Officer Jones

Chapter 26

I stared at Noah, who was in many ways a spitting image of myself. He just dressed a lot different with his ever-present denim jacket, black boots, and cigarette hanging from his lips. He reminded me of the young Serbs partying on the river.

We made eye contact at long distance, and then he began heading right toward me in a slow jog.

“Dad tells me he’s been working two jobs, besides volunteering as a coach, and he’s even going back to school,” I said to Pam.

“He’s made great strides. I worry about him though, especially on this day.”

“This day?”

“Today is the anniversary of Lisa’s … well, you know…”

I stared out at my brother as he approached. “Ethan was right … I should have been here.”

Noah arrived with a bear hug for me that sent pain through my broken body. He had a cheek kiss for Pam, and smiles for the children, who declared their love for Uncle Noah, but took issue with the cigarette smell.

Pam excused herself to find Ethan, but first invited Noah to their Labor Day barbecue on Monday.

“I wouldn’t miss it, sis,” he said with a smile.

It was good to see him smile, especially now knowing what today signified.

“You look a mess,” he addressed me.

“You should see the other guy.”

“I did … every night on the news, claiming he was gonna kill my big brother if their demands weren’t met.”

“And he would have, but then he found out how happy everyone would be if he got rid of me.”

Noah laughed, before embracing again. This was a much more affectionate Noah than the one I remembered from before the accident.

Our reunion wasn’t like old times. Old times, frankly, weren’t that memorable in our relationship. We didn’t fight like he and Ethan did-we always got along-the problem was that we rarely spent time together. I went off to college when Noah was just in first grade. Maybe because of the wide age gap, he always seemed to be trying to find his identity. I had regrets about not being there for him in the way that Ethan was there to steer me in the right direction, or at least attempt to. Maybe that’s why he gripped so tightly to Lisa.

So it was like new times. Times I looked forward to.

We remained standing in the middle of the fairgrounds, rehashing last night’s game, and getting me caught up on all the hot-button topics in Rockfield. He also received the first, in what I figured would be many “smoking is bad for you” lectures.

The most interesting part of the conversation was Noah’s career plans. As far as I knew, he never had any before. Lisa was his career. He had returned to school to become a guidance counselor. He wanted to help kids so that they, to use his words, “Don’t mess up their lives the way I did.”

What we didn’t talk about was the accident.

Nobody was closer than Noah and Lisa. They had enough passion to fill up ten rooms, and even though their relationship often played out in an endless cycle of drama, fights, and making up-their love was too strong for anything to keep them apart.

There was an outcry in Rockfield that Noah got off with just a slap on the wrist. There couldn’t be anything further from the truth-he received a life sentence. And if it were left up to him, he would have pleaded to anything that got him the death penalty, in order to rejoin Lisa quicker.

Noah looked at his watch. “I gotta take off, JP,” he said, before surprising me with another embrace. “But we’ll definitely hook up at Ethan’s on Monday.”

“Hot date?” I asked.

Noah’s look intensified. “No, I’m just going to meet an old friend. We haven’t talked in a while.”

“Are you going to be alright?” I instinctively asked, the big brother in me showing through.

Noah looked back as he walked away. “I’m going to be fine,” he said, and smiled mischievously. “And speaking of old friends who haven’t talked in awhile, JP-I saw Gwen Delaney walking around here earlier.”

I watched him fade into the distance. He turned back momentarily and gave me one more smile and wave. He seemed better, especially compared to the vision of him on that bridge that was now etched in my mind. I looked forward to spending time with him, vowing to do my best to make up for lost years.

Then my mind wandered to Gwen.