Chapter 11 — The Move

I decided that night when I finally got Ethan to sleep

that we were going to move. I will put this house on the market first thing tomorrow. But where to is the major question. Wyoming? Colorado? Who knows I've got a little time to decide because Ethan can't move for a while. It would be way too painful for him to pack up and move right now.

After I get Emma off to school and Ethan all situated in his room. I call around to my friends to see who's the best realty company in town. And they all say the same name Black Bear Realty. I quickly look up their phone number. "Black Bear Realty this is Megan White how may I help you," A chipper female voice on the other end says. "Yes, I need to talk to someone about selling my house."

"Yes, ma'am, I can help you with that."

We stayed on the phone answering each other's questions for hours until she said that she would be by later to put a "For Sale" sign in my yard. True to her word Megan knocks on my door at one o'clock holding her For Sale sign and a hammer in front of her. "Hello, Melissa, I'm Megan White from Black Bear Realty," she says, introducing herself. "Where is a good place to put this sign at the edge of your yard," I walk outside glancing around my front yard. "I guess you can put it down by the mailbox," I offer. Megan nods in agreement then takes off down the driveway to place the sign. "Okay so now what we need to do is take pictures of the inside along with the outside of the house for our website, does now work for you or do I need to come back?"

"Now works all except my son's room he has some broken ribs so we will have to wait to take the pictures of his room, or I can take them and email them over to you?"

"That will work thank you," Megan replies cheerfully as she starts snapping pictures of all the rooms in the house except for Ethan’s. I’m so glad that I had forethought to clean up last night after getting Ethan all settled in. She then headed outside to take photos of the house and our yard. “It shouldn’t be too hard to sell your house since you have such a big front and backyard,” Megan quips happily as if she has had way too much coffee this morning. “Families with children love big yards and you have the biggest yard in this neighborhood."

“Oh man if she doesn’t tone down her perkiness I will have to beat her with a steel pipe,” I mutter under my breath. I already knew that we had the biggest property around here there was no one around for miles when we had this house built. It was all woods before the city decided to start building neighborhoods. We had thought about buying up a lot more property to keep people at bay but never did. That is one of the many regrets that I have. The other was marrying a sniveling/cheating coward of a man.

After she finished repeating herself about how long it could take to get someone interested in my house as she stands by her little Prius she finally pulls out of my long driveway and disappears from sight.

I take a deep breath and shake off all the nonsense that she had spewed at me before I head inside to check on Ethan. I creep open the door to find him awake and watching tv. “Hey kiddo you okay? Are you hungry?” I ask. “I could eat, but who was that lady you were talking to outside,” He says all in one breath. I take a good look at my son. Damn he isn’t a child anymore he has grown up to be a good man. All I could do was shake my head and answer his question truthfully. I’ve always tried to tell my children the truth even though there were times that it wasn’t possible. “Umm, I’ve decided to put the house on the market. We are moving to a different state where people don’t know who we are and maybe you and Emma will be safe,” I answer. He looks up at me with his all-knowing look. “So that lady was a realtor,” He remarks with a pained breath. My answer was just a nod. “I’ll go make you some breakfast,” I smile before I leave his room. “Mom,” He yells before I shut his door. "Could you help me with one thing before you go?” Ethan asks blushing. No teenage boy wants to ask his mother to help him go to the bathroom. I would have preferred that the hospital let him use the urinal but the Dr wants him to move around instead of staying in bed. So here we go slowly out of bed then slowly to the bathroom where he holds himself with the bathroom counter. I excuse myself as I wait in his room for him to call me as I take pictures for Megan.

I tuck Ethan back into his bed then head down to the kitchen to make him some breakfast. A sausage omelet with all the trimmings. When I bring it up to him on the bed tray he is asleep again. I place the tray on his nightstand just in case he is hungry when he wakes up. I stand at his door looking at my little man wondering what would have happened to him if I had just divorced his dad instead of framing him for murder. It wouldn’t have really mattered if he had eaten the Jello instead of his fucking whore though.

