Chapter 25: Missed it by That Much

Jason was holding up his CAP card. Leticia exploded out of her chair with a loud cry of pure joy. She tackled Jason. They fell to the floor as the young woman covered his face with kisses.

Ashley looked down at the couple. She kicked playfully at her brother's leg. "You scared us!"

"I scared myself," Jason admitted. "Even knowing that I should score well, I was stunned by how often I couldn't answer one of the questions quickly. And the scenes I had to move through. You ever try to rescue a child from a rock outcropping during an avalanche?"

"What?" Kelsey asked.

"It wasn't that," Jason said. "Well not immediately. The scene was of me skiing when a man started screaming that his son has wandered off into an area where avalanche warnings were posted. I managed to find him from the ridgeline, but the only way to get to him required skiing across virgin snow."

I winced. "I didn't know you were good at skiing."

"I'm not," Jason said. "But I couldn't allow a child to die. It was frightening though."

Leticia was still kissing Jason. Becky was standing and looking down at the couple. "Are you going to let him go?" she asked.

"No," Leticia said between kisses. "He's not getting out of my sight ever again."

"I do have to go to school," Jason said between Leticia's kisses.

Becky looked at me. "Perhaps you should all see about finishing the year early. I know from the stories you tell at home that there isn't much learning going on at the moment."

"Can we?" Jason asked.

"Matti tested out," I said. "And although she will have to take some summer classes, they are going to allow her to jump to high school. We can ask Principal Mathews tomorrow."

"But you'd miss graduation," Becky pointed out as Leticia finally released Jason and climbed to her feet. She reached down to help Jason stand up.

"They cancelled the ceremony this year," Kelsey said. "The teachers are having so much trouble maintaining discipline that the administration feared what might happen during a graduation ceremony."

"How bad is it?" Becky asked.

"We have five boys in the eighth grade class who have been using their CAP scores to bully just about everyone else," I said. "Some of what they do is outright abusive, but the teachers can't do anything. In fact I think some are trying to use the abuses as a way to campaign against the whole CAP system."

Becky shook her head. "I've seen some things at the mall too."

"Oh?" Jason asked.

"You know where I work," the brunette said cautiously.

Ashley shook her head. "That intimate lingerie boutique at the mall, why would that? ... Oh Wow! ... So you are saying that..."

"Yes," Becky said. "Our sales are up and more people come into the shop."

"Why?" Kelsey asked.

Ashley giggled. "Kelsey, what kind of clothing have you seen me wear since we met?"

Kelsey frowned. Her eyes closed for a moment as lines appeared in her forehead. Then she turned and opened her eyes to stare at Ashley. "You are always in skirts."

"And unless my period is visiting, there are no panties on under my skirt," Ashley said with a nod. "Mark likes me that way, so that's what I wear. And that's why more people are visiting Becky's shop. They are told what to wear by the people they want be with."

I shivered. "Something tells me that not all of them should be wearing the kind of lingerie you sell."

Becky giggled. "No, that's definitely true. But it is part of the reason Beatrice was able to start working there. We feel a lot safer when we are together. Morgan is still running his construction business."

"But what about when he isn't around?" Kelsey asked.

"He doesn't go into any restaurant without us," Becky said. "If he needs coffee he uses drive-thru windows. We do all we can to make sure that he's never in a pickup location without us."

I nodded. "Well in five weeks there have been only three known pickups in town. Although we are probably due for another one."

Jason nodded. "I want to celebrate," he said.

"We will when we get home," Leticia promised.

"Not just that," he said. "I want to celebrate how happy we all are. How about we go to the steakhouse? Everyone here and we invite Morgan and my mother."

"But Jason," Leticia whined.

Ashley reached out and put a hand on the older girl's arm. "It's worth the wait. The anticipation will make it all the more loving."

Matti looked at me with worried eyes. "What do we tell Father?"' she asked.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed my father's cell number. He answered after two rings. "What?" I heard him scream.

"Father," I said. "What are your plans for dinner tonight?"

"Valery has stopped by on an organizational visit. I might have to travel to New York for a major union meeting. We'll be deciding later tonight," my father snapped.

"I can take care of Matti then," I said. "Will you be leaving any money for groceries?"

"I'll put some money in your savings account," my father promised gruffly. "You can use that to feed both of you as well as Mike."

"If Mike ever comes home," I said quietly. "He's always with his new friends. You do realize that they are selling drugs."

"He can do what he wants," my father said. "Don't you report his activities to the police."

I shrugged. "I hope you enjoy your trip and that it proves to be successful."

"Successful will mean getting this CAP system thrown out," my father said gruffly. "But that's looking increasingly unlikely."

He ended the call; I looked up at my friends. "He's going on a business trip. And he's going to put some money in my bank account to pay for food."

Becky laughed. "He's got just so much love for you. At least your mother thought about you."

"We haven't heard from her since she was picked up," Matti said mournfully.

