Chapter 10

Rue POV

I told everyone what happened and my dad, JJ, and Joshua ran out the door. Nathan went to the bathroom for a bit. "Baby, are you okay?" Mom asked, looking me over. "I'm fine, Mom. To be honest, I was lucky he couldn't fight," I said. If he was a trained fighter, he could kick my ass. I may be strong for a female, but my formal training is just boxing. We watched my father put Thaddeus into his squad car, JJ and Joshua came back inside the house. It took my father thirty minutes to drop the guy off, and come back home.

"How did he know where you live?" a frightened Leslie asked. Leslie is a calm, level-headed, and knowledgeable dispatcher at work, but when a scary man we barely know comes to our home. She has heard stories of females being stalked and killed, and it gave her nightmares for days. I have some theories for her questions. This is a small town, a person could know a person, who knows a person, who knows a person. I am related to the chief of police and a pro bono lawyer. He could have tracked me by scent.

One Hour Later

Nathan had to go home for something, and we all had a chat about his weirdness. "Did Nathan seem weird to you guys?" Dad asked. Everyone nodded in agreement, he seemed off. I understand needing to go to the bathroom, but he went at that moment. Isn't the guy training to be a first responder supposed to automatically run to help or something? He didn't so much as even ask me if I was okay. What creeped me out was that he kept staring at me and the creepy hug. I am aware that people change overtime, but this change makes me want to distance myself from Nathan for a bit.

"I will look into it," Joshua said. "We will talk to his parents," Mom and Dad said. We all agreed to be wary of Nathan. What is going on with you, Nathan? Are you hiding something? Did you do something wrong? Grandma started to pray in her native tongue for the spirits to bless him. "Everyone, we have an announcement to make. JJ and I found a home for sale in Rue's mobile community. We will be moving out in two weeks," said Leslie. Everyone but my mom cheered, she looked like she was going to cry. She stormed off in tears, we were all puzzled.

"I'll go check on her," my dad said. "NO!" everyone, but Joshua, said. Grandma got in front of Dad, and gently grabbed his face with both hands. "My beautiful little boy, I love you with all my heart. I love all my children equally. You are a good man, a good father, a good son, and a good husband. However, I will say this as your mother and I will speak for everyone. You are an emotionally crippled man with the bedside manner of an extremely sarcastic and straightforward doctor. You are terrible at comforting people. Remember when Rue was rejected by her first crush, and she was upset. You told her to wear some makeup and a dress, and to kick the little prick in the balls in it. When the kids kept pestering you about Santa, you told them that Santa was dead to shut them up," she said. "I will go talk to her," I volunteered. Dad stood there pouting like a sullen child who just got told off.

My mom was in her and Dad's room, sobbing while clutching a couple of our photo albums. "Mom, what's wrong?" I asked. "My babies are growing up too fast. I was hoping that something would happen that made you want to come back home. I have always wanted more babies, but we need a bigger place. I don't know if your father would want more kids, and I don't want to trap him. I know we weren't the most perfect parents, but look how you guys turned out. I am feeling empty-nest syndrome, but I don't know who to turn to. Raina seems to be doing fine, and your father is also thinking about moving us to our own home. This place has so many happy memories. You guys are all I have, and we won't be able to hang out like we used to," my barley incoherent, sobbing mother.

Thank God, we stopped Dad from comforting her. "Woman, we can visit the kids anytime we want. We don't live that far from Rue's place. We are all still in the state, town, and country, why the hell are you crying?" is what he will say. Dad means well, but he has no people skills whatsoever. I got into bed with Mom, and wiped the snot from her nose with my arm. Mom is one of those ugly, heaving snot criers. "Mom, we are growing up, but will always be with you whether we are next to you or in spirit. You can come visit us after you call us first. You are a talented and smart woman, don't let anything change that. You have a nursing degree, you can switch jobs or go back to school to better yourself. You can volunteer or take up hobbies. The people in Stormyard love you and think you are a great midwife. Maybe in the future, you can have some grandchildren to spoil. You are a great mother, wife, daughter-in-law, and mother-in-law. You were born with a big heart filled with love. Remember when you reanimated that stillborn baby by using the life force of a jackalope. You didn't have to do that, since that really wasn't your job. Remember how grateful the parents were. You did that because you could not stand for a parent to bury their child. You are a beautiful person on the inside and out, I am glad to have you as my mom," I said as we hugged each other tightly.