Mandy

Chapter 21

Your love never fails, you never give up, it never runs out on me.
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"Ami, bathroom." Mandy reminded her, then picked up the last box and carried it out to the garage.

"Thank you." Caleb accepted the box and set it into the back of the van. "Where is Amilee?"

"Using the bathroom. I..." Mandy trailed off. "I need to do something. So please...watch for her." She told him with a wavering voice before running back into the house.

Caleb watched her as he closed the ball of the van.

"Daddy? Is Mommy ok?" Amilee asked as she walked out of the house.

"She's fine." Caleb reassured her.

After getting Amilee buckled in and telling both kids he would be back very soon, Caleb walked into the house.

He knew exactly where she was, and wasted no time getting to the room.

"Are you alright?" Caleb asked softly.

Mandy looked at him through tear filled eyes. "Why?"

Caleb took a deep breath as he sat down on the bed beside her. "That's a loaded question."

"Why did they all have to go at once? All of them. I was left here alone with two little kids that had no clue what was going on." She managed to reply through her sobs.

Caleb wrapped his arms around her. "I wish I could have been here for you. All of you. I wish I could have held baby Ethan. I wish a lot of things Mandy."

"I couldn't clean the place. After the first year, people kept telling me I should hire someone. Get some help." Mandy laughed mockingly. "They told me I needed to move on."

Caleb tightened his hold on his sister. "They don't know you." He whispered.

Mandy looked around the room, her and her husband's things all around. "Doug..." Mandy trailed off.

Caleb frowned. "Doug what?" He asked.

"He...he was the only one who survived. For a couple hours in the hospital. He was the one who told me I didn't need to listen to the people." Mandy smiled. "He said, 'Now Ann, people are going to tell you it will be alright. People are going to tell you to find another guy in a couple of years, but don't listen to them. You already have a great little guy, he will grow up and be all you ever need'."

Caleb nodded. "That sounds like Doug."

"He told me that I would need to be Ami's mommy, but I shouldn't worry. She already loved me. And then..." Mandy trailed off for the second time, then took a deep breath before continuing.

"Doug said I shouldn't miss them too much. They would always be with me, my guardian angels."

Caleb wiped the tears off his sisters cheeks. "Doug always was a mystery to me." He told her.

Mandy looked at him. "How so?" She asked.

"He always had that mean, dangerous guy vibe. Unless it was just us. Then he would be our big brother, caring and compassionate." Caleb explained.

Mandy smiled for the first time that afternoon. "That was Doug." She replied simply, trying to ignore the other thing her older brother had said that night.