As if on cue, Turner’s bedroom door bursts open and there is a rush of noise and shouts. First out is Ramona, eyes terrified, scanning the room for Stavros no doubt, but then my worst fear is realized as Turner meanders out behind her, a tall, foam sword in one hand, eyes narrowed and lips pursed. His eyes catch on me, but immediately turn to Maeve. Rena raises her gun, and I raise mine.
Turner wails out true and loudly, “Mommy!” His small feet pattering as he runs toward Maeve. She kneels, waiting with arms wide open, as he throws himself into her body at full force. She turns to shield his body from Rena’s gun with her own, and my heart rips open.
What happens next is harried and fast. Stavros throws himself off the sofa with more gusto than I knew asshole exes possessed, to jump in front of Ramona, who is in front of Maeve. This has turned into a sick game of deadly dominos, Rena fires the gun, and Stavros is the one in front of it. He falls to the ground and Ramona falls on top of him, crying out in an anguish I’ll never be able to forget, her hand pressed to the hole in his chest.
“What did he call her?” Rena screams out, blood draining from her face as tears pour down. “What did he call her, Lincoln? Did he call her mommy?” The shaky gun barrel turns to face me, but I’ve already got my sights locked on her.
“Don’t do it, Rena. Don’t make me pull the trigger. Put the gun down and we can go.”
Maeve turns her head to look at me, and there is a wordless exchange. An understanding. Turner is hers if anything happens to me and she knows it. She nods once, a subtle gesture no one else would see, and I think it’s because she knows death, has tasted it in such a cruel way, that she’s able to discern my sacrifice, and even agree to it because it means that Turner gets a full life. Maeve blinks and a tear cuts down her face, and she pulls Turner’s head into her chest. She leans down and says something to him, and I’m not sure what, but I can see his tiny fingers latched around her neck, and my chest burns. Ramona is doing CPR on Stavros, and I can tell he’s not coming back by his lifeless appearance.
All of a sudden Maeve stands, and with a red face and eyes bleary with tears, she calls out, “Go, go, go, go!”
Turner obeys immediately, disappearing down the hall and down the back stairs. He’s safe. My boy is safe. Maeve, chest heaving, and tears falling, is not. In fact, she’s never been in more danger.
“Blood doesn’t make a family, Rena,” Maeve grinds out. “Love does.”
Just as Maeve suspected, Rena turns the gun on her. Maeve steps forward, trying to avoid Ramona who seems to be on the phone with 9-1-1. She stabs a finger at Rena.
“You and your gun. Like you’re so tough. I’ve lived after love died.” She sucks in a deep breath. “I’m not afraid to die for love.” Maeve meets my eyes. “I’d die for Lincoln and for Turner.” Maeve sobs. “You couldn’t even stay for them.”
The gun is shaky. Rena’s resolve is faltering. “Shut the fuck up!” There’s no fight left. Rena knows Maeve is right.
“We may or may not be related by blood, but we are nothing alike. You kill and I nurture. I had to fight for my right to stay alive as a child. Do you know how many houses I was passed around to? How many bad daddies, I had to outwit, outsmart, and try my hardest to overpower? How many times I thought that I would never be worthy of love because of how ruined I was? That the world would be a better place if I wasn’t in it at all? Do you know what it’s like to love someone unconditionally? Not because they can do something for you. Not for the drugs they can give you, but to love a person because of who they are? Faults and all?” Maeve shakes her head angrily. “Lincoln and Turner are mine. I may be ruined and full of faults, but there’s one thing I know I can do better than you.” Rena’s sobbing uncontrollably. “I can love them better than you’ll ever be able to. I can fight for them. Let them have a better life. Get off my property right now. Don’t come back, Rena.”
Rena wipes her dripping nose on the sleeve of her sweater and sucks up snot to gain composure. “Don’t you want to know who our mommy is? Who you resemble right now with all that psychobabble talk?” Rena says, an evil grin appearing underneath the tears and black streaks of makeup. “You’ll never escape your blood. Your birthright. Maeve Glass.”
The name means something to Maeve, a gasp escaping her lips. Vivid fear is reflected in her eyes.
“I’m not stupid. You want me to kill you so you can be the martyr. If I can’t have him, you can’t either.”
Rena swings the gun to face me and fires before I have a chance to move. The bullet hits and I see the wood ceiling as my back hits the floor. My head lolls to the side in time to see Rena hurry down the stairs, get into the SUV and reverse out of view. Maeve is screaming, but it sounds like I’m
