The late afternoon sky is slowly setting behind the Ozark Mountains, coloring the sky in rays of gold. A cool fall breeze gently drifts through the air. Carrying with it the distinctive yet distant honks of the large migrating gaggle of geese. Winter will be here before we know it, Tommy thinks. Shivering, he steps inside the toasty house.
He looks over to find all the kids in tears. Jen is doing her best to comfort them. Her soft, soothing voice breaks every few words as she fights back her own emotions that are threatening to escape.
Seeing her father standing in the entryway, Isabella, their youngest, runs over to Tommy and asks, "Did you find him, Daddy? Did you?" Did you?" She pleads as tears stream down her pink, chubby cheeks.
A heavy, sober look settles across Tommy's face. Tommy positions himself in a squat so that he and his daughter are eye to eye. He shakes his head. In a soft, gentle voice he says, "No, sweetheart, I didn't, but I'm sure he'll be home soon." He wistfully glances out the window, hoping it'll come true.
Isabell's chin quivers; tears fill her soft hazel eyes. "No, he won't, Daddy; he won't. My bubba is gone forever like whiskers." She sobs, collapsing into her mother's arms. Whiskers was a cat Jen had brought home when Issy was still in diapers. According to Jen, the cat hopped in Izzy's car seat. There was such a strong instant connection between the child and the cat that Jen didn't have the heart to toss it out. At least that's how Jen says it happened anyhow. Tommy believes she saw the stray and decided to take it home.
Izzy and Whiskers quickly becoming inseparable. She'd dress her pet up in fancy clothes, smear makeup, and God knows what across his fur, but the cat never seemed to mind. Then on a cold, blizzardy night, late last year, Whiskers darted out the door, never to be seen again.
Jen glances at her daughter sobbing in her arms, looks over at the boys, and then at her husband. A concerned look crosses her face as she says, "We need to talk."
Tommy's body tenses; his neck muscles tighten. "What is it, Hon?"
Jen's eyes flicker towards the boys. Tommy needs to know what they said despite the promise I made. "It's about your double, Timmy." She glances at the kid, gulps, and adds, "I've learned a few things since you've been gone."
Grabbing his hand, Jen firmly tugs him towards the kitchen.
Tommy stumbles towards the door. Stringbean has a lot of muscles, Tommy thinks, trying to regain his balance. He nicknamed Jen "Stringbean" because she's tall and willowy.
With one final tug, she yanks him through the kitchen door. Jen points to the pantry and says, "In there."
Closing the pantry door behind them with fear flickering in her eyes. With tension in her voice, Jen begins, "The kids have been telling me some things about Timmy."
Tommy's stomach balls up into a large hard knot. "Like what?"
"According to them, he has been writing down everything we've said about the time you were on the run from the law and Bambini men."
"Maybe he's trying to figure out how all this began. You know, trying to make sense of it all," he states in an uncertain tone.
"That's what I thought too until they told me that he's made a list of his goons, claiming that he's going to find them and take every last one of them down."
Tommy's heart sinks to his stomach as he pictures the bloody scenario in his mind. Timmy is becoming a reckless hothead, the way I was when I was his age. Up until the time he met Jen, he always seemed to be on the wrong side of the law. Jen's ultimatum, either her or crime, made him straighten up. Well, until she became sick. "He's not planning on doing this alone, is he?" Tommy asks, as he continues to imagine the suicide mission in his mind.
With a hard look on her face, Jen shifts her weight. "According to the kids, their cousin TY has agreed to help."
"Linda's baby, Ty?" Tommy asks, lowering his hand to his waist in disbelief."
"He's not so little anymore." She shows him a picture of Ty she'd found tucked between the mattresses in Timmy's room.
Glancing at the photo, Tommy's eyebrows raise. "I can see that, but why on earth would Ty agree to help?"
"I guess their family was threatened numerous times, hoping to get to you through them."
Tommy clenches his jaw. My crazy stunt even put my in-laws' lives at risk. Tommy's heart sinks more. He then recalls what Rachel had said. "I couldn't get a hold of your sister, so I called the Berryville PD, and the sergeant told me that she had to move."
Terror flashes across Jen's face. "Were you ever able to reach her?"
"No, but the sergeant assured me they are safe. She also promised to keep an eye out for our willful son."
A confused expression crosses Jen's face. Her brows arch when she asks, "Wait, how did you know that's where he was heading?"
With a slow exhale, Tommy quickly explains. "Do you remember how he was always running to your sister with every little thing?"
Jen rolls her eyes. "Boy, do I. Timmy had Linda convinced that I was the meanest mother alive."
"Yeah, and then she shows up unannounced and her attitude changes."
Jen laughs. "After recovering from shock, she apologized for every bad thing she'd ever said."
"I wish things were that simple again," he says wistfully.
"Me too. So what do you think we should do?"
"There's only one thing to do," Tommy says, determination in his voice. "Drag Timmy's ass back home before he gets hurt."
Or killed, Jen thinks, tearfully looking away.