* * *
Siggy woke up to the revving of the truck’s engine as Adelais dropped him into the passenger seat of the red pickup, next to Lorena. Kody sat in the driver’s seat, messing with the mp3 player, filling the cab with The Fray’s sentimental “Look after You.” Siggy looked in the rearview mirror to see the back of the truck sink down, supporting Adelais’s weight. Next to Adelais lay the dog, resting its head on Adelais’s leg.
“Morning, little brother. Heard ya’ had an excitin’ night. Helped take care a’ me and yer brother, huh?” Lorena spoke while Siggy rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
“How much did Ade tell you?”
“That ya’ saved the day.”
Siggy couldn’t remember Adelais ever praising him, even on his best days. He decided not to question whether he was awake or still dreaming.
“You okay, Lorena?”
“More or less. Doc splinted my ankle and said I gotta stay off it awhile. Put together a set a’ fancy crutches for me, too. We’ll see how long that lasts.”
“Glad you’re okay.”
“Don’t worry ‘bout me Siggy, I’m tougher than I look. Get some rest—yer the one I’m worried ‘bout right now.”
“But—”
“Shhh…”
Lorena wrapped her arm around Siggy, gently resting his head against her small bosom as he tried to curl up in the seat. She rubbed his scruffy hair back and forth, nurturing his teenage body like a young child. The feel of her warm cotton dress on his cheek brought a wave of serenity over him. He wrapped his arm around her waist, comfortably situating himself and embracing the rare moment of tranquility. He abandoned his thoughts to the harmonic beating of Lorena’s heart. Just once, he remembered what it was like to be part of a family—to be loved. They all rode on home together.