It Rains When I Cry

Johnny pulled into the driveway and Ana got out of the car first and Kaila ran to her. She wrapped the little girl in her arms. And watched as all but Johnny made his way inside. He stood beside her and when she stood with Kaila in her arms and walked to sit on the porch he was by her side the whole time.

“Kaila honey, what’s wrong?”

“Your okay mommy” and the little girl started crying.

“She woke up from a nap and just started crying. Screaming for you.” Gena said walking out.

“Another one of her dreams maybe.” Johnny said and despite everything Ana smiled.

“Kaila… what was in your dream?”

“You, Zack, uhm… her…” she pointed to Gena and then to Johnny when she said him.

“The four of us?” Kaila nodded.

“Kaila can you describe where we were?” Johnny asked. Ana was falling harder by the minute as Johnny helped her right then. She couldn’t wait to land.

“Zacks” was all the little girl said. Ana glanced at Gena. Gena placed a hand to her stomach. And handed Kaila to Johnny and stood up and walked to the car grabbing the old book out of the car. She looked down at her family bible and sighed. This had to have an answer in it somewhere and she had a feeling that her great grandmother had known that.

“Gena did you find anything out?”

“Yeah, I spent the day on the computer looking up old articles on that house, you’d never believe what I found. The people that owned that house that refused to sell it. His name was Lee Shante he moved out here from New Orleans in the eighties. He married a young woman named Marilyn Mason and they had a son and a daughter. Now the man was in his fifties when he moved out here. He married a younger woman, who was about twenty three when she had their son, and twenty five when she died giving birth to their daughter.”

“That spirit wasn’t Lee Shante.”

“How do you know?” Johnny asked looking at her because she had said it so sincerely.

“Because us Shante’s are sworn to help and protect with our gifts. Even our curses can protect. We need to find the son and daughter. Great Uncle Lee wouldn’t have done this.” and she turned the bible to show the others what she had found in the family tree section. Johnny traced the name over to see that he was Angelique’s brother. He traced the line from beneath Angelique’s name to see that she had never married and been a single mother to her daughter who had married Ana’s dad. And he saw that Ana was an only child. He couldn’t follow the same line on Lee’s because his family wasn’t in the book. Suddenly he looked at Ana, something Cara had said hit him.

“Ana, remember what Cara said?”

“About?”

“The other spirits that helped her contact you.”

“Yeah what about them?”

“I think one of them had to be your great uncle.”

“He’s right” Leana said as she looked at the book. “I mean it makes the most sense. It was his house. He would’ve known about your gift right?”

“But I was born only a year before he moved. He couldn’t have known about my gift or my curse. Nana always told me stories of the good he had done.”

“GENA, bring Ana and come here” Zack’s mom called out from the den.

“She’s still looking for the kids.” Gena said grinning.

“She’s a believer.”

“Yeah”

“I don’t know her and I like her already.” Ana said and leaving Johnny with Kaila, Leana, and Michelle she followed Gena.

“Look at this. The son was killed when he was twenty two. He was wanted for breaking and entering. It says that they found him dead in the street in front of the house that Ana bought. The one his parents had owned. Where his dad had moved out of after his little sister was born. His sisters name is Mya Mason, she goes with her mother’s last name because that was the last name that her father gave her. She lives down in Long Beach.”

“I think Angelique might want to meet her Niece.” Gena said.

“Oh she’s definitely gonna want to meet her niece. And by the way, Mrs. Baker, thanks for watching Kaila. But I have a request to make.”

“Sure sweetie”

“Make sure Zack and Gena don’t go to their house. Gimme a few more…Johnny whats wrong.”

“Whatever happens at Zack’s happens at night. I say you and Angelique go collect clothes for Gena and Zack. I already called them. Everyone’s on their way here. Well save for Matt who’s so doped up on Morphine he can’t think straight.”

“Why is Matt doped up on Morphine?”

“Uhm because he got shot.” Ana said

“HOW” Gena exclaimed.

“Apparently my darling cousin did it.”

“Cousin?”

“Long story I’ll explain when everyone gets here okay, I promise, I just don’t want to repeat it.”

“Ok,” was all Johnny said and kissed her on the forehead. She bit her lip and pulled him back toward her as he walked away and he grinned as right before she kissed him.

“Promise to catch me when I finish falling?” She whispered as the others left the room to give them a little bit of privacy.

“I promise.” he whispered back. She grinned and rested her head on his chest.

“Mommy…”

“What Kaila?”

“I’m scared.”

“I know honey, I know, we’re gonna stay with Johnny for a while alright, and Mrs. Baker said she’d babysit for me so that I can figure out what the heck is going on at our house okay.”

“Okay”

“And Megan is gonna be staying with us at Johnny’s too.”

“Okay.” When the others got there Ana and Angelique took Brian and went to get clothes for the two that lived in the house beside hers. They wanted to hurry because they also had to go back into the house and get clothes for her and Kaila. Ten minutes later as they were leaving Zacks to head over to her house they stopped in their tracks.

“Get in the car!” Angelique demanded and they didn’t have to be told twice. They were back at Zack’s parents moments later. Brian hadn’t wanted to stick around there any longer than he had too. When they got out of the car Ana was yelling at no one.

“What in the hell wounding him only made it worse. How the hell did he get out of that room? This is bullshit. Fucking bullshit”

“ANA CALM DOWN NOW” Ana stopped pacing and turned to her Nana when she yelled. Everyone in the house was outside a moment later.

“We’ll figure this out. Together.” Johnny whispered the last word just to her in her ear from behind her. She smiled and they both knew that the minute she leaned into him was when she finished falling for him.