You can expect two posts a week while this is going on. One will always be Friday but the others will vary. Here is number 2

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“First we need to go to Cedar Rapids,” his mother explained as they left Riverside in her hover car. “The commercial shuttles in Riverside don’t go to San Francisco but the ones there do. From San Francisco we can get one to Orion.”

“Right.”

“But first we have to make a stop in Iowa City.”

Jim glanced her way. “What for?”

“To see Warren.”

His mind blanked. “Warren?”

She sighed. “My brother. At his assisted facility.”

Jim sank lower into the seat and looked out the window. “Sorry, Mom. I know I keep saying that…but…I should have paid more attention to our family.”

“No,” she said softly. “It’s my fault. When your dad was killed I gave up on life. For far too long I lived in my own head.”

“I sure know what that’s like.”

She patted his leg. “I made a lot of mistakes, honey. I distanced myself from my family so no wonder you don’t remember any of them. And I lost Sam because of my foolishness.”

Jim smiled wistfully. “He’s out there somewhere, Mom.”

“And don’t get my started on my very much ex-husband. I put up with his shit for too long. And we all lived to regret it.”

“We can’t change the past, Mom. But we can work on a better future.”

She smiled and nodded. “Yes. And part of that is telling Warren we’re getting his grandkids. Look, I know he probably won’t even know we’re there but I have to try and tell him. I owe him. You know my brother and his wife, Caroline, offered to take you and Sammy when I couldn’t handle things.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“I stupidly said no. Instead I saddled you with Frank.”

“May he rest in peace,” Jim muttered.

She looked at him quickly. “He’s not dead.” She paused. “Is he?”

He shrugged. “One can hope.”

“So Iowa City is up first. We should be there in no time.”

“Weren’t they living in Nebraska or something?”

She laughed. “That’s right. So you remember something. But after Caroline passed and Melanie left to Orion, I wanted my brother in a place closer to me.”

“Gotcha.” Jim sighed and closed his eyes. “I don’t do well with kids.”

“You do fine.”

“No. I feel…lost. Like I have no idea what to do with them. How old are Melanie’s kids anyway?”

“Brick is nine and Isabella is seven.”

“Brick?”

His mother shrugged.

“Why did she kill her husband?”

“I really don’t know. I haven’t heard from Melanie in years. Well, I hadn’t until she contacted me after she got arrested and asked me to come for the kids.”

The sign for Iowa City came up and after a couple of more signs, she  got off the highway.  Eventually she pulled up in front of a huge facility that resembled a Gothic mansion.

“Fancy,” Jim commented as he got out of the hover car.

“I wanted some place nice. The gardens are amazing.” She hesitated. “You don’t have to come in to see him. You can wait out in the lobby or something.”

Jim frowned as he opened the door for her to enter. “Why would I do that?’

“In case…considering what happened on that last mission with—”

“It’s okay, Mom. I can handle this,” Jim assured her gently.

“If you’re sure. I wouldn’t want to upset you. Make you think of…” She trailed off and bit her lip. “I won’t. Let’s go see your brother.”