"That might not be allowed," I said. "Meanwhile we should get to the minivan and allow Jason to call his mother and invite her to the party."

"Party!" Jason shouted as we headed out the door. Once outside he jumped into a weird hiphop shuffle as he headed toward the minivan. "Toga, Toga, Toga," he sang out.

Letty ran after him. She grabbed his arm and spun him around. They held hands and leaned away from each other as they spun in a circle. Becky looked at them and sighed. "They are just like young lovers."

Kelsey guffawed. "Um ... excuse me, they are young lovers. Or they will be by tomorrow morning."

Ashley joined in the laughter. "I think we put Kelsey in the front seat. I'm sure those two will want the back seat so they can cuddle." My lover was pulling her cell phone from her purse. I could hear her talking to her mother as we walked past the still spinning lovebirds and began to board the minivan.

Jason and Letty caught up with us as Ashley was ending the call. "Mom and Morgan will meet us at the restaurant. Morgan suggested that we sit outside."

Becky nodded as we waited for Jason and Letty to climb into the back seat. Matti had claimed the window seat next to Ashley so my love and I merely held hands. I could see by the twinkle in her eye that Ashley was planning on covering my face with kisses later, but for the ride to the restaurant she would refrain.

Letty was just finishing buckling her seatbelt when her cell phone rang. She looked at it in puzzlement for a moment. "What?" Jason asked as he viewed the caller identification.

"I think that it's Mom calling," Leticia murmured as Becky started backing the minivan from the parking spot. "But I didn't even own this phone until after I moved in with all of you."

"I find the best way to solve such a mystery is to answer the phone," I said in a crusty old tone of voice. Matilda and Kelsey burst into giggles as Letty moved to answer the phone.

"Hello? Yes this is her ... Hello Mom ... Mom ... Please calm down ... I can't understand you ... Mom ... please ... slow down ... Fine ... All I caught was Julio and gone..."' Leticia said into the phone.

Suddenly Leticia gasped. She sat there silently for a minute. She put the phone on her lap for a minute and took a deep breath. With her right hand she reached out to grasp Jason's hands before raising the phone back to her ear. "Mom, did you just say that Julio was at a convenience store with Amy Phelps and there was a pick up? Did he go with Amy?"

A scream filled with pain, anguish and fear echoed out over the cell phone. Leticia pulled the phone away from her ear, holding it so the speaker faced the window until the scream faded. She then brought the phone back to her ear. "I'm sorry Mom ... No, from what I understand once someone choses to leave Earth, either as a volunteer or a concubine, they never return ... No, I had never met Amy, she was going to the junior high ... Mom, I'm sorry ... Yes, I'm fine ... Yes, I'm living in sin ... No! Mom I will not return to the church. I'm happy where I am ... Yes Mom, I do love you and wish you the best ... Goodbye."

Letiica put the phone on her lap as she ended the call. Everyone else was silent as the young woman took several deep breaths. "Julio is no longer on Earth," she said in wonder.

"Did Amy really get picked up?" Kelsey asked.

"Mom wasn't making much sense, but that's what it sounded like. I guess a marine visited the house and told her about an hour ago. She's been frantically calling everyone since then trying to get someone to bring her son home," Leticia said.

"It sounds like you handled that well," I said. "And she listened to you."

"Not enough," Leticia said. "And I didn't dare tell her that I plan on following Julio into space. She'd send out the church deacons to drag me back. I'm sure she'll now try to find a way to lock up my sisters before they can test."

"That would be unfair to your sisters," Ashley pointed out. "But let's not dwell on that. Julio managed to escape to space. Perhaps away from Earth he'll be able to grow up and become the man he should have been. From what I saw he was smarter than Walter, but lacked any confidence in his own abilities."

Leticia giggled. "If that happens I hope he can write home and send pictures. It would shock Mother. Oh, isn't this where we turn to get to the steakhouse."

"No backseat driving," Becky exclaimed. "Except me when I'm riding with Morgan." She smoothly guided the minivan into the left turn lane to enter the mall parking lot and brought it to a halt to wait for the streetlight to turn green.

We looked around as we waited for the light to change. Jason was looking out the window and pointed to the location of the rumored pickup from five weeks before. The place was a ghost town with only four cars in the parking lot. "They never recovered from the rumor did they?" he asked.

"I heard that some of the people who showed up felt that the place had planted the rumor in order to attract a crowd. Now everyone avoids it because of what happened," I said as the light changed and Becky started the minivan forward.

"So now it's cursed," Matilda said with a giggle. "I see the pizza place next door has a good crowd."

"Don't they know that lightning doesn't strike the same location twice?" Ashley asked with a giggle.

I just shook my head as Becky made the right turn to the circle road that ran around the mall. She quickly found a parking spot that was a short walk from the steakhouse and brought the minivan to a stop. The engine was still revolving when Beatrice ran over. "I thought to call ahead and request a reservation for a patio table," she told us as we opened the door. "Morgan will meet us in about ten minutes."

