Cruel Summer, Jeremiah Fisher

five

Just as soon as I thought things were starting to go good, everything came crashing down at once.

"She's gone," Belly sobbed over the phone.

Susannah left the world on a cold spring morning. It was just the way I had pictured it honestly. They said she went peacefully.

Not that the thought helped anything.

Dark shadows casted across the walls of my bedroom as I broke down on the floor.

Alone.

Though, that part was how I imagined it would be too. It still hurt.

The thought that the one person I had truly looked up to as a mother figure was gone crushed my soul.

Susannah would never get to see Jeremiah graduate. She would never get to see our wedding like she always talked about.

She was really gone.

-

A young Lauren sat on the edge of the pool, dangling her feet in the water. It was her second summer in Cousins.

"Lauren, honey. What are you doing out here alone? We are all getting our dresses on to go to the mother-daughter picnic." Susannah said with a gentle voice, crouching down next to Lauren.

Quickly, Lauren wiped the tear streaks off of her face, "What do you mean? My mom isn't here, and I didn't bring a dress, she-she never took me out shopping this year."

An understanding look spread over Susannah's face and she sat down next to Lauren, similarly placing her legs in the water, "That's okay, baby. How about we go shopping and get you a new dress? And, you know I already think of you as my own daughter... we can go to the picnic together!"

Lauren looked up at Susannah with her teary eyes, "Really?"

Susannah smiled and wrapped her arm around the small girl's shoulder, "Of course."

To anyone else, it might not seem like a big gesture, but to little Lauren who was quickly losing her connection with her own mother, Susannah's words meant the world.

-

Hot tears streamed down my cheeks as I kept my eyes focused straight ahead on Jeremiah. He broke down on the row in front of mine, with his hand clutching onto my own on the side of the church pew.

We didn't have a chance to talk in private since I had heard the news, but I could tell just how much he was hurting.

I mean, who wouldn't be?

A sense of hatred spread throughout my body as I glanced around the church to see people who had probably never even talked to Susannah break down into tears.

When Conrad stood up to walk towards the stage and sing a song that was dedicated to his mom, Belly clutched my other hand.

My two lifelines had a hold of me and were there, yet for some reason, I still felt like I couldn't breathe.

-

I wiped any last remnants of tears from my face as I walked alongside the Conklin siblings into the Fisher home. I realized that I needed to remain a strong figure to be there for Jere when he needed me the most.

"I wonder how Mr. Fisher's doing?" Steven asked in a solemn tone.

I looked up at him and could tell that he was struggling, so I wrapped my arm around his torso and gave him a side hug, "Did Conrad ride over here with him?" Belly asked.