Dominos
Dominos
It wasn't an alcohol induced sleep, just pure exhaustion. Which is why by the time Billie heard his wife's voice, she'd already said his name four times. "Adrienne?" Billie's green eyes opened tiredly to see his wife in one of his shirts, remote in her hand. "Adie?"
"I want to go home. Now." Her words were as sharp and punctuated as they were shaky, which would have been an oxymoron up until that moment. She sniffled, and Billie finally realized her eyes were red from crying, not fatigue.
"What is it?" he demanded, sitting up. "Adrienne, what the hell happened?" His wife weakly hit the volume button on the remote and fell into Billie Joe's arms.
There was nothing on the screen but smoke. The words on the bottom of the screen made Billie's arms tighten around his wife. "Two planes." Adrienne all but whispered. "Twin Towers. They just...they just fell, Billie. Like dominos." She sniffled and pressed her face to her husband's shoulder. "I want the boys."
* * *
Mike dialed the fourteenth New York hotel listed on the computer. "Do you have a Tom Fink or a Leslie Grober staying there?" Mike asked, using the false names Billie and Adrienne would have gotten a room under.
"One moment, sir."
Mike counted the rings. "One...two...thr—"
"Billie?"
"Mike?" It was Adrienne's voice. "Mike?"
"Adie?" His was answer was an eruption of sobs. Mike heard a clink and then Billie's indistinct voice. Then more distinct.
"Mike?"
"Billie. Jesus Christ. What the hell is wrong with your cell phone?" Mike's heart wasn't racing nearly as fast now, but it was nowhere near normal. "You're okay. You and Adie, you're both okay." It wasn't a question. It was Mike audibly comforting himself.
"Mike?" Billie asked softly. "Go get my kids. Please."
"I will. What are you—"
"We're coming home."
* * *
Tre was ghost-white as he once again heard a recorded message telling him the dialed number was out of service. His wife, Claudia, was standing behind him silently, a hand on his shoulder. "Dammit." Tre threw his cell phone on the floor, burying his head in his hands.
Claudia gently kissed his cheek before whispering softly, "Billie's in New York. Call Billie." Then she quietly left the room to comfort the crying baby upstairs.
* * *
Adrienne answered Billie's cell phone at the rent car company, recognizing the number on the caller ID. "Claudia?"
"Adrienne?" the female line on the other line asked. "Adrienne, Tre's been trying to call Lisea, but their phone's disconnected or something."
"Half the lines in New York are out." Adrienne took a deep breath as her husband walked toward her with the car key. "Claudia, we'll get her. Tell Tre we'll get her." The woman clicked the phone shut a moment later and kissed her husband. "Ramona. Tre needs Ramona."
* * *
Anastasia got a busy signal for the first fifteen minutes she was on the crowded interstate. Stella was in the backseat, twirling a Barbie doll by the hair and looking at her mother with worried eyes.
"Hello?"
"Mike?"
"Ana?"
"Daddy?" Stella asked, dropping her Barbie doll and leaning forward.
"Yes, it's Daddy," Ana said softly to her daughter. "Mike, did you see—"
"Of course I did." Mike said, not harshly, almost tired. "Where are you, Ana?"
"On our way to see you. Stella wants you. Hell, Mike, I want you." Sniffling, Anastasia turned down the radio and handed the phone to her daughter.
"Daddy?" Stella asked, holding the phone with both hands.
"Hey, honey. How are you?" Mike asked, comforted by the sound of his daughter's voice.
"Daddy, did you see the airplanes?" came the little girl's voice.
"Yeah, baby, I saw them on the TV."
"...I love you, Daddy."
"I love you, too, Stella."
* * *
Lisea paced nervously, checking her phone every minute or so to see if service was back. Ramona was staring at the television, blue eyes wide and fearful. "Mom? Is a plane going to hit our house?"
"Of course not, sweetie." Lisea answered, pulling her daughter into her lap and continuing to hit buttons on the phone. A knock on the door came after three more failed attempts. "Ramona, go color some more, 'kay?"
