The Show (3)

"Hey RJ, how are you?" Jordan said cheerily. His six-year-old son was on the other end of the video call.

"Hi, Daddy!" RJ beamed back at him. RJ was dressed in his Pokémon pyjama shirt and pants. The boy had a speck of toothpaste on his chin.

"RJ, I think you have a bit of toothpaste on your face," Jordan chuckled.

RJ laughed loudly at that, "Oh yeah, I clean my teef."

"Good boy, are you behaving yourself for Mommy?"

RJ nodded enthusiastically, "I'm always a good boy."

Jordan couldn't help but smile, "Hey, is Esther there? Is she still awake or did I call too late?"

"No, she's here," RJ cooed.

Jordan watched as RJ bounded the special, disjointed way that only toddlers can. He focused on his journey and Jordan was stuck watching the shaky footage of the floor.

"Esther!" his son called out.

"Hmm?" Esther responded in the distance, barely audible through the call.

"Daddy's calling. He wants to say goodnight to you!"

There was a jerk of a movement and after half a second, Jordan was met with a glorious view of his five-year-old daughter's nostrils as she held the phone very close to her face, angled up.

"Hi, Daddy!" Esther called out.

Jordan laughed, "Hi Esther, can you hold the phone a bit further back? All I can see is your nose!"

"Better?" Esther asked after she obliged. She held the phone a bit further away, though it was still angled up.

"Better," Jordan smiled softly, "I'm proud you keep your nose so clean, but I want to see your whole face when we talk."

Esther got excited, "Oh, and guess what? I don't pick my nose like RJ does, 'cause I'm a good girl!"

"Hey!" RJ called out somewhere off-screen.

"Are you guys heading off to bed now?" Jordan asked innocently.

"Mmhmm," Esther nodded, "I got my Barbie pyjamas on and everything, see?"

Esther angled the phone camera awkwardly down so that most of what Jordan could see was the floor, a little bit of Esther's Barbie pyjama pants, and a pair of her thick, colourful duck socks.

"I see, I see," Jordan said in a thoughtful, understanding tone, "Well, I won't talk to you too long. I just missed you guys and wanted to say goodnight."

"I miss you too," Esther said in a sing-song voice. RJ hijacked the phone and his face appeared upside-down on Jordan's screen, saying the same thing that Esther said.

"I hope you're behaving for your mother and Jackson," Jordan said.

"Yes Daddy," Esther replied.

"Goodnight Esther, have a good sleep." Jordan smiled.

"Night Daddy."

"Goodnight RJ, look after your mother and sister, okay?"

"Yes, Daddy. Goodnight Daddy," RJ's voice called out.

"Mommy wants her phone back," Esther innocently explained, "Bye Daddy."

"Bye Daddy!" RJ's voice called out again.

With a swift movement, the phone flicked around and Jordan saw Maria's face appear through the camera. Maria was thirty-six years old, and her stark black hair was done up in a loose bun.

"I'll come back to tuck you in after I talk to Daddy for a bit, okay?" Maria called over her shoulder as she walked away from the kids' bedroom. She was smiling when she turned back to the phone, though the smile fell away, and a concerned look took its place.

"What's going on Jordan?" Maria asked softly. She didn't want their kids to hear the conversation.

She walked into Jackson's home office and shut the door behind her.

"Nothing, I was just missing the kids is all," Jordan answered.

Maria didn't look too impressed, "Jordan, I know you. Something is up. Are you okay?"

All Jordan could muster up was a soft, sad smile, "Yeah, I'm okay. A lot is just happening over here."

Maria sat down in Jackson's swivel chair, silently studying her ex-husband. Jordan was suddenly desperate to change the subject.

"Jackson not home?" Jordan asked.

Maria cocked her head in an angle and looked disappointed at Jordan then sighed, "No, he's out grabbing some ice cream for us."

"Ah, I see," Jordan mumbled.

Jackson was Maria's new husband. She remarried seven months ago, not that Jordan had been keeping track. Jackson was a good man. He was someone Maria deserved. Someone who could be a better husband to Maria than Jordan was. Jordan was glad that Maria found someone new, and that his children had a male role model when he was not around.

"Jordan, what's going on?" Maria asked solemnly, "I know something must be going on because you don't usually call us so suddenly. Are you okay?"

Jordan stayed silent and avoided her gaze.

He finally sighed, "I'm not totally sure. Something's been happening down here, and it seems out of the ordinary, but I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing, I just know it's a little scary."

"Did you get a Vision about something?" Maria asked.

The first thought that came to Jordan's mind was the recent Vision of his death. But he hasn't said anything about that to Maria yet, and he didn't want her to worry, so he kept his mouth shut.

He shook his head, "No, but I met someone recently and I can't shake this compelling feeling I've been getting around them."

Maria raised her eyebrow in interest, "A woman?"

Jordan chuckled softly, "No, a man."

"Oh?" Maria's voice shifted to a higher register with even more interest.

Jordan's chuckle grew to a proper laugh, "He's in a coma right now—"

"Oh," Maria's face suddenly looked slightly disgusted at the turn of the conversation, "Is he rich or something?"

"Wha—?" Jordan reactively asked, then realised her meaning and laughed out loud, "No! It's not romantic or anything like that. Geez Maria…"

Maria's façade dropped and she laughed with Jordan, "There, it's so much better that you're laughing. I can never get used to seeing you so serious."

Their laughter died down naturally and Jordan sighed again, "Unfortunately, it might be something serious."

"The thing that's happening there?"

Jordan nodded.

"Have you prayed about it?" Maria asked.

Jordan scoffed. Mostly at himself and his tunnel vision, "No, it's developed so suddenly that I haven't."

"Don't you think you should?" Maria smiled kindly.

Jordan nodded slowly, "Can you pray for me?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Of course."

Even though Maria didn't know much about what Jordan was currently dealing with, she could see its visible toll on him. So, as he joined her and closed his eyes, she started to pray for God's guidance and strength to be given to Jordan. It was a type of prayer that Jordan himself had prayed over people numerous times before, but it's always difficult to be so objective with yourself when you're under some stress like Jordan had been the last few days.

"Amen," both said at the end of Maria's prayer.

"Thank you for that Maria," Jordan said.

"Of course, Jordan," Maria smiled at him as she stretched, "Though, you can't be calling us this late next time. Have you talked about what's bothering you to William yet?"

William Bradford is a member of the board of the Church of the Holy Grace and Jordan's mentor.

"Uh, no sorry, this call was just an impulsive thing," Jordan said meekly, "I'm sorry, I won't call so late next time I miss the kids."

"Okay then," Maria said as she stood up, "I gotta tuck them in like I promised. I hope whatever's happening right now works out."

"Thank you for the prayer again Maria," Jordan said, "Stay safe, and give the kids a goodnight kiss from me."

"Of course." Maria smiled, "Bye Jordan."

"Bye."

Jordan tried to sleep that night but was wracked with snippets of a Vision. It was a Vision of a dark, shadowy figure walking through a hospital when suddenly, Jordan saw the shadowy figure standing over Joshua as he lay in his hospital bed. The Vision cuts to the shadowy figure holding a massive blade over Joshua's body before ramming the blade down into the man's chest repeatedly.

Jordan was forced awake as he bolted upright with a cold sweat that drenched his whole body.

"Shit." He muttered under his breath.