Off the Tracks

Chapter 75- Mary's Song (Oh My My My)

Present Time

Riley stayed up late with Mrs Josie that night, making plans to look through some old photos together the next day, not only because Riley was upset, but because Josie wanted to see them all one last time. They planned to do a trade off, Riley's camera and SD cards, for a couple memory books that Mrs Josie had tucked away.

Riley helped Mrs Josie get into bed before she made her way upstairs herself. Walking down the long hall, passing a line of closed doors. All but one was occupied that Tristen initially put his bags in to keep people from taking. Riley peaked into the room across from hers, seeing the perfectly made bed, a mirror along the wall, a couple books on the shelves. She took a step into the room, looking around it, a room that she hasn't gone into since Jonah's passing. She saw his guitar sitting into a corner that he brought up the weekend before her birthday to play around a campfire at her request. The only issue was that he forgot it there, and they never had the time to drive back up to get it. Although she wishes they did.

"Rye" Tristen said quietly at the doorway, snapping her from her thoughts. "Are you alright?"

She nodded silently, holding in the tears that threatened to pour out. Soon she felt arms wrap around her, pulling her into a tight hug, letting her tiredly put her head on his shoulder while he himself, looked around the room.

"Let me take you to bed" He said, feeling her nod against his shoulder. She lifted her head, feeling Tristen's around her shoulder as they walked across the hall. Riley opened her bedroom door, seeing Susan already sat up in bed, reading a book, Jonah's book. Which Riley didn't mind, he was her brother, if Susan wanted to read what he wrote, she could.

Susan flipped through a couple pages, looking at the ending of all the words and letter's he wrote for Riley. Tristen sat at the edge of Rileys bed, just staring out into the hall, seeing Jonah's door wide open, it was a room him and Tristen used to share. But Tristen couldn't stand to sleep in there anymore. Riley was grabbing clothes from her dresser to change into, walking over to the bathroom that was connected to her room, and the room next to hers. She changed in there slowly, looking in the mirror, seeing her tear stained cheeks before she left.

"I think it's so cute how he always addressed you as his 'Sweet Love'" Susan said quietly, turning a few more pages.

"I hated it at first" Riley said, walking over to her bed, seeing Tristen sat on the floor still. "I never understood where he got it from"

"He said it's because you were sweet" Tristen said quietly, "The way you loved him was sweet, how you cared for him. I'm not going to go into the details because he would go on about it all the time but," He shrugged, feeling Rileys eyes on the back of his head as she got under her covers.

"Are you staying in here tonight?" Riley asked him quietly as Susan got up to put Jonah's journal back on Riley's dresser.

"No" Tristen said, getting up from the ground, "Can't leave Logan alone, he's scared of the dark" He told her falsely, getting her to break a smile.

"He is not!" Riley whisper shouted, hearing footsteps come from the hallway. She saw a female's silhouette in the door way, followed by a thick, and annoyed french accent.

"Can you guys please be quiet" Julia asked, "I've been hearing chitter chatter nonstop for the past hour, down stairs, you marching around up here, I want to sleep peacefully and it's hard to do that with you guys and both Lando and Arthur snoring" she said, walking right back down the hall to her room, closing the door quietly behind her.