**** Content Warning for Referencing Abuse and Violence****

After my brother left, I dreamed about our theater production. As usual, Jack was flirting, but every time he tried to declare his love to me, another bruise bloomed on his face. Then Juan and Samantha started spinning around him and laughing. 

I was just about to open my mouth and say something when I was awoken from my dream by a shake on my shoulder. When I opened my eyes, Mom came into focus. She wore bright blue scrubs, and her hair was pulled back by a cap covered in little cartoon rubber ducks.

"Hey, sweetie," she said. "You up for movie night, or do you want to keep sleeping?"

I blinked before I realized what she was talking about. "Movie night."

"Then let me take a quick shower, and you can pick the movie," she smiled and headed towards the room she shared with Aunt Layla. 

Sitting up, my eyes focused on the clock above the television. It was just after midnight. I shook my head and got to my feet. 

It wasn't completely out of the ordinary for us to start movie night at odd hours. Parker and I had long learned to take any moment of spare time our mother could spare. She never had time to go to the theater, but I preferred snuggling on the couch and watching old films. 

There were three ingredients to a perfect Porter movie night. The first was popcorn. I fired up the air popper and set out our favorite big yellow plastic bowl to catch the popcorn. We had a dozen different seasonings, and I'd make a batch with garlic parmesan for Mom and one with popcorn butter and ranch seasoning for me. 

While the popcorn fired up, I made my way to the movie cabinet to select the second perfect ingredient. Mom loved old films from the fifties and sixties. She always said her favorite was anything by Alfred Hitchcock. I, on the other hand, loved musicals.

Parker's favorite, Harvey, was tucked in the front. I'd never understand why he liked a movie about a guy who's convinced his best friend is a giant invisible rabbit. I could probably quote the script because of how many times he'd wanted to watch it as a kid. 

I skimmed past Some Like It Hot, My Fair Lady, and The King and I. Finally, after an internal debate about which was better, Guys and Dolls or Brigadoon, I found the movie I was looking for: Singing in the Rain.

I'd just finished seasoning the popcorn when Mom came out of the bedroom in her pajamas carrying perfect ingredient number three: large plush fuzzy blankets. We snuggled into the blankets and dimmed the lights to start the move. 

Watching my favorite characters sing and dance their troubles away made me smile. I dug into my ranch popcorn bucket for the perfect bite as we watched the cast skip in puddles and sing about love.

Aunt Layla and Brady were asleep, so the movie wasn't too loud. Mom and I had done this enough that we knew how to stay quiet.

Parker loved movie night. Unfortunately, he had school tomorrow so he couldn't stay. I didn't. The school district was having an off day so people could take a break after the excitement of the football game, and the teachers could catch up on grading.

We still had rehearsal. Anton had asked us to spend the whole afternoon working on the show since the festival was on Saturday.

Mom had a long day at the hospital. She said there'd been a little kid who had to have a set of buttons removed from his stomach, and there had been two nasty car crashes, and one had a little girl in the backseat.

She didn't always talk about all of the children she helped. As a pediatric surgeon, she saw many horrible things but did a lot of good.

"Anton asked me to check on Mrs. Garrison today," Mom said. "Dr. Harper doesn't expect her to make it to next month. It's really amazing she's made it this long."

"What did you tell Anton?" I asked.

"I told him that the prognosis hadn't changed," Mom said. "He tried to be very brave about it. Imagine if Parker was dying and there was nothing you could do about it. Sarah Anne and Anton were always very close. They supported each other. He used to go to every photography gallery she put together, and she'd be there for every opening night, whether in New York or an odd production elsewhere. Anton visits her more than her husband."

I winced. "Mom, since you know them so well, has Mr. Garrison ever been known to be... violent?"

Mom shook her head. "He's a lawyer. Probably the second-best one in the city. He moved here to practice after he married Sarah Anne. He's generally a very controlled man."

