When She Is No Longer Mine «Jason McCann & Justin Bieber»

50

THE BIG FIVE-ZERO! WHOOP-WHOOP!

Kinsley

Jason sets the plates on the table as Nezther pulls the pork chops out of the oven. I keep a close eye on the couple to make sure neither of them do something stupid or break down. Unfortunately, it happens.

Nezther mumbles something about not doing anything right before storming out of the kitchen. Jason looks at me with pleading eyes, to which I nod. I follow my best friend out of the room. She sits against the wall in the hallway that is between the guest room and kitchen. I squat down in front of her.

"Are you okay?" I place a hand on her knee.

"I messed up, didn't I? I-I made him want to kill himself, Kinsley," she looks at me with a distressed look spread across her features.

I bite my lip. "There's other factors that go into, Nes," I tell her. "He has depression, that can obviously make him want to commit suicide. But I think what you said did hurt him also," I admit.

I see Gracie waddling down the hall. She goes over to her mom and plops down in her lap. "My chest hurts," she tells her in a whimper.

"Go see Daddy, he'll give you some medicine," she kisses her daughter's forehead.

Grace furrows her eyebrows. "He tell-ed me to come to you," she whines.

Nezther stands up. "Fine," she moves past me to go to the kitchen.

I follow them in to see Leigh talking to Jason. He has tears streaming down his face as he stares at Nezther. "Jace," I try to get his attention.

He just shakes his head. "I'm so exhausted of everything. I'm tired of being myself."

Silence engulfs us all. Grace sits on the counter, eating a spoonful of yogurt with her crushed up  pull on it. Nezther glances over at her husband then to me.

"Can we have a minute?"

I nod, "of course."

Leigh follows me out, but we stand by the door. "I'm going to bring them to the babysitter's tomorrow after I take Jasper to school. You're going to stay in bed and not do anything, right?" Nezther's voice cracks. "Leigh and Kinsley both have to work at six, I am hesitant to leave you alone."

"Can't I go with you?" Jason begs. "I don't want to be alone, Nezther. And after today, I don't want you walking out that door without me."

"Mommy? Can I say somethin'?" Gracie asks softly. Someone must've nodded because she continues. "I's wove you both, I's need you both... please no leave Daddy, Momma. An' Daddy please no leave Mommy."

I frown as the toddler speaks. "Hey," Leigh taps my shoulder. "What if we got a puppy instead of having a baby?" She grins. I follow her upstairs to where her laptop is.

«» «» «»

Grace

I stand outside Mommy and Daddy's door with Jasper and Jenny next to me. "I think they're still up," Jasper points to the bit of light showing from the bottom of the door.

Jenny and I both nod. He opens the door slowly. Mommy sits awake at the top of the bed with Daddy sitting between her legs, asleep.

"Hi, babies," she whispers, "why're you all up?"

I look over at Jenny. "We wan' come sweep wif' oou," she says.

"We wanted to make sure Daddy and you are okay," Jasper adds.

Mommy nods, "come up here." We all climb into her bed and settle in the blankets. "Go to sleep, okay? You guys have to get up early. I love you all."

"What wrong wit' Daddy?" I whisper to her.

"He's just sad, Flower. It's nothing to worry about." I nod, closing my eyes and burrowing myself into the blankets against her side.