A Story To Tell | Book 2

.48.

:::VANESSA:::

Sorry about your loss, dear...

That's all I've been hearing all day today.

Today is just a sad day for the De Grassi family and it was just a sad case. I'd drank myself all last night with Deon, just watching Netflix, trying to prepare myself for this day and all in honesty, it didn't drown out any of the sorrows that I thought it would. It just made me feel even more miserable.

When I backed away from the window, watching the rain fall down the stream, I caught glimpse of Chris and Keira across the room. Keira was crying her eyes out and hadn't stopped crying since before the funeral had started. She couldn't even go to the burial because she was so emotional, which I understood. I didn't want to be there. And when I got here, she was sitting in the same spot she was now, crying and crying and crying as if she were a newborn baby with a pain in her soul that she just couldn't explain to others.

The way that Chris sat by her side, consoling her, it downed my spirits. Part of me wished that it were me that she was consoling. She rubbed Keira's back as she cried. Dorothy was bringing Keira Kleenexes to clean her face every minute of the hour. I just shook my head and looked back out of the window, sighing deeply.

Deon had brought me a glass of the cheap wine that my parents thought were fit for the occasion due to them not really wanting anyone to get buzzed. I took the glass and allowed for Deon to hug me before walking off with her own glass, taking it to the head. She was going to be pissed off once she found out that it was cheap wine that she was sipping on.

Taking a sip off of the cheap wine, I look back out the window, focused on on the rain as it assured me that Lamont had made it into Heaven and didn't need me worrying about him. He was alright. He didn't want me to cry for him. He wanted me to be happy that he didn't have to worry about anymore pain and no more suffering. He was free now. Free of Adele, free of drama, free of trying to survive, free of depression—just free of it all. He was healthy. I rolled my eyes and took another sip before feeling someone tap me on my shoulder.

When I turned around, I met eyes with Chris. I wasn't expecting for her to see me, but I was glad that she had. I gave her a cheap smile as cheap as this wine and looked down at her attire. She was wearing an all black suit with a red bow tie with some black and white Jordans on her feet. Her dreads were pulled back into a ponytail with a fresh edge up. She was wearing her thick nerdy glasses that I loved seeing on her so much.

"You look nice." I complimented her.

"You too, Vanessa." She returned. "Look...I'm s—" I held up my hand, refusing to hear another one of those words. I was sick of hearing them.

"People have been telling me all day how sorry they are. Don't worry about it. I can deal with one less sorry." I smile, trying to shed light on the situation. Chris smirked a bit before laughing a little.

"What I really came over here to say was that Keira's really gonna need you more than ever. And it sucks on my part because I can't really be here for her like I've planned. I'm really gonna need your help on this one." She said to me as if she were breaking up with Keira to me. I was confused.

"What's wrong? Are you breaking up with her or something?"

"Naw, it's nothing like that." She assured me. "It's just that...I got into some trouble a couple of days ago and it's been weighing in heavy on Keira. I mean, not only is she dealing with the passing of her father and your brother, but she's also dealing with the face that next month, on the third, I'm going to be leaving town." My heart had then did a flip inside of my chest.

"You're leaving town?" I asked, more so shocked and heartbroken.

"Yea. I had a little run-in with Keira's mom and she called the police on me, getting me arrested and my parents just aren't having it. They want me back in town next month. They don't think Palatka's a good place for me." She looked crushed herself that she was going to be leaving. I was more so hurt than anything to learn this. I actually didn't want her to leave. "And, you know Adele's not Keira's favorite person due to the situation. She can't go back there and live with Adele."

I just knew that Chris wasn't saying what I thought she was.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" I ask her.

"I mean, it's only if you want to. I can't force anything on you that you don't want. But Keira and Yasmin need a place to stay for a little while. At least until I get settled in Georgia and try and get my job back from up there and move into my own place. I promise I'm going to try to make this process as quick as possible." I closed my eyes a bit, not willing to take Keira into my place. I enjoyed living alone.

"Chris, I don't know." I say, unsure if this was the best thing possible for me.

"If you're unsure, at least think about it for me." Chris begged. "I know a lot of things have happened between me, you, and her, but I wouldn't come to you if I didn't really need the help. And I don't expect for you to just up and want her to live with you with your arms out. But, I mean, just please do me this one favor and a promise you, I owe you." She looked back at Keira who was now accompanied by her sister, Michele. "She doesn't really have any parents. She doesn't have a mother worth shit and she lost the father she really wanted. She has you, still. I know that we had our thing going and all, but it just wasn't our time. And, your kinda all she has."

"Maybe my parents will take her, Chris. I'm not really—"

Chris held her hand up at me and shook his head.

"Say no more." Chris said to me as she nodded her head. "If this is because of what we had going on in the past, I apologize for springing this on you. All of this was unplanned. And if it makes you uncomfortable, I understand."

"No, it has nothing to do with what we had. It's just that, I don't know. I mean, I don't even think she likes me due to what happened at the hospital that day. I just don't think I can do it. And I know what she's been through and I really apologize that all of this has happened to her and now you're leaving. I just don't think I can open up my home to her right now. I have other things going on with me." I took a tiny sip of my cheap wine and looked towards Keira who was buried into Michele's chest.

"Vanessa, when she came to me, I had a lot of shit going on, too. I was worried about you and India. Not to mention, India had beat my ass. I was battling my demons when she came. And when she did, she made a hell of a difference. She's easy to talk to once you understand her. I mean, all I'm saying is, give your niece a chance before you push her away." Chris said to me before turning away and leaving me standing there looking confused.

I wasn't sure what she wanted me to do, but I just don't think I can take Keira and her daughter into my home. It had nothing to do with her situation with Chris at all. I just like being to myself. And I'm sure my parents would be more than happy to take her in. But there was a lot more to just taking Keira in. We all had to worry about Adele coming for her. But maybe that's what Chris was trying to say.

Adele knows where my parents live and could come for her at any time. Adele had no idea where I resided and I wanted to keep it that way. Maybe that's why Chris came to me. Who knows? But she didn't mention it, so I wasn't going to.

Chris had walked over to Keira and stood her up, wrapping her arms around Keira. She planted a kiss onto her head and held her tight as Keira cried. Dorothy walked over and brought her more Kleenex before taking the used ones. I shook my head and sighed. Turning away, I look back out into the rain. This was just hard.

Lamont...why'd you have to go? What do you think I should do?