Crossing kingdoms las ve.., p.15
Crossing Kingdoms--Las Vegas, page 15
He could hear his mom’s teasing voice in his mind, which brought tears and a smile to him.
“Do you know one of the last things my mom whispered to me before she left? She said, ‘have fun with your temptress.’” He thoroughly laughed at that, partly because of the expression on Beth’s face. “You are my greatest temptation. And my mom knew it and found it quite amusing.”
Beth’s face was red with embarrassment, but she felt the same about him. “And you are mine. You draw me in like a moth to a flame and I forget there is a danger zone where things will get too hot.” She whispered that to him and hid her face in his chest. He hugged her tighter, kissed the top of her head, and softly said through his tears, “My mom really liked you.”
Hearts twisting in pain, more tears flowed, and minutes later they were both sound asleep in each other’s arms. The exhaustion from their devastation laid over them like a weighted blanket, immobilizing them in unconscious oblivion until well after sunrise. They were jolted awake by a very loud voice exclaiming, “Beth! What are you doing?!”
CHAPTER 18
Kim and Eric assumed Beth and Dante had gone out with friends after the barbeque at the bishop’s house and that they would be out until curfew at midnight. They had been so good at following the rules all week, the parents had no doubts that they would be home on time. So, they retreated to their room to watch a movie in bed and go to sleep early.
In the morning, they got up with Lillian and Jacob for breakfast. Assuming Beth and Dante had been tired from the late night, they let them sleep in for a while. When it was time to get ready for church, Eric went to the guest room to wake Dante, and Kim went to Beth’s room. Discovering the rooms empty, Kim and Eric ran to meet each other, extremely concerned for the missing teens.
They tried phoning Beth’s cell phone, with no answer. Opening the tracking app that would show them where Beth’s phone was, they saw its location at Dante’s apartment. Worry etched their faces as they thought about the repercussions of their daughter spending the night at her boyfriend’s house, alone.
Dante had only been baptized a week ago. Did he not understand the seriousness of breaking the Law of Chastity? They thought Beth understood; no, she did understand. Kim remembered the conversation when Beth very quickly and surely agreed it wasn’t a good idea to go to Dante’s alone anymore. So why would she do this? They had not complained at all or pushed the rules before.
Maybe they didn’t know Dante as well as they thought? Or their daughter, for that matter. Could they really have expected more from a teenage boy who was raised by an escort, being taught by example that casual sex is fine? Sadness pierced their hearts to think that about him, but what else could it be? They remembered being teenagers and the challenge to stay morally clean when they were dating.
Kim started crying, “Oh Eric! What are we going to do?”
“We are going to go get our daughter and bring her home,” Eric replied, his anger building. “She’s avoiding our calls. So, we will go get her. Ella will be home tonight. Dante can stay at his own place the rest of the day.”
“What about church? Jacob and Lillian? Or Dante going to church?” Kim wondered.
“Dante can get himself to church, if he really wants to go. Though after last night I imagine neither of them will want to be there after they realize the seriousness of what they have done.” Eric was now furious.
Breathing deeply, he admitted, “I’m too angry to be near either of them right now. It’s probably best if I go to church with Jacob and Lillian. You go get Beth. I’m pretty sure you won’t hurt either of them; I can’t guarantee my self control.” Kim wrapped her arms around her husband, feeling a foreboding heaviness settle on her.
Eric had to drop Kim off at Dante’s apartment so he could have their second car to take Jacob and Lillian to church. Beth had their other car from the day before and it was parked out front of Dante’s building. Kim looked inside it and saw Beth’s phone sitting in a cup holder.
“I guess that would explain why she isn’t answering her phone,” Kim murmured in irritation. There was no buzzer or lock on the main door to the building, so she was able to go right in. She knocked on the apartment door and waited. No answer. She decided to just walk in, not wanting to see what she thought she was about to find.
It was very quiet as she looked around, her heart racing as she got closer to where they must be. The bedroom door was open and there she saw her sixteen-year-old daughter entwined with her boyfriend in his bed, both sound asleep. The words escaped her like fire blasting through a window. “Beth! What are you doing?!”
The young couple jumped in alarm as they were abruptly awoken. Both disoriented momentarily, they looked at each other not sure what was happening.
“Beth!” Kim yelled again. This time the teens sat up straight, looking at a very upset mother, reality sinking in as to how this must appear.
“Mom! I know what you must be thinking. Please listen before you freak out anymore.”
Kim did not listen and fired back, “What am I supposed to think? Waking up this morning to find you not home; track your phone here and find you in bed together taking advantage of an empty apartment with his mom gone!”
Hearing those words, ‘mom gone’, flooded the pain back into Dante. He dropped his face into his hands as he started to cry again.
“Mom! Stop! Just listen!” Beth pleaded, climbing off the bed to stand between her mom and Dante. Kim had noticed Dante’s reaction and paused long enough for Beth to whisper, “His mom died.”
Kim gasped, “No!”
Beth took her mom by the arm and led her out to the living room, sitting down on the couch so she could still keep an eye on Dante. He hadn’t moved. With tears swelling in her eyes, she told her mom what had happened.