Jack usually didn't lie, and after my conversation with Parker, I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he meant something else when he said his father "takes it out" on him.

I settled back into the movie. We were in the middle of the weird "Beautiful Girl" dream sequence when Mom's phone rang loud enough to wake the whole house, playing a slow country song about sunsets and country roads.

I paused the movie, and Mom picked up her phone and answered it. A call this late was never good. It usually meant she had to go to the hospital right away.

"Hello," she said. "Yes, I'm awake. I was doing movie night with my daughter... no. You didn't call an ambulance?"

I straightened. She wasn't using her voice when the hospital called. That meant it was someone else, and something worse had happened.

"We'll be right there," Mom said.

I looked at Mom. Her usual dewy brown skin was pale and losing color by the moment as she searched for her shoes. I toed on my sandals and passed her the second shoe that had rolled under the couch. She tied the laces and pulled her hair back.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"There's been an accident," she said.

"Mom," I said. "What happened?"

She fumbled for her purse and dropped her keys when she pulled on her sweatshirt. "I have to go right now, honey. I'm sorry."

"Mom," I grabbed the keys off the floor. "You're freaking out, which means you're in no shape to drive."

I hated to think what she might be responding to that might shake her up this much. Usually, she was good under pressure and fixing up kids.

"I have to go," she said, but I held the keys just out of reach.

"Mom," I said, trying to make her relax. "Take a deep breath. I'm sure someone else at the hospital can take care of it."

"No," Mom said. "They won't take her to the hospital. I have to go help them."

Sighing, I led her out the door. "Mom, I'll drive."

Then I locked up behind us as Mom slammed the elevator button impatiently. I was not letting her drive when she was behaving borderline hysterical. That was a recipe for disaster.

By the time we got to the car, Mom had slumped down in the passenger seat of her BMW and tapped her fingers on the dashboard. I set my purse down and backed the car out.

I hadn't seen my mom this freaked out since the night that Aunt Layla moved in, and she insisted she take care of the wounds herself and that they could all go to the hospital in the morning. I took a deep breath and drove out of the apartment complex.

"Where are we going, Mom?" I asked as I buzzed the gate to let us out.

"Drive to the theater," Mom said.

"What?" I asked.

No one would be at the theater this late. Not even Anton. Mom had to be in shock or something.

"Please drive to the theater," she said. "They're meeting us there, and we have to hurry."

Since it didn't seem like she was joking, I drove to the theater. There weren't many cars out and about at this hour, so it was easy enough. I pulled into the parking lot where Anton's car was parked, and Jack's jeep blocked the main entrance.

"What's going on?" I demanded.

"Honey," she said. "I need you to trust me."

We walked into the theater. The lights were on, and I first saw Lilly, whose arms wrapped around her little sister Maddy. The little girl looked as white as a sheet and had a look akin to horror movies.

Jack stood onstage in a football shirt from last season and old athletic shorts. His blonde hair stuck up in all directions, and there were rings under his eyes. Anton stood beside him and was in even worse shape. He looked like he was summoned out of bed in the middle of the night, wearing checkered pajama bottoms and a shirt that read "Shakespeare is my Homeboy" because, of course, he was.

As we walked down the aisle, I saw Jack's hands were covered in something red and brown. It splattered his shirt as well. He whispered something to a girl lying on a table we used in the play.

It took me a moment to recognize Mary, the middle Garrison sister. Her face was ivory pale, and Anton tried to stop blood from coming from her stomach. There was red everywhere.

My stomach dropped as Mom sprinted towards the stage in full doctor mode. I hadn't even noticed she'd grabbed her bag for such occasions.

"Nice of you to come, Genique," Anton said.

Somehow, he was calm as Mom stood by his side examining Mary. I reached the stage and climbed the stairs a moment later. Swallowing bile, I tried to focus on the part of the stage without blood.

"What happened?" Mom asked Anton.

It was Jack who answered. "She was shot two times in the stomach."