When The Smoke Has Cleared

Chapter Three: Stephanie's POV

Chapter Three

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Stephanie - Flashback

"What the hell is she supposed to do with this?" I asked Kenna, throwing the envelope back at her.

"Look, I'm as upset as you are okay, I'm trying."

"You can't be as upset as I am honey, no offense, but you can't. It's been six months. She just left. No communication as if their life meant nothing to her. And then six months later she sent a 4 sentence note with no returned address. What the fuck is Gabby supposed to do with this?" I was livid. The first two months were just quiet. The silence was so loud it was suffocating. After weeks and weeks of missing person's reports and endless search for Reagan and the Kids, the cops finally closed the case after discovering that she wasn't missing and neither were the kids. They were alive and well, but wouldn't give us their location claiming that Reagan was indeed an adult and the kids were biologically hers, so we would just have to wait. Now 6 months into the mess, there was an update.

"I'm not sure what to say honestly." Kenna said, looking over at Reagan's handwritten note.

I'm so sorry for everything. I love you more than life itself, and I hope one day you can forgive me. I hope you're doing well. I did this to protect you Gabby never forget how much I love you.

"Well how about you be the one to hand it to her." I said slowly pushing it towards her.

"Nope, your best friend...You handle it." She pushed it back to me.

"Your sister fucked up. You deal with Gabby's wrath." I said returning it back to her.

"Can you two keep it down please? I have a massive headache. And where's my fucking drink?"

Gabby's voice took us both by surprise. She's kept herself locked in the room for the past 6 months surviving on alcohol and more alcohol. I've tried talking to her, but nothing seems to get through, but honestly what was there to say? What could be said to someone in her situation? What could I possibly say that would somehow fix any of this or even make her feel a little better?

"Gabby honey, there's something here for you, but why don't I make you something to eat." Kenna offered with gentle concern.

"I'm not hungry and whatever it is, I'm not interested." She replied, her eyes swollen with tears as she grabbed the last bottle of tequila from the top of the fridge and walked past us.

"It's from Reagan." I added, and her steps instantly halted, frozen in place by the weight of those words. For a minute no one said anything, she stood there taking deep breaths as if she was preparing herself for the blow. "If you want I can...." before I could finish my sentence she interrupted me.

"Are they okay?" I've never heard her voice so small and scared. The fear of the unknown was obvious in her tone of voice, and all I wanted to do was wrap her up in my arms and get her away from the pain. But I understood, with a sinking realization, that this was a battle I couldn't fight for her. She was going to crumble, all I could do was stand by, a helpless witness the downfall.

"Protect me?! Is this a fucking joke?!!...She ran away with our kids with no communication...after every fucking thing we've been through together it's like she's learned nothing. Protect me from what?!" She started pacing back and forth with the note in her hands, and with every sentence we could hear the anger leaking out drop by drop.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?!" She yelled throwing the note back at us, and as much as I wanted to comfort her, I knew better than to approach her in this state. So I sat back and allowed her to release her anguish.

"What do you want to do Gabby? We still can't reach her love. I'm so sorry, there's no returned address." Kenna softly replied as she slowly approached her. The next thing we heard was the loud bang of the tequila bottle shattering on the floor, a symphony of broken glass echoing through the room.

Her scream pierced the air, carrying with it a torrent of hurt, anger, anguish, and pain. She crumbled to her knees, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

I watched helplessly as Kenna rushed and bent over the broken glass and gathered her in her arms. Her body convulsed with each sob, the weight of her emotions threatening to consume her entirely. In that gut- wrenching moment the one thing I knew for sure was that Reagan would never have the opportunity to hurt Gabby like this again, I would make sure of it, No matter the cost.