On the drive back to his apartment, he found himself wishing Steph still lived there. He would wake her up with a cup of coffee, let her blink away the sleep, and then whine about his dead-end love life. Like he always used to. Her sympathy knew no bounds, which could be why she’d fallen in love with a bankrupt businessman. Of course, things were looking up for them both, since her boyfriend—now fiancé—had gotten a loan and moved to Colorado to open a microbrewery.
Steph hadn’t followed her boyfriend right away, not wanting to leave Jason alone or burdened with rent for a two-bedroom apartment. He’d taken the night hours for that very reason. Not only did it mean a decent pay increase, but working such a crazy schedule ensured they would barely see each other. After a little coaxing, this had been enough to convince Steph to follow her heart. Jason was happy for her, even though he missed her terribly.
With Steph went the last remaining piece of his old life. Aside from her, he wasn’t in touch with anyone from that time. She used to act as a bridge between him and Caesar, passing news but not messages back and forth. After Caesar left for college, Steph lost contact with him. Amy wrote a few letters over the summer, but she still had the attention span of a child and moved on to other things. Even Michelle had disappeared, taking a leave of absence from work a few years back and never returning. That had hurt. Jason still wondered what had happened.
Strange how the present could become the past so quickly. At least this cleared the way for something new. The sun was shining, another name had been crossed off the list of his heart, and the future was full of potential. Well, not really, but he could pretend. Jason parked his car and walked up the stairs to his apartment. He was tired enough that the door was unlocked and half open before he spotted the envelope taped to it. The oblong piece of paper caused a jolt of anxiety. This wasn’t the first such envelope, although it was certainly unexpected.
Tearing it off and open, he read the contents disbelievingly. He was being evicted. There had to be some mistake! He’d paid rent just last week. Sure he was behind two months, but this letter claimed he still owed three. Sighing, he shut the door, turned around, and walked to the apartment complex office.
The small building wasn’t much more than a space for two desks and a wall filled with floor plans of the different apartments. Only one desk was occupied, an older woman sitting there and shifting through papers. He introduced himself to her.
“That was fast!” The woman set aside the papers and considered him from over her reading glasses. “Here to pay your rent?”
“I paid it last week,” he said. “I dropped off the check personally.”
“For the full amount owed?”
“No, just for one month, but I thought it would buy me time.”
The woman sighed and turned to her computer. After some typing and a few clicks, she considered him again. “We got your check, that’s true, but when we tried to deposit it yesterday it bounced.”
“It bounced?” Jason said, voice rising. “Hold on, why did you wait so long to deposit it?”
“We always make bulk deposits.”
Jason’s stomach sank. Two days ago his car had been on empty. Fuel prices were up and a full tank had cost him more than he expected, but he still thought he had enough to cover rent. He must have forgotten something, not that it mattered now. Bouncing a check meant an additional fee, which would leave him even deeper in the hole.
“I can get the money,” Jason said.
“If that were true, you wouldn’t be standing here.” The woman said this like she had heard the same line countless times before. “You have until the court issues your eviction papers. We’re going to need all the back rent, not just one month. Sorry, but it’s company policy when you get so far behind. Best of luck!”
The woman busied herself again with her papers, so Jason took his leave. He was screwed! His next paycheck was still more than a week away, and it wouldn’t be enough to cover all three months.
Returning to his apartment, he took a long shower, trying to think of a plan. Call his parents for money? That’s what most people would do. The idea made Jason feel wistful. How nice it would be to drive to his mother’s house, lay his head on her lap and moan about all his problems. She would stroke his hair and maybe lecture him on being smarter with his money. Then she would rescue him from this miserable situation. A beautiful dream, but an impossible one.
He needed to focus on what was possible. He supposed he could call Steph and see if she could spot him some cash, but he knew she didn’t have much, and two month’s rent was asking a lot. Getting out of the shower, Jason wrapped a towel around his waist and went to fetch his guitar. Then he sat on the couch and strummed it, intending to think of a solution but letting his mind go numb as his fingers played themselves to exhaustion.
Eventually he set aside the guitar, hearing the business card inside flutter to the bottom. Michelle’s home phone number, the one she had given him when he’d first gone to live with the Hubbards. He’d left it in there ever since, like a good luck charm. He supposed he could call her, hear her voice again before confessing what a pathetic life he lived and how badly he needed money. Yeah, that would make them both feel good.
Sighing, he stretched out on the couch, covered his head with a pillow, and willed the world around him to disappear. Eventually he became tired enough that it did. The real world, anyway. Jason opened his eyes blearily to find himself sitting on an airplane. From the pressure and monotone hum, he could tell the flight was in progress, which was an odd thing to know since he’d never flown before.
Glancing around the cabin, he was disturbed to discover he was completely alone. Surely that wasn’t normal. Jason had a middle seat, an empty aisle to the left and right. Straining against his seat belt, he did his best to look ahead and behind him. Nobody there.
A ding sounded overhead, a backlit icon of a cigarette and seatbelt flashing before a voice spoke over the intercom.
“The captain—well, me—has turned off the seatbelt sign. You are now free to move about the cabin.”
