But none of that could happen.
So my son had Cormac’s name. A big legacy to carry, but he’d be tough enough to handle it.
Shayna held Cormac and I waited.
When I spotted her walking toward us, I reached for Shayna’s hand.
“Hey there! Can I get you two…”
The waitress stopped talking. Shayna looked and her lips instantly began to shake.
“Oh… my…”
“Shayna,” the waitress whispered.
I pointed to the waitress’s apron. “Hey there, Sarah.”
Sarah.
The new name for Sasha. Yes, Shayna’s sister.
“We’d like two coffees,” I said. “To go. We can’t stay long, Sarah.”
Sarah looked at me. Then at Shayna. Then at the baby.
“This is Cormac,” Shayna said. “Our baby. We had a baby recently.”
Sarah crouched down. “He’s beautiful.”
From the side I could see the resemblance between Shayna and Sasha. From the front, they were totally different. Fraternal twins.
Sarah touched Cormac’s hand and smiled. “So precious. I’m happy for you.”
“Are you okay?” Shayna asked. “I don’t get it…”
“Let me show you the drinks,” Sarah said and took out a menu. She opened it and leaned in. “I had to run. I’m so sorry I never came back, Shayna. I never wanted you in danger. I’m okay here. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Okay,” I said. “Just the two coffees, please.”
“I’ll be right back,” Sarah - Sasha - said.
Shayna looked at me. “Finn.”
“We can’t stay,” I said. “They want her. You know that.”
“I know,” Shayna whispered. “So I’m going to say goodbye for real now.”
My heart twisted a little.
I didn’t respond.
Shayna put Cormac back in his carseat. He started to get fussy and whine.
Sarah came back with two coffees, a carrier, sugar, and cream.
I put a five on the table.
Shayna and Sarah stared at each other. They wanted to hug each other but couldn’t.
I had eyes all around. I could never really know who was who. This was final duty to Mara, Marie, and all that family bullshit.
Then again, blood was thicker than water, right?
“Oh, damn,” I said. “Cormac spit up. Sarah, do you have a napkin?”
Sarah handed me a napkin.
Cormac was fine.
I hurried to grab a pen from Sarah’s apron. Fast hands, fighter hands. I pretended to wipe Cormac’s face. I put the napkin on the table and started to write, all the while keeping my eyes on the cafe. It was sloppy, but the note was quick.
They’re coming. Run like hell. Visit your nephew anytime.
I curled up the napkin and gave it to Sarah. If she was smart, she’d know what just happened.
It was hard to get in the car and drive away. It was easy to grab Shayna’s hand as I pulled over a few minutes later. I explained what I had done.
I looked back to the carseat. We had a mirror on the seat so we could see Cormac’s face.
“That’s why,” I whispered. “For him. For us. She’s smart, she’ll run.”
“And what about the family stuff?” Shayna asked. “If they don’t find her…”
I looked at Shayna. “I told Mara I’m not killing Sasha. I never will. I said I’d check it out and report back. I did. I said she was there. That’s where my job ends.”
“It’s all a game to you,” Shayna said.
“Yes, it is. The greatest game ever, sweetie. It’s you, me, and Cormac. Now and forever.”
“So this was the point of the road trip?”
“Kind of, yeah. Sorry.”
“So where do we go now?” she asked.
I put a hand to her face and leaned in and kissed her. I licked my lips and groaned. “It doesn’t matter, sweetie. I’ve seen hell and I’ve experienced heaven. Everything in between is just space. But as long as you’re next to me, the game never ends.”
I kissed her again. And again. And again.
Our son, resting in the backseat, let out a deep sigh. He mustn’t have liked to see his parents kissing.
Get used to it… I’d never stop loving or kissing Shayna until the game was over.