Down From the Clouds by Marilyn Grey Read Free Book Online

appeal to me. Especially with freezing rain blowing in my face.
    But all for the sake of love, I did it.
    We climbed over and dropped to the ground. I’m not gonna lie, my ankle seared with pain like you wouldn’t believe. I limped after Ella and followed her inside the back door.
      Tylissa greeted us, face swollen, eyes red. I sat on the ground by the door, pulled one shoe off, and unlaced and slowly lifted the other off. I wiggled a toe and jerked. Okay, so I’m a wimp. I get that. Most women want the big hero with a six-pack to lift them up and carry them into a passionate embrace. Then there’s me. Wincing on the floor over what I hoped to be a sprained ankle and not a broken one.
    Ella and Tylissa sat at the kitchen table completely oblivious of me. I hopped over and took a seat. Ella noticed. I motioned for her to sit down and worry about Tylissa instead. She hesitated, then tuned back in to her friend.
    “I know he didn’t do it,” she said, anger hiding behind her clenched teeth. Her shoulders loosened, fell a few inches. “But he won’t say that.”
    “I don’t understand,” Ella said.
    “I wish I could tell you.”
    “Why can’t you?”
    “He won’t let me.”
    Ella rubbed her chin and looked across the table toward me. I shrugged. She urged me to speak. I shrugged again, then mouthed, “What do I say?”
    She shrugged. I shook my head and laughed inside.
    “Tylissa,” I said. “I’ve met Mwenye a few times now. I have no doubt that he’s innocent, but why can’t you tell others? If you know why or how this happened, you need to speak up. This could mean life or death for him. On the news they said they are considering death penalty because of the gruesome nature of the crime.”
    She wiped a tear from her face, and another, and another.
    “I know you don’t want that for him. If you can prove his innocence then you need to.”
    “I can’t.” Her sobs shook her body until she collapsed on the floor.
    Almost immediately a baby cry echoed down the stairs. Ella jogged up the steps and out of sight, leaving me with the heartbroken woman curled up on the kitchen tile. I sat there, helpless, waiting for her to stop crying or for Ella to come downstairs. Didn’t know what to do.
    Ella walked back into the room, babyless, and sat on her knees next to Tylissa. No words. Just rubbed her back and waited.
    The baby cried again. 
    Ella stood. "Could you come with me a second?"
    She led me upstairs to a bedroom. "Make yourself at home in this room. I'm going to sleep with the baby and get Tylissa into her bed."
    "This is crazy, Ella. You do realize that this is the worst school shooting in our history? It's one thing to walk into a high school, but to kill a bunch of students in a school for disabled children is quite a few clicks worse. And it wasn't a few kids either. According to the news seventy-something kids were reported dead on the scene and 41 were seriously injured."
    She nodded. "I can't believe it. Mwenye has such a sweet spirit."
    "How did they get him? And why would he admit he's guilty if he's not? This isn't a game. He'll be on death row before we are married."
    "I don't know. Maybe that's the media's spin on it. Let's wait until tomorrow."
    I peeked out the window. Lights and cameras all over the place. Still.
    Ella walked to the baby's room, then turned and came back to me. "Almost forgot." She kissed me. "Goodnight."
    "Night, love."
    She walked away and said over her shoulder, "Ankle okay?"
    I looked down. Forgot. "I guess it was just one of those weird ankle twist things."
     
     

     
    I helped Tylissa find an attorney as Ella made fried eggs over English muffins, topped with tomatoes, fresh basil, and balsamic vinaigrette, with a side of her amazing crispy potatoes and onions. Steam hovered as she set three plates on the kitchen table and sat down with us.
    "Will I be able to afford this?" Tylissa asked, switching her baby from one hip to the other and picking up her