You Don't Know Me | A Andy Gibb What If Story

Chapter 87

Trigger Warning: Mentions of Death and Grief. 

When I woke up to go to work, something felt off. I couldn't put my finger on it. Everything in my little world was good. Andy was home for now. Work was going as well as could be expected. But, something in my heart felt heavy.

By the end of my day, I came home and still had this heaviness. 

Andy wasn't home when I arrived. I walked in to find the answering machine blinking. I usually have a few of them during the week when I get home if Andy hasn't been around.

I clicked play.

"Hi babygirl it's your momma. Can you call me when you get the chance? Thanks. Love you," my mother's voice came over the machine.

She didn't sound well. Something was wrong. This is what I had felt all day.

I sank onto the couch and immediately called her.

After 8 rings, someone finally picked up.

"What's the matter?" I asked into the phone.

I heard a sigh. A sad sigh.

"Josh was killed in action," my mother said through tears.

My brother? No, she couldn't be telling the truth. He had just told us how happy he was that it was his final month of deployment before coming home.

"W-what? No, how wait are you sure?" I asked in utter shock.

"We got the call this morning and he was killed in the line of action a few days ago and they barely were able to get ahold of us," my mother told me back.

My mouth was hanging wide open as my tears silently streamed down my face. 

"Everything is up in the air right now. They are preparing his things and he'll be flown back to America. So we will be in town in a few days to get things settled," she told me through tears.

I sniffled. I couldn't believe it. My brother was gone.

"Okay Mom I'm at a loss for words right now," I remarked as Sam came and joined me on the couch.

"I didn't know how to break it to you. I'm sorry if it was blunt," she told me as we both started crying hard on the phone.

"No, no mama don't apologize. It's just weird because this morning I woke up with a heaviness in my heart and I couldn't figure it out," I remarked as I noticed my nose was now bleeding.

Great. My stress levels and blood pressure rose.

"I'm so sorry to have to have told you like this baby girl," she told me.

"Quit apologizing mama. Just take care of yourself and I'll call you back later. I got a bloody nose," I told her.

"You take care of yourself. Give Andy our love and we will talk to you soon," she said as she sniffled.

"Love you," I told her as I hung the phone up and headed to the bathroom.

As I got a wet washcloth, I heard the front door open.

"Darling I'm home," Andy commented as he shut the door.

I knew my voice wasn't even there but I called out.

"In the bathroom," I remarked as my voice cracked.

I tried to clear my throat but it didn't help.

"Hi, darling. What happened?" he asked worriedly.

I sighed as the tears began falling again.

"M-my b-brother was killed," I stuttered out.

Andy's face fell. He looked like he didn't know what to say.

"He just told you guys how he was excited to come home since his deployment was almost over," he commented as he side-hugged me.

I still had a bloody nose going on.

"I know," I remarked.

"I don't know what to say, darling. I'm so sorry darling," he told me as he grabbed another washcloth to clean my now messed-up makeup.

"I don't know what I would do without you here. I feel like, I don't even know what I'm feeling," I told him as I checked my nose.

For now, my bloody nose had stopped. Thank god.

"How did you find out he had?" he asked quietly.

I sighed.

"My mother had left a voice message and when I got home, I played and she told me she needed to talk to me," I commented as I sniffled.

Andy had a look of worry still.

"Wait your brother was stationed overseas right? But his life or something was here in Califorina right?" he asked as we walked out of the bathroom.

"Yeah my parents will be flying in to get things settled," I told him as walked to the living room.

I sat down and Andy did the same.

"Come here. I cannot imagine what is going on in your mind right now," he commented as he hugged me.

"I feel numb," I remarked.

"Just take it moment by moment," he told me.

"I can't even form correct sentences. My head and heart hurt," I told him.

"We'll get through this," he told me lovingly.

I took a deep sigh as my world turned to another place I never imagined it would.