𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐃𝐄 , 𝐣. 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤 ⁽¹⁾

𝟑𝟓. 𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒

August 15, 2010

Nothing in Elle Bleu Wright's entire life had felt as real as this moment. As real as this deep feeling of despair as she stood in the Kildare County Police Station, listening to Shoupe try to find the words that she knew were coming.

"Your father is dead."

Yet there she stood, all the bones in her fragile body shaking as the silence filled the room. She knew it was coming. She just knew it.

"Mrs. Wright," Shoupe coughed, grabbing everyone in the room's attention. Lorelai was hysterical. Elle supposed that she knew too. "We— uhm, we regret to inform you that Brady has passed."

Until this moment, it hadnt felt very real either.

She didn't realize that Lorelai picking Elle up early from school (much to her dismay due to the fact that they were doing a art unit), the faster than usual drive through town, and the tears that stained her mom's cheeks, would be so serious.

Whenever Elle asked what was going on, all she got in response was a quiet; "Theres been an accident, with your father. Everything is okay."

Because she was young, a mere seven years old, she was expected not to understand, but she did.

Her dad talked about death a lot.

"Listen, Bug." Brady said in a serious tone to the young girl and her 2 friend's beside her, John B and JJ. "I won't be here forever. You know that. And when that time comes, I need you to stay strong. All of you."

Elle and her friends had shrugged off the odd remark. Her dad was young, he wasn't to die so soon. At least, that's what she thought.

It was now, in this police station, that she finally felt it. He was actually gone. Tears streamed down her face as she watched Shoupe's eyebrows furrow.

"We found him this morning. He was washed up along the shore on Parcel Nine. I am so, so sorry."
He said, taking his hat off and holding it in his hands.

The thing about Brady was that he was friend's with almost everyone on Kildare. He was just that type of person. The person to say a small "Hi, How are you?" To a random person on the street. Shoupe knew that, maybe that was the reason he was so sorry.

Or maybe it was the fact that there was a completely destroyed mother with her tearful seven year old standing before him.

"How—." Lorelai started through sobs. "What happened, Shoupe?" She said, wiping her eyes.

The man sighed and his face dropped. "It's still under investigation, but as of now, it's labeled as a boating incident, from the storm last night."

Lorelai nodded solemnly and pulled Elle into her side, who was hiding her face with her small hands.

It made sense. Brady had always been reckless. He was the one to take risks. To surf the biggest wave. To go boating in a storm.

"Mommy..?" Elle said, her voice cracking and was faded from crying. She didn't really know what to say after that. Maybe she just didn't like the silence.

After leaving the station and driving home in the worst silence Elle had ever experience, she watched her mom walk straight to the kitchen, grab a beer, and chug it down.

She hadn't seen her mom do that for a while.

Elle, however, went straight for her room, shutting the door to the white-painted walls covered with little stickers.

She sat on her bed and just cried. She cried and cried until her eyes dried out and she couldn't physically cry anymore.

He was really gone.

Days after the news hit, nothing had changed. JJ and John B were over more and more, comforting Elle and trying to make her smile.

It barley worked.

Her mom continued to drink. She drank more than Elle had ever seen before. She knew she should have probably said something early on, before it got back She'd seen it happen with Luke Maybank.

Big John always was close with Lorelai. They met through Brady and connected almost instantly. He would say that Lorelai wouldn't get worse. That it was just her way of coping.

The idea that adults are always right, was always preached to Elle. She trusted him. She completely, utterly, believed him. Oh, how foolish she had been.

The first time Lorelai hit Elle, she was ten. They had got into an argument about wether or not Elle deserved a small new toy after getting all A's on her grades.

Apparently, Lorelai had very strong opinions on Barbies, because the next thing she knew, she had slapped Elle across the face.

The two stood in shock. Staring, both unable to move.

"Elle," Lorelai said, reaching out towards her tearful daughter. "Im so sorry, sweetie." She apologized. "I am so, so, so sorry."

"I promise, Bug, It'll never happen again."

Maybe not everything adults say is true.

——————
KENN SPEAKS !

shorter chapter but HEY! backstory!!

rip brady :(

this is so sad ok bye

xoxo.