Page 36 of Mike's Assistant

Mike's gaze never left Mr. Pauly. "Vanessa, Jake, go get the boys."

Pushing past the paralyzed Mr. Pauly, Vanessa and I hurried further inside and down the hall. "Sam! Abel!" My voice echoed with a mix of fear and relief. The creaking of a door followed, and two little faces emerged from the shadows. Relief washed over me as they ran into my arms.

"Are you guys okay?" My voice trembled as I clutched them close.

Sam's nod was almost imperceptible, but Abel, holding up his trusty stuffed lion, assured me, "Scruffy kept us safe."

A laugh escaped me, despite the tension. "Of course he did," I whispered, cherishing their warmth.

Vanessa's voice snapped me back to reality. "We need to move." Swiftly, she lifted Sam, and I cradled Abel tightly.

Returning to the main room, Mike still held his ground, his unwavering gaze and grip keeping Mr. Pauly in check. Mrs. Pauly opened her mouth to speak, but one stern look from Mike had her snapping it shut, leaving her mute.

I was thankful for his intervention. I didn’t know if I could take another onslaught of her hate, especially in front of the boys.

"Go pack a few things for you and the boys," Mike directed.

I simply nodded, even though I wanted to protest. We had nowhere else to go. This was our place. But now wasn’t the time to argue. The boys’ safety came first, and being here wasn’t helping. Tightly holding Abel, we exited the apartment and ascended the stairs to our room.

Opening our door, I placed Abel down. “Sam, take Abel into the room and get your backpack. Fill it with some things.”

Vanessa placed Sam on the ground. My stoic little brother nodded before grabbing Abel’s hand and guiding him to the back room.

“I don’t know where we’re going,” I whispered. I was exhausted. This night had been a whirlwind of emotions, and I was spent. From seeing the man I was falling for transform into a lion to the boys and Mr. Pauly… “I failed them. I’m not cut out–”

“You didn’t fail them.” Mike’s deep voice sounded behind me.

“I’ll go help the boys,” Vanessa said as I turned to face Mike.

His expression shone with tenderness, and his eyes warmth. I wanted to rush into his arms, but at the same time, he wasn’t human.

“You didn’t fail them,” Mike repeated.

A tiny laugh escaped, and I shook my head, smiling a smile I really didn’t feel. “I don’t know about that. I feel like I did. But that doesn’t matter right now. What happened with Mrs. Pauly?”

Mike took a step forward and gently touched my cheek. “She doesn’t matter. You didn’t fail them. I caused you to be late. It wasn’t your fault—none of it was.”

I closed my eyes and allowed myself to push into his touch. Opening my eyes, I nodded. “Thank you for saying that.”

“I mean it. You are a great older brother.”

I nodded again and took a step back. “What happened with Mrs. Pauly and Mr. Pauly? That man…”

Mike sighed. “Yeah, he ended up passing out. Mrs. Pauly wants you out of the apartment, though.”

I turned around and began to gather my things. “I figured as much. I don’t know where we’re going to go or who’s going to watch the boys while I work.”

“Don’t worry about it. You have help. Let me help you.”

I peered back at Mike. I wanted to believe him and trust him. I didn’t really have a choice. I nodded. “Thank you.”

I turned back to my task at hand, and my thoughts turned to my parents. Mom, Dad, I know I’ve been asking a lot of you, but keep watching over us.

Thresholds and Trust

Mike

The soft hum of the car's engine filled the silence as the city's lights blurred past. Each glance I stole at Jake showed me the weariness etched into his features, yet there was a subtle strength in his posture. I gripped the steering wheel tighter, regret gnawing at me. I had inadvertently placed him and his brothers in this chaos.

---