Jason stayed perfectly still for a moment. When nothing else happened, he unbuckled the seatbelt and stood. Now he could clearly see that he was alone. Except for the captain, of course. Maybe he would be able to explain how Jason had ended up here.
Making his way down one of the aisles, Jason passed a small galley and entered into another section where the seats were larger and looked a lot more comfortable. Ignoring these, he continued to the very front of the plane. The door to the cockpit was open, a figure seated in front of countless instruments.
“Hello?” Jason tried.
No response. No movement. He walked all the way to the cockpit door and tried again.
“Hello?”
Next to him, something started ringing. After flinching in shock, he looked around and found a phone on the wall, the old-fashioned kind with a cord. What could he do but answer it?
“Hello?”
“You were supposed to call us a long time ago.”
The voice on the other end was familiar enough for Jason to recognize, which was odd, since they’d only met once. Ice cream and a movie three years ago. That was all. And yet he knew exactly who he was talking to.
“Jace?”
In the cockpit, the captain’s seat spun around, revealing the man. Jace smiled at him, but when the voice on the phone spoke again, his lips didn’t move. “Why didn’t you call us?”
Jason stared for a moment before answering. “Pride?”
He heard a chuckle on the line. “That’s very honest of you. Uh, you can hang up the phone now. Even I don’t know how I’m doing this.”
He turned to hang up the phone, and when he looked back to the cockpit, Jace was standing just a foot away and rubbing his jaw. “That’s better. Whew! This is weird, huh?”
Jason nodded. “Am I dr—”
“Don’t say it! Whenever I’m—you know—and then I realize, it always wakes me up.” Jace tensed
, as if waiting for that to happen. When it didn’t, he relaxed again. “Okay. So you’re lost, looking for guidance, and I just happen to be here to point the way. Think you’ll get the symbolism? I thought the phone was a nice touch. You’ll call us, right?”
“I don’t like asking anyone for money,” Jason said.
“It’s worse than that,” Jace replied. “You don’t like asking anyone for help. But everyone has to now and then. Usually they turn to family first. Why haven’t you?”
“Uh, because I don’t have a family?”
Jace made a buzzing sound like they were on a game show. “Wrong. I told you a long time ago there was someone out there for you, and that you simply hadn’t met him yet. The same is true for your family. You need to call them.”
“Them?” Jason swallowed. “You’re saying I need to call you.”
Jace shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt to try. I bet you’d get taken out for ice cream at the very least. No more horror movies though; they give you weird nightmares, don’t you think?”
“I’ll try to cut back,” Jason said before laughing. “So am I really dreaming?”
Jace winced. “I told you not to say it! Now you’ve got to go.”
Next to him, the door to the airplane swung open. Outside was twilight, stars appearing in an increasingly darkened sky. Jason felt himself being slowly pulled toward the open hatch, unable to fight against the force of air being sucked through the doorway.
“Wait,” he said. “What am I supposed to do, ask you for money? We’re talking three months’ rent!”
“Buh-bye.” Jace wore a mechanical smile, gesturing repeatedly toward the door. “Thank you for flying with us. Buh-bye now.”
“I can’t expect you to bail me out of my own mess. It won’t solve anything in the long run.”
“Have a safe trip home now. Buh-bye.”
Jason grabbed the edge of the door so he wouldn’t be pulled outside. “Seriously! Why would anyone want to help me?”
For a brief moment, the wind outside ceased and the artificial smile left Jace’s face. “Ben has so much love in his heart. He won’t need a reason. You’ll see.” Then the force outside returned, too strong this time to fight against. Jace smiled, but this time it was personal and warm. “Goodbye, Jason. It was nice seeing you again.”
His fingers lost their grip on the doorframe, and in an instant, Jason found himself floating in a sky sparkling with pinpricks of light. One of those distant lights became brighter until it was blinding.
Jason gasped and sat upward, foot knocking the guitar over and creating a loud bonngg. He was in his living room, of course, the blood still pounding in his veins from the dream. Groaning, he forced himself to get up and go to the kitchen for some water. As he stood there drinking, he considered it all, shaking his head at how silly it was. As if he’d listen to a dream. He’d have to be crazy to act on something like that.
Right?
Oh, what the hell! Setting down the glass of water, Jason went to find an old cereal box top.
* * * * *
“The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected or is no longer in service.”
Jason turned off the phone and picked up the box top again, palms sweaty as he turned it over and over. Maybe he had dialed the wrong number. Ten minutes later, he tried again, which was fast considering he’d needed an hour to muster the courage for the first attempt. Jason dialed the number more carefully this time.
“The number you are trying to reach—”
Jason hung up the phone and exhaled. Stupid dream! Jace could have at least given him his new digits. Or maybe an email address. That would have been helpful. So much for listening to a sleep-induced hallucination. Jason was about to toss the number aside when his eyes dropped to the two words below Jace’s name. Ben Bentley. Jace’s husband. His phone number was there too, but calling someone he had never met sounded excruciatingly awkward. What would he say?
