Dear Bailey

Part 16

Lucas

My head pounded like a hurricane was tearing through my brain. I opened my eyes and found myself on the floor in my grandmother's old house. My heart ached in my chest and the walls felt as if they were going to close in around me. I never stay there. I haven't stayed over night since I left for the military. I love my grandma so much, it physically hurts to be in her house, surrounded by her things, but not with her.

I pushed myself up from the floor and the sound of a glass bottle sliding across wood echoes through the house. My had connected with the empty handle of Jack and sent it crashing into the wall behind me. I grabbed my head and squeezed my eyes shut. What the fuck did I do last night?

I checked my phone and saw that it was 5:30 AM and I needed to be to work in thirty minutes. I could see the remnants of my uniform scattered around the living room. My jacket was slung over the back of the couch, my shoes a little closer to the kitchen near an old box of my mom's cookbooks. I have no idea why my grandma kept them, but it had taken me by surprise to see my mother's writing again. That's where the alcohol came in. I started there on the floor next to the box and my shirt is folded messily on the small table near the box.

I looked down to see if there was anything left of my uniform still on me. My boxers, socks and undershirt were still intact. I stood up and looked around to find my pants. There they were, on the fireplace. I chuckled a little as I retrieved them.

I sat down on the couch in the living room and tried to put the pieces of the last few day together again. Let's see, I got an email from Bailey. Things were good when that happened, but then later that day I had to come over to grandma's to continue boxing things up. I'd gotten through the first night by sheer determination. I didn't have a lot of time to figure out what I was going to do with all of her stuff. By the time I was finished, it was 3:30 in the morning so I slept in my car outside because I couldn't bring myself to stay in my old room.

The next morning I looked like shit at work, but managed to get through the day without falling asleep. I had more work to do that night, but when I moved to the storage space above my grandma's closet, I found the hidden collection of my mother's things. The first few items were medical in nature, warming blankets, alcohol swabs and bandages. But behind those items were boxes of hand written letters, diaries, and old photo albums. I called in sick the next day and everything is black from then on until I woke up on the floor.

I have missed calls on my phone from my brother Derek. He's living with my aunt in Texas. He'd be here if he could, but my aunt and I thought it would be best if he stayed there and focused on school. I'm glad he wasn't there to see me turn into the drunk mess I'm sure I was.

My phone buzzed to let me know it was dying, but I had no idea where my charger was. I stood up and gathered my clothes before heading to the bathroom to take a quick shower. I wouldn't have time to email Bailey back until later that evening. 

***Please remember to vote for each chapter! I loved reading your 5 fun facts!! Thank you to everyone who played along. I read them all.  If you want to keep playing along, leave in the comment's section what you'd like to find in a box that belonged to a family member who has passed away.