"But we forgot to call you," Ashley said. "How could you know?"

Becky started laughing and we all looked at her. Beatrice rescued her lover. "Text messages and the fact that we planned to do this either way. The only question was how long it would take Jason to complete the testing."

Jason roared with laughter as the rest of us shook our heads. "I love you Mom," he said dropping Leticia's hand long enough to give her a hug. Then he turned and grabbed Becky pulling her into another hug. "And I love you Aunt Becky."

"Um ... I've heard of kissing cousins, but wouldn't that make them kissing aunts?" Matilda chirped.

Everyone started laughing again. I snuck up behind my sister and put a hand on her head. "Sister for Sale!" I shouted. "I have a sister for sale, who wants her?"

The laughter got even louder as Ashley rescued my sister by giving me a hip check and gathering Matti into a hug as soon as my hand released her. Jason dropped his hugs and ran for the entrance of the restaurant. The rest of us followed at a slower pace, laughing as we crossed the parking lot.

The host was the same man from five weeks before. He frowned at me, but his back straightened stiffly as Beatrice walked up. "Reservation for Roberts, party of nine. We requested a table on your patio."

"Yes," the man said with a slow British accent. "I had heard of the reservation. We have set up a large table for you. If you would follow me?"

Ashley jumped to the head of the line and looked back with a mischievous expression on her face. "I think he meant to say, 'Walk this Way.'" She chirped before tossing her head and following the man as he led us around the restaurant rather than inside. She put a sway into her hips as she strode after the host.

Jason and I looked at each other. I could see Jason shrug, so with a toss of my head that tried to match Ashley's, I followed my lover. Behind me I could hear the others laugh. When we rounded the corner of the building, I risked a quick glance back. Jason and Letty were following me and trying to match the hip sway like I was. Kelsey trailed them, but had a lot less sway in her hips. Matti, Becky and Beatrice were at the end of the line and laughing too hard to attempt it was my guess.

The host had led us to a long rectangular table. It looked like they had taken two tables and placed them end to end, but it had ten place settings around it. As we claimed seats he picked up the tenth place setting and looked at us. "Lenore will be your server. She'll be right out with menus."

Ashley nudged me with her elbow as we claimed two seats at the open end of the table. I was at the end. Kelsey and then Matti were to her right. Beatrice had claimed the seat at the head of the table, and then the far side had an empty space before you found Becky, Leticia, and finally Jason sitting across from me. I had chosen the side that had me facing the restaurant building, so I was watching the sliding door when it opened and Lenore strode out.

She was just as beautiful as before, but had added a confident smile that brightened considerably when she saw Ashley sitting next to me. "Welcome," she said as she started to pass out menus. She noticed the empty spot at the table and looked around. "Should I clear the silverware?"

"We are waiting for one more," Beatrice said softly. "But if we can order our drinks?"

Lenore set the final menu at the unclaimed place setting before pulling out her note pad. "I can handle that," she said.

The orders for drinks went around the table. Once again the orders were for tea or lemonade all around. Beatrice even ordered a sweet tea for Morgan. Becky giggled when Jason made a sour face at that order.

Lenore nodded and headed off to get the drinks for us while we reviewed the menu. Once she left Ashley leaned over to whisper in my ear. "She's really pretty isn't she?"

"Want to try making love to a woman?" I whispered back.

Ashley giggled and then nodded so slightly that at first I was not sure she had. I only realized she wanted to try to bring Lenore into our group when she used her menu to conceal her giving me a thumbs up with her left hand. I glanced over at Kelsey who shook her head.

"I know, you both think our waitress is pretty," Kelsey said in a little child's voice. She then smirked. "So do I. I hope she's a sweet as she looks."

"In both ways," I mused as Lenore came back with a tray full of glasses. She began to set them down, pausing for a moment to glare at the empty chair.

She had just finished passing out the drinks when Morgan appeared from the side of the building. "My ladies and friends!" he shouted out, causing Lenore to whirl in panic. Morgan ignored the flustered waitress as he strode up to the table and gave first Beatrice and then Becky long loving French kisses.

The two ladies giggled as Beatrice's children pretended to be gagging. The laughter lasted only a moment when Morgan noticed Lenore who was holding her pad in front of her face. "Oh, sorry," he said. "I'm just happy to see everyone and I understand congratulations are in order. My stepson turned fourteen and got a CAP score good enough to allow him to join the Defense Forces."

Lenore looked over at Jason and me. "Which one is he?" she asked.

Jason raised a hand. "I tested today," he said. "Mark has a better score than I do."

Lenore frowned and looked at me. She said nothing, but looked at some notes on her pad. "I'm supposed to tell you that today we have two soups. The primary one is a traditional French Onion soup, but our head chef also put together a crayfish bisque that he claims combines the traditional creamy bisque with some Cajun spices."

Morgan nodded. "Sounds interesting. Can you give us a few minutes to decide?"