Batter Up

Reckoning

Wanda has tears freely streaming down her cheeks that she tries to wipe away. She lets out a long, shaky breath, trying to gain some stability.

She steps towards me again, taking my hands. Again.

She closes her eyes for a moment and I try to study her face so I can get a heads up for whatever the fuck this is about.

"Wanda. You're scaring the fuck out of me. What is going on?" I'm stern. I have to be. To keep the emotions at bay.

"Okay, I'm.. I'm not even sure how to say this. I don't know.. I don't know what happened. I know they said you weren't exactly yourself, but this?" She's mostly speaking to herself by the end.

"Wanda." I'm aggressive, I know. But either she's losing her mind or I am. Neither scenario reassuring me.

She doesn't say anything, instead dragging me over to the couch and forcing me to sit down, facing me full on.

"Nat. I'm going to have to tell you something that I wish I never had to. And.. it's not the first time. Uh, it's not the first time you're really hearing about it. I don't fully know what happened, but you must have pushed this so far in the back of your brain that you don't remember. That you won't let yourself remember."

She's serious. I'm looking into her eyes and I find concern, empathy, sadness. But I also see that she's telling me the truth, whatever she's about to tell me.

"Okay.."

"Nat.. I don't really know how to say this, so.. I'll just do my best." She's repeating herself.

I nod. No longer wanting to speak.

"Spencer.. she um. You.."

She's trying. I can see the shift she takes, going for a different tactic.

"There was an intruder, in the house. They.. they shot at her." She lets out a broken sob, one hand uselessly flying to her mouth to try and stop it. "Um.. she saved you and Alia. She teleported you to the compound. Tony and I flew over to your house the second we heard.. but, it was too late. We were too late.."

She's saying a lot of words right now, but my brain isn't letting me process them, not wanting to put together what they could mean.

"What? Wanda you aren't making any sense. I just saw Spencer yesterday. So did you!"

"No, Nat. No. Spencer is gone. She has been for a couple of months now.." she's firm, trying to get me to believe her. She's also gentle, trying not to break me.

I shake my head profusely. "No. No. She is not gone. I just saw her!" I stand up, hands going to my hair instantly.

"Nat.."

"No, Wanda! You're lying to me! She isn't gone. I just saw her yesterday! We just played softball yesterday! She was there. In my arms."

"No, Nat.."

"Stop saying no! I felt her! I hugged her! I kissed her! We.. I heard her laugh! I heard her voice! She spoke, she joked. I.. you can't tell me that wasn't real!"

She moves slightly toward me, but I step back.

"Nat, I'm really, really sorry. I wish I wasn't telling you this. I wish I could say that was real, but it wasn't."

I'm shaking my head, "No! She's.. she's here! She's outside or with Alia! She can't be gone! I just.. I just had her yesterday.."

"Nat.. we didn't play a game of softball yesterday.." like walking on egg shells "I'm so sorry. You.. you must have dreamt it. She isn't here. I'm so sorry.."