And She Died Again ¦✔

~02~ Broken

  And time
Is all I ask for
Time
I just need one more day
And time
You've been crying too long
Time
And your tears wrote this song
Stay

In the moonlight
Your face it glows

Is it broken?
Can we work it out?  

~Secondhand Serenade "Broken"

Jimford Pepperman sat comfortably in deep thought. His sleek and minimal office looked glossy in its current state. He'd promised to call on his not so supportive wife today and he was sure that the promise was already broken since he had a date with Sophie Thurman, his hot client. Who had time for family, anyway?

His desk phone rang, and he answered, hoping it was Sophie. "Sir, Mrs Cecil is on the other line, should I connect her to you?" His secretary asked cheerfully,

"No, tell her I'm in a meeting."

"She said it's urgent she speaks to you Sir,"

"I said tell her I'm in a meeting!" He snapped.

"Okay." She mumbled quietly ending the rather unpleasant conversation. Jim glanced at his desk eyeing the large number of paperwork he had to do. He groaned when his phone rang again. "What again?" He asked impatiently waiting for his secretary to speak up.

"She left a message. She said... No I can't do this." His secretary hesitated.

"If you knew you couldn't deliver whatever the heck she told you why did you call back? I've work to and so do you."

"But, Sir..."

"Just shut up and go back to work, Liza." He said calmly.

"Alicia is dead, Sir." She blurted.

"What did you just say?" He asked not quite believing what he had just heard.

"She called to let you know Alicia is dead, and she apologized for not taking care of her like she promised she would," She repeated hesitantly. "Sir..." There was no answer. "Oh God what have I done she shrieked rushing to his office right across her desk.

^^

"How are you feeling now?" Bill Trunkett asked handing a cup of coffee to Cecil.

"Don't worry about me Bill, I'm okay. I'm not sure how to break the news to Court and Kris. You know how much they loved Ali." She said heaving a sigh. She had kept the fact that Ali was dead hidden from the kids because if she couldn't control herself then she was sure the kids would be devastated.

Breaking the news to her husband was too much work for her so imagine how glad she was when she was told he was in a meeting. "Cecil," She looked up to see Bill standing right before her.

"Bill," She said looking into his eyes which had a tint of sadness in them.

"You know I'm always here for you, right?" He asked wiping the tears on her face with his thumb. She didn't even realized she was crying.

"Yes I know. You've already done enough and for that I'll always be grateful," Bill pulled her into a bear hug and kissed her cheeks."

"Cecil I just received your message. I'm very—"

Cecil turned to see the intruder who stood gaping at the entrance of her apartment. "Jim?" She asked thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her.