𝐒𝐄𝐗 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐘 𝐄𝐗, ˢᵃʳᵃʰ ᶜᵃᵐᵉʳᵒⁿ

xvii. a father's voice

BACK AT THE house, Emma watched as JJ made a sandwich with moldy bread. "Dude, please tell me you're not actually gonna eat that." She picked up the bread bag and tossed it into the garbage can. "How long has that even been in this kitchen?" Em rolled her eyes making her way over to the dining room where John B sat, starting at the FedEx envelope on the table. For Bird. She still wondered why it hadn't been addressed to her as well.

JJ came bounding into the room while Emma sat at the table as well. "Hot damn, let's do it." He took a bite of the sandwich before he gagged and spat it in his hand.

"Ew, J. Throw that shit out, right now." Emma shoved him toward the trash can. John B still looked down at the package. "Oh, for fuck's sake, I'll open it."

As she went to grab it, her brother snatched it away. "Wait! Just wait, give me a second, okay?"

"JB-"

"No, Em. It doesn't even have your name on it. It's not for you." John B spewed the words before thinking, he didn't even realize how badly the words stung Emma at that moment.

"He's my dad too, asshole." Emma shook her head at the boy. "Actually, he was my dad first."

"Emma, what the-"

"Shut the hell up, Pope. You don't get a say in this, none of you do." Emma took a breath, calming herself. She felt bad, she felt horrible even, she shouldn't be taking her anger out on the closest people to her, the friends who only wanted to be there to help. "Sorry, I'm sorry, Pope. I didn't mean it, seriously." A frustrated sigh escaped her lips. "Never mind, let's just open the damn thing. Please."

John B took a deep breath, nodding his head, he opened the envelope and pulled out a map. "Holy shit." He breathed out.

Emma's eyes narrowed at the map. "What the hell?"

Pope then pointed to a spot marked on the map, the location covered with a X. "X marks the spot." He said.

John B then began to drag his pointer finger across the map, pointing out the longitude and latitude. He felt something underneath the map. "There's something else in there." He stated, lifting up the map and grabbing whatever was left in the envelope.

"What is it?" Emma questioned before the object was even pulled out.

John B held the item in his hands, a look of shock written across his face. JJ shook his head. "What's that?" he asked.

Kie shook her head and rolled her eyes. "It's a tape recorder, dumbass." She told him.

JJ didn't have time to answer before John B pressed play. "Dear bird, My dearest E." So she was involved. Whatever this was she was meant to be apart of it.

"Who's Bird?" JJ asked, he didn't have to ask who 'E' was about, they called her that already.

John B cleared his throat. "It's what my dad used to call me." he admitted, Emma scooted her chair closer to her brother, placing a hand on his shoulder as they listened to the rest of the tape.

"I hate to tell y'all 'I told y'all so.' " Their father's voice streamed through the tape. Emma felt sick to her stomach. "And you doubted your old man." Her father sighed, sounding almost disappointed. "I suspect that you're filled with guilt and self loathing over our last fight." How could she forget that night, that fight. How her own father had left her and her little brother to fend for themselves. "But, don't kill yourselves just yet kids. I didn't expect to find The Merchant either." The girl's jaw nearly dropped as she looked over at her brother, his face holding the same dumbfounded expression. The Pouges all shared a look of disbelief.