“After the barbeque at the bishop’s house, we came by here to pick up his church clothes he forgot to pack. On our way in we met two police officers who were coming to tell Dante they had been notified of her death. She was found in London in her hotel room, overdosed.” Beth’s voice caught at that point and her mom wrapped her in her arms. They were both crying.
“Oh Beth! I’m so sorry!” After a moment, Kim said shakily, “I understand the pain he must be in, and the need to seek comfort. But Beth, ending up in bed together is only going to bring more pain.”
Beth’s head snapped up in surprise. “No, Mom! Nothing happened! I swear. He was sick after the police left and eventually stumbled to his bed sobbing. I went in to hold him as he cried; as we both cried and cried. I guess in our exhaustion from so much grief we fell asleep. I’m so sorry I didn’t call; we lost track of time and everything around us. I promise, we didn’t sleep together. Well, we slept together, but...” she was stammering in flustered embarrassment.
Kim held her firmly, looking at her daughter with compassion and worry. “Honey, it’s ok. I believe you. It’s ok.”
Beth broke down in sobs again, now being able to feel her grief without trying to comfort Dante at the same time. She was so glad her mom had come. “Oh mom. I’ve never felt so much pain before! I don’t know what hurts more, my own grief or seeing Dante in so much pain. And all I can do is hold him, hoping he knows he’s not as alone as he likely feels. He has no one else, Mom. He doesn’t know who his dad is, and his grandparents have never met him because they disowned Ella. Please, Mom, he has to come live with us! We can’t leave him alone!” Beth felt desperate at the thought.
Trying to calm her daughter, Kim assured her, “We will make sure he isn’t alone, sweetie.”
They checked on Dante and found him curled in a ball asleep again. Covering him with a blanket, they went back to the couch, keeping his door open slightly to listen for when he woke. Kim texted Eric to let him know what was going on, and minutes later he called her; she moved into the kitchen to speak privately with her husband.
Beth curled up on the couch, keeping Dante in her line of sight, and flicked through the tv channels to find distraction. She could feel her eye lids getting very heavy. Thinking she’d only had a long blink, she opened her eyes to find she was under a blanket and heard soft voices coming from the kitchen.
There at the table sat Dante and her parents. They were eating and reading from the scriptures. Dante was the first to notice she was awake and, with pain still in his eyes, managed to give her a tender smile.
Rolling off the couch, Beth came to join them at the table. The young couple had slept, in their separate spaces, most of the afternoon and so Eric had brought them all dinner. Having food in front of her, Beth realized she was starving. After getting some sustenance in her, Kim and Eric filled her in on the plans.
For the time being, Dante will live with them. Kim and Eric will check into what legal process needs to happen and if they need to apply for guardianship for him, or if he is old enough to be allowed to make his own decisions since he will be turning eighteen in less than a year. Tomorrow they will contact the officers to get more information about who to speak with regarding obtaining Ella’s body for a funeral; and also give notice to the landlord as soon as possible to end the rental lease. But tonight, they needed to get Dante out of the apartment and into the embrace of a family home.
Kim called Jacob at home, letting him know they would be back shortly and asked him to get Lillian into bed so Dante wouldn’t have to face all her questions. Beth helped Dante pack some more of his things, adding to what he had from last week; but he wasn’t emotionally ready to pack much. They could come back anytime to pick up something he may need or want.
It was physically painful for Dante to walk out of his home, feeling like a force was holding him back. He was silent the entire drive to the Black’s. When they pulled up to the house, the missionaries were waiting in the driveway. They had wanted to stop in since they noticed Dante had missed his first week at church as a new member. When they knocked on the door earlier, Jacob only informed the missionaries that the others would be home soon.
Eric and Kim got to them first as Dante was slow to get out of the car; every movement required excessive effort. Before Dante approached them, the parents briefly told the missionaries what had happened, so he didn’t have to hear the words again. The Elders offered their deepest condolences to him, and they all went into the house for a visit.
Kim brought out some dessert to share with everyone in the family room where they were all gathered, trying to keep the conversation light. Elder Hansen informed them that he only has two-and-a-half weeks left on his mission and then will return home to Montana. He told Dante specifically that he plans to come back to visit before the summer is over and before he starts working. When the Black’s asked about his plans for the future, Elder Hansen was quite vague, saying he was thinking of starting his own business of some sort. He explained he wants to be able to travel, so an online business might be the best option for him.
Around 8:30 the missionaries left, and Jacob played some video games while Beth, Dante, Kim, and Eric quietly spoke in the kitchen. The rules for the young couple were re-established, most notably not going into each other’s bedrooms under any circumstances, and the usual curfew. Dante would be expected to help with housework and do his own laundry.
He was willing to agree to almost anything to not be a burden on them, and just so he could go to bed. He simply wanted to check out of reality for a while. When he was packing more of his things earlier, he’d decided to bring his mom’s sleeping medication to help him if his mind wouldn’t turn off. Oblivion sounded irresistible.
That night, Dante’s dreams were erratic and his sleep restless, even with the medication. By the early hours of the morning, he had finally fallen into a deep slumber, sleeping the entire day. A knock on his door woke him.
