Kingdom Come Undone

Glimpse of Relief

A/N: Hey everyone! Welcome back! Not sure if I've shared this one this site, but I am one of the millions of people in Texas affected by the winter storm or whatever this past week. ANYWAYS, got power back for the first time on Friday, but I have a broken water pipe in my home now so I'm not at my house and it's minor chaos :) So, here is this full chapter because my life doesn't currently have the balance to update this twice a week rn.

P.S. For anyone concerned, don't worry, we did turn the water off at my house before leaving, so there's no internal damage, just a pipe that needs to be fixed and no running water. We love to see it...

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"But Emmy, I need you. It's my grandma. I guess she had a stroke or something? They're afraid she's about to pass away. So we're all, like all of us, are going to Chicago."

There are times in your life that pass in front of you like a mirage. Times that even in the moment feel out of body. As though turning your world on edge before it has even fully effected your reality. I could feel in Alison's voice that this was one of those times. That for her, this was bigger than she was making it appear. That this was changing us for better or worse as it was taking place. And whether Alison knew it or not yet, being palpably aware of it as we spoke scared the shit out of me.

"Oh no, do I need to come there? I can buy a flight to Chicago if you need me to. I'll come to you. I can – "

"No, Emily. Listen to me, please. We're about to get on the plane, but Carter and I agreed that this would be too much for Jake. He doesn't need to see a family member pass away. So him and Carter and going to stay back until a funeral happens, I guess. I don't even know."

I lost all of my grandparents before I even hit my mid-twenties. For many, the loss of a grandparent was their first brush with mortality. Their first understanding that life isn't infinite. Alison though had faced the idea of an even bigger loss. A loss that, thankfully, never came to be. But hearing her speak now in indefinites and ambiguity sent me back to our car ride home from Rosewood when she described in detail the near loss of Jacob. Her fragility and brokenness on full display. And despite what she was about to ask me, all I could think was how if anyone needed me right now, it was actually her.

I stayed silent as the pieces were slowly coming together. "Anyway, if you can, I need you to drive to Rosewood."

"Yeah, Carter left me a message. He doesn't get in until 2 or something."

"Mhm-hmm." She started talking to someone on her end of the line, "No, I'm talking to her now. No. I don't know yet. Yeah, I know she's an option, but that's fucking coming in from New York for just like 10 hours. One second. Em, you still there?"

"I am. You need me to be with Jacob, I assume?"

"Will you?"

"I mean, yeah. I can be, I guess. I'll need to get off early. I don't know." I started looking around the cafeteria trying to find Emmanuel. I sounded unsure because I could hear Alison falling apart. I could pick up on the desperation she was clinging to. The hope that somehow she wouldn't lose anyone after all. "Is he still at school?"

"We're about to board, Em. But text Carter to tell him you're coming to get Jake, and he'll make sure the school knows you're coming. You'd need to be there by 3. Does that work?"

"If I leave now. Alison, this is a lot. What is going on?"

"I don't really know, babe. My mom called me about Nana and 3 hours later I'm getting on a flight. My parents and Carter's parents are inconsolable. My brother and I are numb. I don't know, Em. I won't know until I get there. But I need you. Can you make it? I just need you there with Jacob until Carter gets home. He will pick him up from you."