She opened the door a moment later, arms around Adrienne while Billie kissed the top of her head before walking over to Ramona. "We're going home," Adrienne whispered. "Tre needs her, Lis. And you. We all need to be together right now."
"I want to go home. Now." Her words were as sharp and punctuated as they were shaky, which would have been an oxymoron up until that moment. She sniffled, and Billie finally realized her eyes were red from crying, not fatigue.
"What is it?" he demanded, sitting up. "Adrienne, what the hell happened?" His wife weakly hit the volume button on the remote and fell into Billie Joe's arms.
There was nothing on the screen but smoke. The words on the bottom of the screen made Billie's arms tighten around his wife. "Two planes." Adrienne all but whispered. "Twin Towers. They just...they just fell, Billie. Like dominos." She sniffled and pressed her face to her husband's shoulder. "I want the boys."
* * *
Mike dialed the fourteenth New York hotel listed on the computer. "Do you have a Tom Fink or a Leslie Grober staying there?" Mike asked, using the false names Billie and Adrienne would have gotten a room under.
"One moment, sir."
Mike counted the rings. "One...two...thr—"
"Billie?"
"Mike?" It was Adrienne's voice. "Mike?"
"Adie?" His was answer was an eruption of sobs. Mike heard a clink and then Billie's indistinct voice. Then more distinct.
"Mike?"
"Billie. Jesus Christ. What the hell is wrong with your cell phone?" Mike's heart wasn't racing nearly as fast now, but it was nowhere near normal. "You're okay. You and Adie, you're both okay." It wasn't a question. It was Mike audibly comforting himself.
"Mike?" Billie asked softly. "Go get my kids. Please."
"I will. What are you—"
"We're coming home."
* * *
Tre was ghost-white as he once again heard a recorded message telling him the dialed number was out of service. His wife, Claudia, was standing behind him silently, a hand on his shoulder. "Dammit." Tre threw his cell phone on the floor, burying his head in his hands.
Claudia gently kissed his cheek before whispering softly, "Billie's in New York. Call Billie." Then she quietly left the room to comfort the crying baby upstairs.
* * *
Adrienne answered Billie's cell phone at the rent car company, recognizing the number on the caller ID. "Claudia?"
"Adrienne?" the female line on the other line asked. "Adrienne, Tre's been trying to call Lisea, but their phone's disconnected or something."
"Half the lines in New York are out." Adrienne took a deep breath as her husband walked toward her with the car key. "Claudia, we'll get her. Tell Tre we'll get her." The woman clicked the phone shut a moment later and kissed her husband. "Ramona. Tre needs Ramona."
* * *
Anastasia got a busy signal for the first fifteen minutes she was on the crowded interstate. Stella was in the backseat, twirling a Barbie doll by the hair and looking at her mother with worried eyes.
"Hello?"
"Mike?"
"Ana?"
"Daddy?" Stella asked, dropping her Barbie doll and leaning forward.
"Yes, it's Daddy," Ana said softly to her daughter. "Mike, did you see—"
"Of course I did." Mike said, not harshly, almost tired. "Where are you, Ana?"
"On our way to see you. Stella wants you. Hell, Mike, I want you." Sniffling, Anastasia turned down the radio and handed the phone to her daughter.
"Daddy?" Stella asked, holding the phone with both hands.
"Hey, honey. How are you?" Mike asked, comforted by the sound of his daughter's voice.
"Daddy, did you see the airplanes?" came the little girl's voice.
"Yeah, baby, I saw them on the TV."
"...I love you, Daddy."
"I love you, too, Stella."
* * *
Lisea paced nervously, checking her phone every minute or so to see if service was back. Ramona was staring at the television, blue eyes wide and fearful. "Mom? Is a plane going to hit our house?"
"Of course not, sweetie." Lisea answered, pulling her daughter into her lap and continuing to hit buttons on the phone. A knock on the door came after three more failed attempts. "Ramona, go color some more, 'kay?"
She opened the door a moment later, arms around Adrienne while Billie kissed the top of her head before walking over to Ramona. "We're going home," Adrienne whispered. "Tre needs her, Lis. And you. We all need to be together right now."