Twisted Saga ReGenesis (Book 3 of 3)

Chapter 14- Poisonous End

Meanwhile, back in Columbus, Gwen and Lilly wait patiently for Josh's ashes to be handed over.

"Mom, can we go home yet?" Lilly asks, missing her father.

"Soon, sweetie, once we have daddy with us, we'll go check out of the hotel and try to see Emily and Brooklyn before we go home. That okay with you?"

In a surprise twist, Delilah shakes her head no.

"How come they'd like to see you, I'm sure."

Bowing her head, Lilly begins to sob softly.

"I just want to go home. I never want to come back here."

"Well, what if I said we were going to move closer to here? Would that not be alright?" Gwen probes to gauge a decision based on Lilly's answers.

"No, please, mom, not here. This is where daddy died. I don't want to remember how bad this hurts all the time." Delilah mentions in a soft-hearted manner.

Gwen's at a loss for words; her sunglasses hide the pain in her eyes, but now she's not sure which way is up.

"Well, since here is out of the picture, what about somewhere like North or South Carolina? It's beautiful there, and daddy and I got married in North Carolina. That's where we found out that we were expecting you."

The gears in Delilah's head turn quickly, depicting the place she would like the best.

"Can we live on the beach?" She makes a request using her charm in her big lovable eyes.

"Absolutely, I want to make sure you're going to be okay. I know it sucks now, but in time you're going to be just like your daddy, I know it. I can see it in those bright blue eyes, and you even have that gold trait he did, which I loved about his eyes."

They stand there and smile for the first time in days.

"Good, I want to make him proud. I want to be like daddy, but I can't do what all he did, mom. I'm not strong."

"Whoa, right there, young lady. You may not have the strength your daddy did, but you have a brilliant mind, and you can use it over your muscles. Aaron did and look at how well he's done with his career. You don't have to be a federal agent and work dangerous cases to be like daddy, you know. You can easily work from a desk to make a difference or become a lawyer like me. Daddy thought about it when he was in high school. Not many people know that, but I do because we talked about things when we weren't fighting." Gwen reveals to her daughter.

The fun ends when the person in charge of cremation appears with the urn in his hands.

"Mrs. Bradshaw, I presume?" He asks when he sees the ladies standing there.

"Yeah, that's me..." She says, reaching for the urn.

"Just need to see a photo I.D. please to confirm, and then he's all yours to take home."

Gwen swiftly takes out her wallet from her purse to present the required verification.

"Thank you, and I am positive that you are sick and tired of hearing this, but I am sorry to hear about your husband's passing."

The funeral home worker disappears as swiftly as he appeared. Then an awkward silence falls between mother and daughter.

The grief becomes all too real at that moment when they get into their rental car and returns to the hotel, where they pack up their stuff to check out.

"Yes, ma'am, how may I help you?" The desk clerk asks.

"Bradshaw, checking out, please." Gwen stutters, fighting the urge to cry again.