Jason set aside the box top, started tidying up the apartment, and realized he should probably be packing. Just a few short months ago when Steph had moved out, he felt proud at how much was left behind. He actually had his own things now. Sure the couch was pretty gnarly and the television was still the old square kind and not widescreen, but they belonged to him. In addition to a few other pieces of furniture, he had a boombox, some CDs, even a computer. Jason had come a long way in the last few years, which made the idea of failing even more upsetting. A little pride was one thing, but he’d be foolish to let it ruin him.
He supposed he could call Ben and ask for Jace’s new number. That would be easier than trying to explain it all from scratch. Before he could overthink it, Jason rushed back to the couch and started dialing. The phone rang long enough that his palms had time to get sweaty again while his heart felt like it needed a paramedic.
“Hello?”
“Hi. Uh. Ben?”
“Yup! Who’s this?”
Jason swallowed. “You don’t know me, but I was hoping you could help. I’m trying to reach someone named Jace. He’s your husband, right?”
The line was silent for a moment. Maybe they had broken up? “Yes, he’s my husband.”
“Oh, good. Do you have a number for him? Or if he’s there, could I speak to him?”
Again the line was quiet for far too long. “Sorry, but who am I speaking to?”
“My name is Jason. Uh, I met your husband once a long time ago. His sister was my caseworker back when I was in foster care. He said I could call if I ever… So…” Jason’s mouth was too dry to continue.
“You met Jace?” Ben asked, but he didn’t wait for an answer. “Listen, what’s the best number to reach you at? And your last name. Please.”
“Oh, okay.” Jason rattled off his information and was half-tempted to give the wrong number because this was already too embarrassing.
“All right,” Ben said, the faint sound of a pen tapping a pad of paper in the background. “You really met Jace?”
“Yeah,” Jason said. Was that so unbelievable? “He looks just like his sister.”
Ben laughed. “Yeah. He certainly… Yeah. Listen, I’m going to have to give you a call back, okay? It’s not a good time right now, but I’ll definitely call you back.”
“Okay,” Jason said, throat feeling raw. “No problem.”
He hung up the phone. Another dead end. Something ventured, nothing gained. Shaking off his embarrassment, he stood and set about organizing his belongings. He would pack what he didn’t need and try to get an idea of what remained. Maybe he could rent a storage unit for it all and find a shelter where he could stay. Or he could try pawning some of it. He doubted it would be enough to cover rent, but every little bit helped.
He was an hour into this process when the phone rang. The idea of talking to Ben again made him squirm, but maybe it was Jace this time. Maybe he had explained everything to Ben before calling Jason back. That sounded reasonable. Jason hurried to pick up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Jason?” A woman’s voice, this one so familiar that his heart leapt. “It’s Michelle. Oh my god! I’m so happy you called!”
* * * * *
McDonald’s. An outside table next to the playground. Jason felt like he was sixteen again, celebrating another foster care birthday or a rare day out as a treat from his caseworker. The one seated across from him had been his favorite. Currently she was unloading a tray. A salad and soda for herself, and for him—
“French fries and a vanilla milkshake,” Michelle said, smiling broadly. “You still like that?”
“Oh yeah!” Jason said, mouth already watering. His food budget had been tight lately, and he struggled to remember his last full stomach.
“I got you a quarter pounder too, just in case. You aren’t a boy anymore.” Michelle looked him over in a way his mother used to. “I can’t believe you finally cut your hair!”
Jason reached up to touch his bangs. His hair was still hopelessly messy, but the tips only
touched his eyebrows now. “Steph, a friend of mine, she made me do it. Said the guys would line up around the block.”
“And did they?” Michelle asked.
He gestured to an empty sidewalk. “They must not have gotten the memo.”
Michelle laughed. “So besides that, how are you?”
“I told you all the important stuff on the phone,” Jason said, removing the plastic lid from the milkshake. “Everything was going good. I thought I’d really made it.”
“You haven’t exactly blown it,” Michelle said. “Late rent isn’t such a big deal. Better than a massive credit card debt. Unless…”
“No credit company is foolish enough to give me a card,” Jason said. “There’s only the rent. I guess I’m behind on a few utilities too.”
Michelle nodded in an encouraging way, like the situation looked promising. He couldn’t help but laugh, being reminded of the countless pep talks she had given him while he lived in the home. He didn’t realize how effective they’d been until she had mysteriously disappeared.
“It’s none of my business,” he said, “but what happened? One day you were there, the next you weren’t.”
Michelle frowned, fidgeting with the straw of her drink before scooting it away. “I had a breakdown of sorts and needed time off to find myself again. I’m lucky that way. My family doesn’t rely on my income or even need it, so I focused on my kids and fixing myself.” Michelle raised her gaze. “I’m sorry. This is still so hard to talk about.”
“It’s okay,” Jason said. “You don’t need to explain.”
“I do because it affects you too.” Michelle considered the playground for a moment. “My brother, Jace, he suffered from aneurysms. He’d already been through one when you met him, and well… He didn’t make it.”
“Oh.” Jason wanted to say more but his throat had constricted. Not because of what this meant for his own future, but because the guy who was both goofy and dashing in his own way, the guy who had been so friendly and giving in the short time they had known each other—that he was gone now seemed so horribly wrong.