She folded her arms across her chest, looked aside, and huffed. Allie always had the same mannerisms when she was pissed, and seeing her carrying them out gave me another twinge of nostalgia even in the dire circumstances. She said, “Yeah.”
I tapped my phone awake and dialed my parents’ land line. I knew a phone was on the nightstand on Mom’s side of their bed, and the ring would certainly be enough to wake them up. But it had to be done.
Mom’s voice was groggy. “Hello?”
I put the call on speaker. “Hi Mom, it’s Jason. And Allie.”
“Jason? What it is it? Where are you, dear?”
“We’re in the guest house.”
She said, “Oh, thank god. When the phone rings in the middle of the night, I’m always afraid it’s the worst.”
“There’s something you need to know.” I told her the whole story. Allie jumped in periodically when I left something out. Mom was aghast, but she held herself together better than I expected after hearing such news about her only two kids. Allie cried again during the call, and I admit I could feel the emotion welling in my chest too, but I managed to retain my composure. If Mom was crying, she was stealthy about it. She said she and Dad would keep out of the guest house until we knew more.
We hung up, and I had a feeling that she wouldn’t be falling back to sleep.
The phone quiet, it was just Allie and me, alone again. Neither of us said anything for a minute after talking to Mom. I felt tears trying to form when I realized we might never see Mom and Dad again, even though they were right next door. I took a halting deep breath and tried to focus on what to do.
I said, “Allie, do you have an extra pillow or something?”
She grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes before answering. “Yeah. There’s one on the top shelf of my closet. I guess there’s room for you on the floor next to the bed.”
I got up and found the pillow, along with a light blanket. “OK. I guess I’ll get changed and lie down.”
She said, “Fine, but let me have the bathroom first.”
“Sure.”
While Allie was in the bathroom, I brushed my teeth at the little sink in the kitchenette. The rote action mercifully helped distract me, but it was too short for a lasting effect.
I took off my shoes and socks and laid down fully clothed on the floor next to Allie’s bed. I tried to relax on the carpet, but it wasn’t remotely comfortable. Part of me felt I deserved it.
A few minutes later Allie came out of the bathroom wearing what I always remember as her nighttime attire: a white tanktop and baggy grey shorts. Without a word she climbed in bed and hit the switch by her head to turn out the lights. It was pitch dark and deathly quiet. I’d gotten used to the constant noise in the dorm, someone always closing a distant door, the HVAC running, traffic audible even through the window. Here, there was not a sound.
The dark and quiet left my brain nothing to do but worry. I couldn’t imagine falling asleep anytime soon. I second-guessed myself: Why did I have to take that particular flight? There were literally dozens to choose from. Why not any other? And why hadn’t I taken an Uber home? To save a few bucks, that’s why. And now saving a few bucks could mean Allie has to die. I couldn’t hold back the tears this time. I tried to be quiet, but of course Allie could hear.