The Wish (Completed)

Chapter 33: Foul Play

Wednesday came around quicker than I anticipated . I took Axel out for dinner at his favorite restaurant, Monday after he got out of school. He deserved it, celebration for making it through the first day.

Turns out the boy from the park, Tanner, is in one of Axel's classes. This weekend, he's going to spend the night at Tanner's house. I met his parents, Jean and George, friendly people. They live on a farm, cows for days. I can tell Tanner is a good kid from his background. They are real hardworking people and I admire that.

Axel told me he was made fun of on the bus because I was standing down there waiting for him. Said he didn't care, but I don't want to embarrass him, or have kids harass him. Speaking of school and kids, Axel is there right now. I'm just waiting for three o'clock to roll around, so Mr. Trench and I can get this squared away.

It's been a week and two days. Jason still hasn't reached out to me. I regret thinking we were a mistake. Him being in my life is the farthest thing from a mistake. God I love him, I miss him so much. My phone chimes and heaps of excitement fill me inside, thinking it's Jason. Excitement leaves the moment I see Mr. Trence's name pop up on the screen.

Stubborn fingers slide against the smooth glass, which leaves prints of my use. "Mr. Trence, is everything okay?" While waiting for an answer, I thread my fingers through the loose fabric of my shirt.

Wrapping it around and around until the tips turn white, losing the flow of blood. Releasing it, a temporary indentation fixes on my finger tip. Trence better tell me some good news, or the bad won't be so temporarily indented.

"Everything is fine Ms. Jones. No need to worry, it's just the case is going into overtime, and I'm afraid I'm going to be later than we planned. It won't be until 5:30-6:00 until I arrive. Is that a problem ma'am?" All the air leaves my body, so relieved. My eyes can now rest after being squeezed shut.

"That's perfect! No problem at all, I look forward to your arrival." Everything else he says is pure gibberish. I don't care if he mentioned that Justin Timberlake would be tagging along. All that matters is that he comes so we can get this whole situation sorted out. I can't let Axel down, especially not after he saw the true blood of his father, oozing out of his pores.

Not even lunch time yet, I sit up against the wall in my bedroom. I stare at all the pictures I have hung up, that dangle above me. Trying to occupy my time, quotes and scattered pictures of Axel; cling to the burlap string that's thumbed tacked to the wall and ceiling, hanging by paper clips.

Me: I miss you, hope all is well.

My fingers tap on the screen. Staring until it shows that he read it. Each time the phones tries to sleep, I tap it, forcing it awake. Hours could've gone by and I wouldn't have noticed nor cared.

Finally, he read it. A bubble with three blinking dots appear. I wait again, staring, waiting for his reply. But nothing happens, the dots disappear, and I give up trying to wake my phone. After it warns it's on ten percent, I let it sleep, lying in my lap.

Jason told me when he was a child, his dad and him were really close. I wonder what changed that. It couldn't have been because of Alli. His mother died after giving birth to him, and his dad took care of him, loved him. If I could take his pain away, I would. Jason deserves a relationship with his father. Not everyone gets that opportunity, I mean the guy is alive. Maybe someone needs to give him a little push.

Around this time, I would be standing at the end of the lane, pacing until Axel's school bus pulled up. Whenever I see the stop sign, I stop in my tracks, ready for him to pounce, I pick him up and run with him on my back.

This afternoon, it's a different story, I talked to Jean, Tanner's mom, Axel is riding his bus home. They're going to do homework over there, so I can talk to Trence in private, without Axel having to worry. I'll be picking him up around 7:30 tonight, since he has school tomorrow. I'm so grateful for Jean and George, she assured me it's no problem at all. Axel doesn't mind either.