with us with a mouthed ‘hello,’ then whispered back to Leon, “Go back to sleep. You’re safe.”
He let his head fall back down. An uncontrollable smile burst across my face. That relaxation, thattrustin me, knowing that he felt safe, made me giddy. I held him tight as we walked out to the car, then slid him into his car seat, strapping him in next to Larkin.
The car hummed along at a steady pace. The twins instantly fell back asleep. Ramona rested her head on the window. I put an arm around her shoulders, and a sleepy grin crept over her lips.
“Go to sleep,” I said. “It’s okay. I’m here.”
She nodded, her eyelids drooping. Within minutes, she was asleep too.
Several hours later and right outside of the state borders, we stopped for gas, but as we went back to the highway again, Tank choked, rolling to a stop. I coasted to the side of the road. Tank hadalwaysbeen a piece of junk, since the day I met Kylie ten years ago, but having a car that she ownedandpaid for was something she needed, and I wasn’t going to take that from her.
I pushed the car to a nearby fast-food parking lot. The outdoor playground glimmered under the rising sun, and an electronic scrolling sign flashed the wordsBreakfast All Day!I waved Ramona toward the restaurant.
“Go get some breakfast with the kids,” I said.
“You should rest too, you know,” she said.
“Not yet.”
Her face relaxed, knowing that she couldn’t argue with me on this. “You want anything to eat?” she asked.
I shook my head. “I’ll catch up.”
I worked on the car for a while, using the toolbox I had left in Ramona’s trunk, but my head was pulsing, the pain from Upchurch’s beatings and the damage from the bulletproof vest catching up to me. It was hard to concentrate. An hour rushed by like a second. The restaurant door chimed, and the three of them came back holding a styrofoam box.
“I tried to say ‘no,’ but Larkin insisted,” Ramona said.
“We got you pancakes!” Larkin said. “I told mama how much youlovepancakes.”
I smiled, then rubbed the top of her head. She was a lot like me; controlling and ready to fight for what she wanted to do, even if it was just getting pancakes for her Daddy. Leon bumped into Larking’s shoulder.
“She almost forgot the syrup though,” Leon added.
Larkin rolled her eyes, and Ramona handed me the box. “I called a rental and tow company,” she said. “They’ll take the car to a used car lot. They’ll sell it or whatever. And by the way,” she pointed toward the styrofoam box, “trust me, they’re sweet enough. No syrup necessary.”
Three perfectly round pancakes rested in the box, soaked in syrup, with a sealed condiment packet resting on the side. I closed the box.
“You’re giving up Tank?” I asked.
“It’s a good car and I love her,” Ramona said, lifting her shoulders, “but maybe I was holding onto it because I was scared.”
My chest expanded, and I kissed her forehead. I knew what she meant: she was scared of being alone and abandoned, but now, those fears were gone.
When the tow and rental company arrived, we moved the car seats from Tank to the rental. But the entire time, the twins gazed longingly at the playground, their eyes glued to it. The tow truck rolled away. Ramona nodded her head, and we both unlocked their seatbelts.
“Go,” I said to the kids. “Have fun.”
The twins ran, and Ramona and I followed. I was relieved that the twins seemed fine; there was no telling how they had processed the violence from the last few days, but for now, they could just play. I put an arm around Ramona’s back as we leaned against the exterior of the fast-food restaurant. For a moment, it was like we were back in Oakmont, at a shitty drive-thru in the middle of nowhere, watching the kids be kids. Just like we had once been kids. Ramona melted into me, seeking comfort, and I nuzzled her hair.
Ramona’s phone buzzed and showed me the name on the screen:Zira Bloom.She put the call on the speaker.
“Hi,” Zira said.
“Zira!” Ramona said, a mix of panic and excitement in her voice. “Did you—”
