“I love you, Gabe,” he said. “You’re my brother. I’ll always love you.”
Syl stood up, still holding on to Gabe. “I think you should go back to bed, sweetie,” she said. “You can keep crying as long as you want, just as long as you remember how many people love you. All right?”
Gabe nodded.
Syl kissed him. “Who’s the best boy in the whole wide world?”
“Me,” Gabe mumbled.
“That’s right,” Syl said. “You’re the best boy in the whole wide world, and don’t you ever forget it.” She carried Gabe down the hall, and Jon could hear her singing a lullaby very softly.
“You all right, Mr. Jon?” Opal asked.
Jon wiped the tears off his cheeks. “We need to talk,” he said.
“Talk,” she said. “I’m listening.”
“Is Ruby all right?” he asked. “Where is she? Why the substitution?”
“Ruby took my place, that’s all,” Opal replied.
“And nobody there noticed?” Jon asked.
“All I did for those folks was scrub their floors,” Opal said. “The only parts of me they ever saw was the top of my head and the top of my rear. Ruby and I tried it out the day before the cops found me. No one knew the difference.”
“But you could have been sent to the mines,” Jon said. “You did that for Ruby?”
“I’m the older,” she said. “And a whole lot tougher. Ruby couldn’t handle none of that. Guess if you really knowed her, you’d know that. Course if you really knowed her, you’d have knowed I ain’t her.”
“She’ll be okay?” Jon asked.
Opal nodded. “They’re nice folks,” she said. “Never hit me once. Course I know how to clean a lot better than Ruby. But she’ll learn. She’ll be okay.”
“I’m glad,” Jon said. “I liked Ruby.”
“You got something else to be glad about,” Opal said. “Can’t see how we’s married, given you thinking you was marrying Ruby.”
Jon laughed. “You’re right,” he said. “I guess we’re not.”
“Not what?” Syl asked, joining them.
“Married,” Jon said. “Turns out we’re not.”
“How’s the little one?” Opal asked.
“He’s sleeping,” Syl replied. “It’ll hit him again tomorrow, but he’s all right for now.”
“You were great with him,” Jon said.
“He’s a great kid,” Syl said. “Spoiled rotten but really very sweet. Matt and I’ve tried so hard to have children. We feel like Gabe’s a blessing that fell into our laps.” She paused. “Matt wasn’t optimistic about Lisa’s chances, but we never thought she’d die. What happened, Jon?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, Miss Syl,” Opal said. “But could I have some water to drink?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Syl said. “Come into the kitchen. I’ll find you something to eat.”
“That’s real kind of you, ma’am,” Opal said.
“Call me Syl,” she said. “Now sit down and let me get you something. How about some potato bread? Things are a little tight around here since I can’t work anymore and we have Gabe to feed, but there’s still more than enough. Here, some carrots. Jon, the glasses are over there. We have running water, thank goodness.” She sniffed. “You stink,” she said. “Your clothes are in your suitcase. Opal, you should fit in mine. If you don’t mind cold water, you can shower before you go to bed, and I’ll wash your clothes in the morning.”
“Thank you, Syl,” Jon said, handing Opal one of the glasses and sipping some water from the other. “Where’s Matt?”
“Working,” Syl said, putting the bread and vegetables on a plate, which she handed to Opal. “He left yesterday. He’ll be gone for a couple of weeks.”
“I’m sorry I missed him,” Jon said.
“Why don’t you stay?” Syl asked. “Opal can sleep in my room, and you can share Gabe’s.”
Jon swallowed a bite of carrot. “It’s not a good idea,” he said. “A couple of days ago I told some people my name and where I was from. I didn’t say I was going to Coolidge, but they might figure it out. It’s too dangerous for all of us if I stay.”
“Start from the beginning,” Syl said. “What happened to Lisa?”
“She killed herself,” Jon said. “She left a note taking full responsibility for stealing Miranda’s baby from the Stocktons. It probably would have worked except I came home. And Ruby ran away.”
“The cops picked me up, thinking I was Ruby,” Opal said. “And Mr. Jon here decided to rescue me.”
“We got married,” Jon said. “Well, I thought we got married.”
“We said our ‘I do’s,’” Opal said. “But we never did no consummating.”
Syl shook her head. “I liked Lisa,” she said. “She was easier for me than Laura. Oh, Jon, I haven’t said how sorry I am about Laura. You’ve really had a rough time of it. How are you doing?”
“I don’t know,” Jon said. “So much has happened. I don’t think I really understand it yet, that she’s gone.”
“She was my teacher,” Opal said. “She was a good woman.”
“I didn’t know you knew,” Jon said. “I never told Ruby.”
“I can figure things out faster than her,” Opal replied. “Miss Syl, I swear these are the best carrots I ever had.”
“Will you please stop calling me that,” Syl said. “Sister-in-law or not, you’re family.”
“I thank you kindly,” Opal said. “I think I’ll take that shower now. I don’t know that I ever felt this dirty before.”
“Follow me,” Syl said. “I’ll get you some clean clothes and a towel and soap. Jon, you wait here. We still have things to talk about.”
Jon looked at the carrots but refrained from eating another. He’d forgotten how beautiful Syl was, but she’d aged in the last three years, gotten even thinner. Matt earned decent money, but with Gabe in the house, Syl was probably eating less than she should.
Syl came back a few minutes later. “Keep eating,” she said. “You look starved.”
“I’m fine,” he said.
“All right,” she said, and began putting the carrots away. “It’s hard for Gabe. He’s used to a lot of foods we don’t have. But he won’t go hungry.”
“Will you?” Jon asked.
“Lisa put some money in Gabe’s suitcase,” she replied. “She must have known what she was going to do. Your friend Sarah wanted to go into town and wave her claver ID around at the market, but Alex wouldn’t let her. Sarah’s a nice girl, Jon. Very smart. Matt likes her a lot.”
“I like her, too,” Jon said. “I took Ruby with me—well, I thought she was Ruby—because she knew Miranda was my sister. The only way I could get her away from the cops was by marrying her. Only when I did, I had to turn in my claver ID.”
“Strange times,” Syl said. “They make us do strange things. Do you have plans, Jon?”
“I thought we’d go to that town Matt told us about,” Jon said. “The one Alex and Miranda went to. If they’ll let us in.”
“I think they will,” Syl replied. “Matt says they don’t care about people’s pasts. Everyone starts out equally. At least that’s the plan. They call it New Harmony. It’s in Kentucky, about seventy-five miles from here.”
“Seventy-five miles,” Jon said. “A couple of hours by car. Do you think Miranda and Alex will be safe there?”
“As safe as anyplace,” Syl said. “Matt and I will move there when he gets back. Alex took Miranda and the baby there, dropped Sarah off with her folks, and went back to New Harmony. When Matt finishes his last run, Alex will come back here and drive us. We were hoping you and Lisa would show up by then. Does Opal know about it?”
“Not yet,” Jon replied. “I’ll talk to her about it in the morning. Do you know how to get to New Harmony, Syl? Can you draw me a map?”