Me: Me too, Archer. My Archer. I'm coming back to you. I'll be there soon. I love you.
Archer: I love you, too. Always.
**********
Archer: Don't text me while you're driving, but next time you stop, let me know where you are.
**********
Archer: Bree? It's been a couple hours and I haven't heard from you…
**********
Archer: Bree? You're scaring me. Please be okay.
**********
Archer: Bree… please… I'm losing my mind. Please text me. Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay.
CHAPTER 27
Archer – Seven Years Old, May
"Archer!" my mama called, her voice sounding just a little bit scared. "Baby, where are you?"
I was sitting under the dining room table, the heavy tablecloth hiding me as I kneeled on the floor with my action figures.
I hesitated, but when my mama called me again, sounding more worried this time, I crawled out from under the table and went to her. I didn't like to hear my mama scared, but I also knew something was going on and I was scared too.
My mama had been whispering into the phone all morning and for the last half hour, she'd been upstairs stuffing clothes and other things into suitcases.
That's when I'd hidden under the table and waited to see what would happen next.
I knew that whatever was going on was happening because my daddy had come home last night, again smelling like some other lady's perfume and had slapped my mama in the face when she said his dinner was already cold.
I had a feeling my mama had finally had enough. And if I had to guess about who she was on the phone with, I'd say it was Uncle Connor.
My mama turned the corner into the dining room just as I was crawling out from beneath the table and let out a loud breath. "Archer, sweetheart," she said, putting her hands on my cheeks and bending down so that her eyes were right in front of mine. "You worried me."
"Sorry, mama."
Her face got soft and she smiled at me and moved the hair back from my forehead. "It's okay, but I need you to do something for me and it's really important. Do you think you can listen and do as I say and not ask questions right now?"
I nodded.
"Okay, that's good." She smiled, but then it disappeared and the worried look came back into her eyes again. "We're going to go away, Archer–me, you, and your… uncle Connor. I know that's probably confusing to you right now, and I'm sure you have questions about your daddy, but–"
"I want to go," I said, standing up taller. "I don't want to live with him anymore."
My mama just looked at my face for a couple seconds, her lips pressed together. She breathed out and ran her hand over my hair again. Tears came into her eyes. "I haven't been a good mama," she said and shook her head back and forth.
"You are a good mama!" I said. "You're the best mama in the world. But I want to live with Uncle Connor. I don't want my daddy to hit you anymore or make you cry."
She sniffled and wiped a tear from her cheek and then nodded her head at me. "We're going to be happy, Archer, do you hear me? You and me, we're going to be happy."
"Okay," I said, keeping my eyes on her pretty face.
"Okay," she said, finally smiling.
That's when our front door opened and Uncle Connor walked quickly inside. His face looked tight.
"You ready?" he asked, looking at my mama.
She nodded. "The suitcases are right there," she tilted her head toward the four pieces of luggage sitting at the bottom of the stairs.
"You okay?" Uncle Connor asked, his eyes moving over my mama as if he was looking to make sure she was all there.
"I will be. Take us away from here," she whispered.
Uncle Connor's face looked like someone was hurting him for a couple seconds, but then he smiled and looked at me. "Ready, sport?"
I nodded and followed him and my mama out the front door. They both looked around as Uncle Connor put our suitcases into the trunk of the car. There wasn't anyone outside though and when they both got in the car, they seemed relieved.
As we drove away, heading out of Pelion, I watched as Uncle Connor grabbed my mama's hand in the front seat and she turned toward him, letting out a breath and smiling a small smile.
"Me, you, and our boy," Uncle Connor said softly. "Just us."
"Just us," my mama whispered, that same soft look moving across her face.
My mama looked back at me, and paused for a second before saying, "I packed your Legos and some of your books, baby." She smiled and leaned the side of her head on the head rest, still looking at me. Her shoulders seemed to be dropping lower by the mile.
I just nodded. I didn't ask where we were going. I didn't care. As long as it was away from here, anywhere was fine.
Uncle Connor looked over at my mama. "Put your seatbelt on, Lys."
My mama smiled. "This is the first time in years I feel like I’m not strapped down against my will," she said and laughed softly. "But okay, safety first." She tilted her head and winked at him, and I grinned. This was the mama I loved seeing–when her eyes would shine, and she'd get that sweet, joking tone in her voice and say something that would make you laugh at yourself, but in a good way, a way that felt warm and nice.
My mama reached for her belt, and all of a sudden there was a large jolt and our car swerved crazily. My mama screamed and Uncle Connor yelled, "Oh shit!" as he tried to keep us on the road.