Die Before Nightfall

“Must be something good.”

“It is. Got any coffee?”

“I don’t know. I’ll check.” Raven started toward the kitchen, but Ben stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“Sit down. I’ll look.”

“Ben—”

“I’m not the only one who’s been up all night. Those dark circles under your eyes aren’t from a good night’s sleep.”

“I’m fine.”

“And I’m your big brother, which gives me the right to boss you around. We agreed on that yesterday, remember? So sit.”

“Suit yourself. I’ll just eat everything you brought before you get back.”

“Now that would be cruel and unusual punishment. I couldn’t allow it and still feel good about myself.” He snagged the bag from her hand, pulled out a chocolate-frosted doughnut and handed the bag back. “Everything else is yours. Be back in a minute.”

He was back in five. “No coffee, but I did find orange juice. Here.”

“Thanks.”

“Now, tell me what kept you up all night.”

“Do you know Abigail Montgomery?”

“Sure do. She’s been in Lakeview longer than either of us has been alive. She used to be active in the community but has had to step back from her responsibilities these past few years.”

“Do you know why?”

“I do, but I’m not sure if it’s common knowledge and I don’t want to break a confidence.”

Raven stood and paced the floor. “Then you know she suffers from dementia. That it’s gotten worse in the past few months.”

“Yes. Shane and I have talked about her condition several times. He’s concerned. And rightfully so.”

“He definitely should be concerned. Last night Abby wandered from the house. Ended up here, digging around near the side of the cottage, sobbing and crying. I found her and brought her home.”

“Thank God.”

“That wasn’t the first time. I found her on an old dock down by the lake yesterday afternoon. Again, she’d wandered away.”

“I thought Shane hired people to help him care for Abby.”

“He did. I’m not sure how qualified they are though. At this point, Abby needs professionals. People who understand her condition and are trained to deal with the symptoms.”

“Like you.”

Raven sat back down on the couch. “It doesn’t have to be a nurse. Though that wouldn’t hurt.”

“Did you tell Shane this?”

“I told him Abby needs more than what she’s getting right now.”

“He’ll hire more qualified people. Shane’s that way. He loves his aunt. Wants what’s best for her.”

“I sense that.”

“So Abby’s wandering woke you up and you couldn’t get back to sleep?”

“There were other things on my mind, but I’m fine now.”

“Then maybe you’ll consider coming with me today.”

“I can’t, Ben. I have to get settled. Look for a job. Do a million other little things that come with a move.”

It was Ben’s turn to pace the room, his movements abrupt, his long legs covering the floor in three long strides. “You were upset yesterday. You can say I’m wrong a thousand times and it won’t change what I know.”

“No—”

“It isn’t because I’m going to the reunion. I know that. So what is it, Rae?”

Rae. Ben was the only one who’d ever shortened her name. She’d forgotten until now, the memories too bittersweet to dwell on. “I felt awkward yesterday. I should have called, set up a meeting, then you wouldn’t feel torn between me and your family.”

Ben came to a halt in front of her, his blue eyes blazing, the muscle in his jaw tense. “You are my family.”

“Ben, you call them Mom and Dad. How can they be anything less than family to you?”

The anger seeped out of him as quickly as it had arrived. “So that’s what this is all about.”

Raven felt petty and jealous. She didn’t like the feeling, and her own anger rose because of it. “Yes. That’s what it’s all about.”

Ben eyed her for a moment, then took a seat on the sofa. “You remember Vacation Bible School? The year Social Services was called in?”

“Yes.” How could she forget? She’d told a kind VBS worker that Ben took care of her. That her mother was never home. That sometimes there was no food to eat.

“Remember when we prayed? When we committed our lives to Christ? You were young. Only eight.”

But old enough to know what it meant. Old enough to understand that even if her mother didn’t love and care for her, her Heavenly Father did. That had meant a lot to her as an eight-year-old. “I remember.”

Ben nodded, smiled. “I’ve wondered. Anyway, I was angry when we were separated. Angry with Mom, with the system, even with God. I got into trouble. Spent five years being shipped from foster home to foster home. Spent some time in a group facility. Right before I turned seventeen, Mike Spencer came to see me. Said he and his wife had heard about me and they wanted to offer me a home for as long as I wanted to stay.”

“Your foster father?”

“Yeah. I figured anything was better than where I was, so I packed my things and went home with him. I made their lives incredibly hard for a few months, but no matter what I did, no matter how foulmouthed and awful I was, Mike and Andrea never turned away from me.”

“It sounds like they’re good people.”