LUCARIAH

The One Where We All Gather

(Atticus POV)

Crow. Yelling at me.

Crow. Stomping away.

Crow. Sailing through the air.

Crow. Crumpled in a heap.

They scene plays through my mind on repeat as I sit in the hospital's waiting room. They told me he was in a coma. I wasn't allowed to see him.

How could I possibly know he was okay if they didn't let me anywhere near him? How would I know they're taking care of him properly? What if they had his limbs all splayed out in a way that hurts him and he's not awake to tell them? I need to be there to inform them of that.

But I'm stuck to this chair until one of his guardians arrive. And I don't care how long I have to wait.

The last mental image I have of him wasn't a pretty one and I refused to leave until I had a better one. A mental picture with less blood and less fear. I'd never feared for someone's life more than I had at that very moment. I thought I was going to lose him.

I panicked when he didn't wake afterward. I thought he'd reached the end of his rope, that was until he released a barely noticeable breath.

It may sound strange to anyone with a sane mind, but I see Crow as my child. A special part of me that can't be erased. In my mind, I die before him. It's always been that way. Crow doesn't get to ruin that for me- I'll never be the same without him. He might not be a big ball of sunshine, but I always preferred a gray sky anyway. And Crow was the grayest sky you could imagine.

Beside me sat his old step-father. The father of his little sister. Cairo. He said he left Isobella with a neighbor, because he too needed to make sure he was still whole and hale. Though, Cairo doesn't get to panic half as much as I do. Because Cairo doesn't know what I do, he came and left Lucariah's life long before the incident that plagues my memories.

The one where I had to learn to accept a life without 'my little buddy', as I used to call him when we were younger than now. I'm referring to the time he disappeared and came back a year later with that stupid brace and knack for spewing the darkest, most vile threats and insults no child his age could've possibly come up with.

Cairo didn't have to learn a new way around living without him, because he left before he had to. I didn't think it was fair that Crow still loved him, after everything. It's a wonder his heart was able to soften up enough to even love again.

"Come one, Samantha," Cairo murmured, ringing her up for the tenth time in just half an hour. He hopped out of his seat and started to pace as a woman's voice filtered through the air.

In two hours, the two women in Lucariah's family stumbled in. Juliet- his step-sister- rushed to my side in an instant.

"Atty-kiss!" She practically wailed, "Where's Luca? What happened to him? Is he going to be okay?" And on and on she went shooting rapid fire questions I couldn't possibly answer. Was Luca going to be okay? I sure hoped so.

Cairo bent down on one knee, placing both hands on Juliet's shoulders, "sweetheart, I'm going to need you to breath for me, okay?" He took a a few deep breaths, urging her to do the same. "Luca is going to be just fine. They told me his heart was stable- and that's enough. Our boy will be good as new in no time."

"Who are you?" Juliet's voice was small. The way it got when she was two seconds from a breakdown. I've only seen it a handful of times, but Crow was always hyper aware of her feelings; pulling her away from us before she could fall apart.

"Didn't Luca ever tell you he had a baby sister?" Juliet nodded once.

"He said that when we're old enough the two of us would drive up to your place to meet her," she looked down at her fingers, picking the skin around her nails. Juliet always looked like an older girl in my eyes; she liked doing her hair up and wearing make-up, but I've never seen her look so small. And my heart suddenly ached- this was the little girl Crow saw when he treated her with that tender care I've seen him display.

I was suddenly seeing the world through his eyes, and I wanted nothing more than to pull her close and tell her everything was going to be okay. Even if it was a lie.

Her phone chimed and she rushed off the way Samantha went, a wave of fire shining in her eyes. Cairo went after her. There was muffled yelling and Franco's voice echoed through the air. A sudden silence fell over them and they walked in, glaring at one another.

Juliet grumbled under her breath as she took the chair opposite of Cairo. Shooting rapid texts to whomever she was talking to.

Crow's mother sat across from us, tapping her foot and biting her nails. "His father should be on his way," she whispered, so quite I almost missed it.

My sadness was clouded by anger. What right did Evan Calloway have to see Crow in this state of being? Why didn't he come last year, when Lucariah was admitted after he was found? Why didn't he bother to help with the search in the first place?

Lucariah disappeared two years ago. From one day to the next he was just...gone. No one knows for sure how or why they took him, but whenever he's asked he avoids the topic. We spent a whole year at the edge of our seats as everyone searched left and right for our lost little boy. Everyone; except Evan Calloway. His own father didn't bother to help search for his son. His youngest child.

He didn't even come by when he was finally found. Not that Lucariah was up for guest anyway, but the sentiment would have been enough. I know he would have appreciated it for all it's worth.

I shot up from my seat, glowering at the woman before me, "why would you invite that man?!" I snapped, shrugging away from Cairo as he grabbed at my arm. "When was the last time he even called to check up on him? Huh? You can't answer that can you! Evan should be banned from ever seeing Crow ever again!"

Samantha sighed something about needed a drink and Franco nodded right along with her, "he's still Luca's father, Atticus. I might not make a lot of good choices when it comes to my son," the emphasis on the fact that she was Lucariah's parent jabbed at my heart; I didn't have a say when it came to anything regarding him, "but I know what he needs. And he needs someone who hasn't failed him in these past years."

But Evan was the first to fail. I wanted to say. I wanted to shout it at the top of my lungs; but I held back because she was right. Lucariah may not realize it; he may even hate his father, but out of the two, Evan was the better parent.

In no time at all a man with short, dark hair and equally dark eyes stomped into the waiting room dressed to the nines with navy blue slacks and an iron pressed button down. His eyes fell on Samantha as he demanded.

"Where is my son!?"