The Perfect Storm 3

Chapter 214

I place my mother's earrings through the small holes in my ears and let them hang, showing off how black they are and how sad today is. 

I let Stephanie know what happened; I let her know everything and when she was in tears, panicking over how badly she wanted to be by my side, I realized just how much I needed her and how much I needed the outside world. But the only downside was that it had to be Miles who would drive her here, it had to be him, of course it did because Elijah was too far to make it in time and everyone else didn't seem to care enough which only struck another arrow through me. I wasn't sure if I needed to call Jace, I didn't know if that was the right thing to do, or if I should be telling him just how precious he is to me now that I know that I'm not special and that people can and will die around me; even people who seem like they'll never abandon me.

 But after all of the debating in my head, I decided against it. Cody understood that I needed space and agreed to go back to WSU or TXU or wherever he's staying. 

A part of me wishes he was still around to help me but I also know that I need to be alone more than I need anything. I need to give myself time to think about how I'm truly feeling and what I really want.

"This is going to be a long day." I breathe in and out. I wrap tinfoil over the freshly baked apple pie that I grab out of the oven with my mother's favorite oven mitts. 

My mother's death is something I wasn't expecting to experience so soon and now when I have, I still have trouble when I wake up; it's still so difficult to know that it wasn't just a bad dream. 

My fingers feel so fragile as if I can barely use them. I take another deep beath and hold the pie in one hand while walking to the hallway with the letter in the other. 

I gulp before placing it on a small shelf right next to the front door as I slip into my black heels. I glance behind me once to see the empty house, perfectly clean and spotless, everything that doesn't belong to me, tucked away, everything at peace; the way it should be. 

I step outside and close to door behind me as firmly as I can and for some reason the way the door closes rings such a perfect sound into my ears. The sun shines perfectly in front of me and the early morning is slowly putting a smile on my face; something I wasn't sure when I'd enjoy again, if ever. I make my way slowly onto the main small and Stoney road where Miles's car barely fits, and where Jace drove me on his motorcycle to the train station and where I've had such perfect memories, except now, those happy perfect memories won't exist here anymore, I won't ever make new ones, because now this road will be filled with memories without my mother instead of with her.

I hold tightly onto the apple pie in my hands, something I probably won't bake again in my mother's house; I probably won't bake anything there at all again.

I let the pebbles under my heels shoot away into all directions as I make my way to an all too familiar place. I'm not sure how I feel about going here but when I knock on the familiar door it's too late.

"Madison?" Jace opens the door and my hear starts to beat so much faster, I didn't know he'd be home, or that he'd go or care about going after how we ended things and I definitely didn't expect him to open the door to my apple pie.

Jace runs to hug me, he seems taller, definitely more muscular and his hair is practically brown. I close my eyes to the emptiness of the small hallway behind him and admire his touch in the darkness. I hug him tighter and feel his arms hold me so securely, the way I miss being held. 

I embrace him and smell his cologne all around me, it feel good, so familiar and safe. 

When I feel safe enough, I open my eyes only to see Rosie standing behind him now, giving me a small smile and a small wave, as I look at her with Jace's arms around me and mine around him.