Chapter 84: At the Doorway

Chapter 84: At the Doorway

Kyle woke at four in the morning. He lay in bed listening to the wind outside the window. The wind stopped. He sat up and walked to the window. The corner was empty. He watched for a while. Then went downstairs. Passing Amy's room, the door was open. She slept on her side, one hand stretched out from under the blanket resting on the pillow. Knights and Dragons peeked out from beneath the pillow. Next to it, the cover of The Fire Sword Knight was worn fuzzy, the words on the spine barely visible.

He stood there for a moment, then gently closed the door. Downstairs. The kitchen light was on.

Irene poured him a cup of coffee. "Can't sleep?"

"Yeah."

Dorothy sat at the dining table, no knitting needles in her hands. She'd finished. She looked at Kyle. "What's today's date?"

"May first." She nodded. The desk calendar was still turned to March, but time had moved into brand-new May.

Dawn broke. He pulled back the curtain. The corner was empty. Upstairs, Amy was awake, sitting on her bed holding The Fire Sword Knight. "Kyle. Will you take me to school today?"

"Yes. And every day from now on."

She cheered and jumped out of bed, running to wash her face. When she came back, she wore a blue hair ribbon and a red sweater with the sleeves rolled up twice.

The sweater was a bit too small again, her wrists showing. "Grandma made it. It's small now."

"She'll make another one next year."

"Okay, I'll ask Grandma to knit me a brand-new one." Kyle said nothing. She ran downstairs. Irene set a bowl of cereal on the table.

Amy took a bite. "Kyle. You're wearing long sleeves today."

"Yeah."

"Isn't it hot?"

"No." She nodded. When she finished eating, she jumped down. "Let's go."

She pushed open the door and walked into the sunlight. She walked fast, pulling his hand. At the school entrance she stopped. "Kyle. See you this afternoon."

"See you this afternoon."

She ran inside, paused at the entrance to the school building to look back for two seconds, then pushed through the door and disappeared into the hallway. Kyle stood in place watching for a while, then turned to walk back. At the corner he stopped—the ground was flat, black, dry. No more envelopes. He looked for a moment, then kept walking. Pushed open the door.

Irene stood by the window, the curtain pulled open a crack. "Did anyone come?"

"No." She nodded, let the curtain fall, and came back to sit down. Kyle sat across from her. The two of them sat there. Dorothy's bedroom door was closed. A brand-new red sweater lay folded on the back of Amy's chair. This time the size should be right.

Kyle stood and walked to the mantelpiece. The key, birth certificate, crayon box, textbook, list, and photo were arranged in a row. The crayon box had been opened—one yellow crayon was missing. The textbook was open to the title page where two little figures both smiled, the crayon colors faded. He looked for a while, then reached out and moved the key an inch to the left to align with the crayon box. He walked back and sat down. "Kyle. What are you doing?"

"Just tidying up."

She didn't ask again.

His phone lit up. "Klaus made it to Europe. He says—he's not coming back."

Kyle looked at the screen. Didn't reply. "He also says—he wishes your daughter safety."

Kyle typed, "Got it."

He put down his phone.

Irene looked at him. "Kyle. What about from now on?"

"From now on. Take her to school. Pick her up. Wait for her to grow up."

She nodded. In the afternoon he picked Amy up. She ran upstairs then back down, holding a new drawing she handed to him. He unfolded it. The picture showed a tree with red leaves that had fallen to the ground. Two people stood beneath the tree, one tall and one short. The tall one held a key, the short one held a crayon. The title was written in the bottom right corner: From Now On. "Kyle. Will you still leave someday?"

"No more leaving." She nodded and ran to the foot of the stairs. "I'm going up to draw."

Kyle stood and walked to the door, pushed it open, and stood on the steps. The corner was empty. The streetlight came on.

From now on, there would be no more enemies. No one would hurt Amy.

The days would pass one by one. Amy would gradually grow up. But he would stay by her side forever.