Upstate New York, Five Years Ago II
Even when his baby was born, Tom's expression didn't change too much. Most fathers would've smiled or burst into tears or done something to show excitement but not Tom. It was as if he was born with one face and that face was set in stone. Sure, he showed tiny bits of emotion but they are subtle and it took someone with great observation skills to see them. Beyoncé and Sarah happened to be two of these people.
However, giant tears leaked out of his eyes when he heard the news from Sarah.
"Kelly's dead." Sarah whispered to him while Beyoncé was playing with Kelbey in the living room. Tom said nothing for a moment, his face unreadable. And then his eye started shimmering and Sarah couldn't believe it but he started crying. He wiped away the tears as they came but this was something that shocked his wife to no end. He had never cried in all the time that she knew him and here he was silently bawling. After a few seconds of battling the never ending onslaught of tears, he grabbed his keys and started for the door.
"Where are you going?" She asked.
"Drive." He replied and slammed the door shut. Ton was still a man, Sarah concluded, and she knew he was probably going off somewhere deeper into the country to let out his sorrow. Sarah envied his luxury. After hearing Beyoncé's confession, she too wanted to just wander off in the night and have a good cry. Her mothering instincts prevented her from taking off and leaving the girl by herself.
"Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?" She offered. Beyoncé looked up. "I find it helps to be close to someone." Beyoncé smiled appreciatively.
"No thanks, I'm a big girl." She replied. Sarah sank into the couch next to her, hoping that Thomas and Laney were fast asleep and wouldn't wake up anytime soon.
"This must be hard."
"You have no idea." Beyoncé said.
"I'm sure I don't. I don't think I ever had a friend as close as Kelly was to you. I mean, Tom is my closest friend and I don't think I could handle losing him." She replied.
"I guess it is hard." Beyonce admitted, spinning the ring in her finger.
"I don't know how you do it." Sarah stroked the top of her head comfortingly. Beyoncé shrugged.
"I don't know either." The two of them sat there in silence until Beyoncé stood up.
"You going to bed?" Sarah asked, not quite know got to comfort the girl. She watched the girl sadly as she walked forward as if heavy weight was pressing down. Sarah covered her face and took in several deep breaths. She could still see the other young girl's shining smile, her ever cheerful and light hearted demeanor, and her innocent brown eyes. She remembered how calm her voice was even when she was screaming and pushing a baby out of her. Sha handled the whole situation with an air of "everything was going to be alright."
It was hard to imagine that angel now returned to heaven. With a heavy sigh, Sarah stood up from the couch and went upstairs. She heard Beyoncé on the floor above her flipping into the bed and she checked on Thomas and Laney who where slumbering peacefully. She knew she'd have to tell Thomas one day, and Laney deserved to know about the girl who helped her into her life once she was old enough. Thomas understood death, being on a farm where there were hundreds of animals made it hard to keep from the boy. But telling him that Kelly was dead would be a completely different matter. The boy asked about Kelly almost every day since they left, wondering when the she would come play with him again. Sarah rested her head against the doorway and let her body seize up in quiet remorse. She made a silent promise to take her while family and pay respects to both Kelly and her family.