Groggily he called, “Come in.” Beth opened the door, remained in the doorway, and asked, “Would you like to come out for some dinner? You don’t have to if you would rather sleep.”
Even with the intense pain that consumed him from the inside out, seeing Beth and hearing her voice helped him breathe easier. Smiling at her, he said, “Ya. I probably should eat. Thanks. I’ll be out in a few minutes.” She smiled back, blowing him a kiss as she closed his door.
The family waited for him before eating; Lillian had his seat saved right beside her again. For Family Home Evening, their Monday night tradition, they kept it quite casual, playing board games. Dante was thankful for the distraction. Kim and Eric decided to wait until the next day to talk to him about the information they’d gathered from the police and other agencies.
Beth, Dante, and Jacob watched a movie together after Lillian went to bed. The young couple had not spent any time alone together since Kim found them in bed Sunday morning, and this provided a welcomed opportunity for closeness.
As Dante replayed the events of the weekend in his mind, he began to feel embarrassed about being found in bed together. He didn’t know what Beth had told her mom about that night, but he assumed it would have been a heated conversation. He felt bad Beth had to face that alone.
The next morning, Dante woke on his own around ten o’clock. After showering and getting some food, he sat down with Kim for the hard conversation. Eric was at work, Lillian was at a friend’s house, and Beth and Jacob were still sleeping. The joys of teenage summers.
“Ok, first I want you to know we can pause this conversation at any time. If you need a break, just let me know,” Kim tried to assure him. Dante simply nodded, trying to maintain his composure. “Let’s start with your mom. The police informed us that her body will be transported to the morgue here in town and you will officially have possession to hold a funeral and burial.”
There was no easy way to say that. “We will pay for whatever is needed, but my understanding is that her employer will pay for most, if not all, of it. I was given her boss’ number and have talked with her a bit. We will stay in touch. Have you thought at all what you would like to do for the funeral?”
“Not really,” he barely whispered. “Obviously not at a church.” She’d probably haunt me if I did that.
“Okay. We can come up with a plan later,” Kim assured him. “As for you, I still don’t have clear answers about what is to happen officially. So, until we hear otherwise, we are happy to have you live with us, if you would like. If you stay with us as your guardians, we will expect you to follow the rules we set out, and just like our other kids, you will need to contribute to caring for our home. Once you turn eighteen, we can revisit how things are going and what you are wanting to do.” Dante nodded silently trying to process everything.
“As for medical or school decisions,” Kim continued, “we will work with you to help you figure things out. If, on the other hand, you are feeling like you want to be on your own, you can stay here for a month or two to find work. But I would strongly encourage you to not drop out of high school. Finish your final year.”
Kim let that sink in for a moment. “And if you change your mind after trying one or the other of the options, that’s fine. We are here for you, Dante. We will support you however we can. We can’t pay for your education, but we can provide a home for you while you save for your training and are studying; even after you are eighteen. But it will still be our home, our rules.”
Dante nodded. “Thank you, Kim. I really appreciate all you have done for me. I would like to stay here for now, until I figure things out. I just don’t want to burden your family.”
“You are not a burden to us, Dante. Not at all. We love you. You are almost an adult, and we don’t want to pressure you. But we believe we can help you get a good start for your future.” She reached over and squeezed his hand as he smiled back at her. They left the conversation there. Kim went and woke up Beth and Jacob. She had a list of jobs that needed to get done and she wanted them to finish before the heat of the day became an unrelenting oppressor.
CHAPTER 19
The next few days were uneventful; everyone taking a chance to relax. Beth and Dante took walks together in the evenings after the sun went down. It was their only time to be alone; someone always seemed to be with them at the house. Most of the time they didn’t say much, often just walking hand in hand listening to the night sounds. Or they would go to the park and swing in silence looking at the stars, occasionally posing questions their wandering minds created.
When others were quiet around them, it was a heavy awkwardness. But their united silence was a refuge they both embraced as an escape from the intensity of the grief and subsequent decisions.
Dante got the phone call on Friday letting him know his mom’s body would not be returned any time soon, due to an ongoing investigation related to a major case in London. Her boss, Tanis, was the one that phoned him as she wanted to meet with him to discuss the funeral. They arranged to meet at a local café at three o’clock that afternoon. Beth and Kim came with him for support and guidance.
Arriving ten minutes early, they got a table and waited for Tanis to arrive. Dante had never met her and didn’t know what she looked like, but he had met enough of his mom’s escort friends to be able to recognize them when he saw them. So, when the tall, auburn-haired woman in a strapless, mid-thigh sundress, designer heals, and just enough bling to catch your eye with sparkle walked into the café, he knew immediately it was Tanis. And she seemed to recognize him right away.
Making her way over to them, she turned more than a few heads, seeming to glide as though she were skating rather than walking in four-inch heels. With a sincere smile, tinted with sadness, Tanis greeted the three of them warmly and extended her hand first to Dante.
“I am so pleased to finally meet you, Dante. I have heard so many wonderful things about you.” She put a hand on his shoulder, “My heart aches at your loss, all our loss. Your mom loved you profoundly.” Tears glimmered in everyone’s eyes.
