Free The Perfect Son by Kyion S. Roebuck Page A

anything happens to me, Nana, give Sean my laptop and tell him to read my journal. It explains everything, and I don’t want him to always be wondering about me.”
    “Cody, you judge your mother too harshly. The love between a husband and wife is very different from that of a mother and child. I do not agree with Kelly’s methods, but I know that she loves you. She may have abandoned her marriage, but she would never abandon you.”
    “Then why have I been locked in this room and strapped to this bed since I came home?”
    Sister Mary Ava had no rebuttal for that. She had been wondering the same thing since she arrived that morning.
    “It’s okay, Nana; I’ve already accepted it. I’m going to die in here.”
    “No, you’re not. Get up and put on some warm clothes. We’re going out.”
     
    ***
    “Nana, where are we going?” Cody asked as he pulled his coat tighter, and then sprinted to catch up to the briskly walking woman.
    “Out to get some fresh air. Is there a park nearby?”
    “A park? Uh, the Cranbrook campus is about a mile out. It’s really impressive. That’s actually the school Mom first tried to send me to, but I knew that wasn’t happening with my grades.”
    “I’ve heard about Cranbrook; I just never found the time to visit. By all means, lead the way.”
    “Sure thing, Nana. Just follow me,” Cody said and then led them down a straight path, before taking many twists and turns between Quarton and Long Pine roads. The entire time Sister Mary Ava was watching for cars. Considering the boy had gotten struck before, she didn’t fully trust his navigational skills.
    “I often come here to run. Because it’s so beautiful, I get distracted, and run longer than I normally would have,” Cody said once they finally reached the campus edge. Sister Mary Ava looked around, and easily understood how that could happen.
    “I can’t believe I’ve lived in Michigan for all of these years, yet I have never been here. This place is magnificent.”
    “Told you,” Cody said with a smile, and then practically drug the sister to all of his favorite spots.
    “Kingswood Lake is over there, and the art museum is right there. Across that way is the house and gardens, but I think it’s closed right now. You should come back when the weather breaks. You’re not getting tired, are you?”
    Sister Mary Ava looked at the boy, and warmed to see that much enthusiasm pouring from him. It was a great improvement over what she had seen back in his room.
    “I am a little tired, but exercise is good at my age. Where to next?”
    “How about we just hang out here on the lawn and people watch? There are some really strange folks around here. Then again, considering everything that’s happened, they should be watching me.”
    Though she tried, Sister Mary Ava couldn’t stop herself from laughing. His brutal bluntness was one of the things that she loved about him.
    “You hush up, and take in this view.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    With that said, they looked on in comfortable silence. Cody was enjoying the outside world he hadn’t remembered being a part of since his accident, while Sister Mary Ava was taking in her surroundings. The one thing that piqued her interest was a black Saab parked on the other side of the road. She had seen that car when they first left the house, had noticed it along their walk, and now it had stalled, just as they had. It had to be more than just a coincidence.
    “Cody–” she began, but when she looked at him, he appeared to be in a frozen stupor. He also looked physically ill.
    “Cody!” she yelled, and then shook him with force. As if the power had been turned back on, life returned to his eyes.
    “Sorry, Nana. The darkness was trying to return,” he said, sounding as though he had run a marathon. “I was willing it away.”
    “Good. In the meantime, let’s return home.”
     
    ***
     
    Around thirty minutes after they made it back, Sister Mary Ava heard the doorbell ring.