Three o’clock time to pick up Emma from school. I checked on Ethan again before I left sure enough he was still asleep so I left a note and placed it on the tray beside his orange juice. “Is Ethan doing okay today?” Emma asks as she snaps her seatbelt. “Yes, he is fine he walked a little but he has mostly been sleeping,” I answer as I put my car in drive. “Do you think it could be the medicine that he is taking that’s making him so tired,” She questions. “I don’t think so, but if it will make you feel better, I can call the doctor to make sure, how’s that?”

“Thanks, Mom, that would make me feel a whole lot better.”

Emma grabs my phone and hits the button for our family doctor. It starts ringing over the Bluetooth in the car’s radio. “Hello Dr Brown's office, this is Sheila,” An older woman’s voice says. “Hello Sheila, this is Melissa Michaels. My son was attacked yesterday after school and I was wondering if you could answer a question about the medication the hospital prescribed him,” I ask nervously. You see I hate driving and talking on the phone even if it’s hands free. “Of course Melissa just tell me the name of the prescription and I will tell you all about it,” She answers sincerely. “It’s called Tramadol. Will it make him sleepy?" I ask her sincerely. “Well, that is a strong drug; what are the grams on it?”

“The pharmacist said that it was the lowest dosage that you can prescribe for it but I’m not sure of the grams."

“Then it shouldn’t make him sleepy, you said it was yesterday that all this happened right?”

“Yes."

“Then I think he has a right to be tired. Being in pain makes people feel very tired and worn out so give him time he will be alright." Sheila explains in a calming voice.

We pull up to the house when I hear a giant gasp coming from Emma. “What the fuck?” She cursed loudly. Emma Dawn Michaels don’t you dare use that language,” I scold her. “I’m sorry mom but somebody put a for sale sign in our yard,” She says clearly shocked. “Yes I know I was going to tell you but you wanted to call the doctor,” I started. “I put the house up for sale and we are moving to Colorado when your brother is able to travel,” I just decided that I like being in Colorado better than Wyoming. It has more stores and better schools. “Where in Colorado? In Longmont with grandma?” She asks. “No, I haven’t figured out the town part of the move yet,” I reply, kicking myself for not haven't figured everything out yet before Emma finding out. This girl could make a lawyer question their abilities. “Maybe you can help me pick out a town to check out?” I suggest. “Okay,” She says as she opens the car door.

Ethan is awake when I check on him again.” I bet this omelet was better hot?” he asks, laughing when he sees us peaking in. “Yes, I bet it was,” I laugh. Emma goes over and sits on the side of his bed softly so as not to jostle her big brother. “How are you feeling?” She asks him, giving a bit of a sad face as she asks. “I’m a bit better today,” He lies as he gives his sister a weak smile. “I’m so glad,” Emma squeals with delight as she leans over to give her brother a big bear hug. “Oomph,” Ethan groans in pain. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you,” She says sadly as she lets go of him. “Hey, I know you didn’t, Squirt,” he chuckles, knowing Emma hates the nickname he gave her when she was a baby. “Your just a lot stronger than you think you are."

“Do you think so? Because I’ve been in the garage using your weights,” She laughs as she perks back up. “Well keep it up Squirt when I heal up completely I’ll join you,” Ethan says. “Okay let's go and let Ethan get some rest,” I say, leading Emma out of the room so he can rest. "If you need anything just text me and I'll bring it up to you," She says as she slips around me. "Thanks sis," He chuckles as I pick her up and carry her out of the room before she tries to slip by me again.

Later that night Braylon walks through the door like it's his house. "I just heard what happened to Ethan. Is he alright," He asks as he kisses me. "Yea, he's fine, and he will be more fine when I sell this house and move my kids from here."

"What the hell do you mean move?" He growls.

"I mean that I'm going to move my kids somewhere that they are safe."

"And where are you planning to move to."

"I'm thinking Wyoming or Colorado, I haven't decided just yet," I lied. There was no way I was going to give this lying bastard any information of where I plan on moving to. Colorado will be our fresh start at least I hope it will.