Locked in Love

The Truth Comes Out

       It happened. I didn’t think it was going to. I prayed so long and hard for him to get better, but the Lord didn’t see fit for it. I feel like I’ve lost a part of me.

“Av, I’m so so sorry.” I pushed Eli off of me.

“Please, just don’t touch me.”

      All the sorrys in the world wasn’t going to make this any better. No one could make this any better unless he was back. If only he was sitting on the front porch with me, drinking a coke, and laughing at the dumb jokes my dad tried telling. If only he was yelling at me to get out of his room, would everything be okay.

     The moment my mom told me he passed away, I felt like my body took on a new form. I couldn’t move. I didn’t want to move. Right at that moment I just wanted to fall over and die with him. He was my big brother. I looked up to him. He was the only one who truly understood everything I had gone through and now he was just gone.

Now, I pushed Eli and Colton away whenever they tried to comfort me. I didn’t want it and I didn’t need it. All I needed was my brother and I wasn’t getting him back.

One stupid car crash, one stupid year in one stupid coma, one “your brother has passed,” to ruin one person’s life. I was never going to be able to accept this.

“Can y’all just leave and not come back until I tell you it’s okay?” I pleaded.

“Are you sure? We can stay for you.” Colton said.

“No, just go.”

       The boys stood, looked at me with sad faces one last time, and left my room. The moment they found out about it, they were here by my side. They didn’t give me a chance to breathe or take it in. It’s like they smothered me and didn’t want me to believe it. I didn’t want to believe it, but I knew it was true.

        I slowly made my way downstairs to where my parents were sitting at the kitchen table going over funeral arrangements. My mother clutched a tissue to her nose and cried as my father told her the different plans.

Even though my brother hadn’t come around much, we all loved him very much. When he was around, he was like the sun and we all revolved around him.  When my mom couldn’t handle anymore, she pushed the folders away and left the room. I followed her into the living room and watched her practically fall into the couch. I sat behind the couch and just listened to her loud sobs for what felt like an eternity.

“Honey, wake up. You need to go up to your bed.” My dad shook me awake.

Had it all been a dream? Had I really just dreamed my brother died from the coma he has been in? Was he really still with us today? But then I heard my mom upstairs crying, and looked at my dad’s red, puffy eyes. It made it clear that, yes, in fact, Josh was dead.

Three days later, my mom, my dad, and myself stood at the entrance to Greater Life Funeral Home and accepted hugs and condolences from people we knew and barely recognized. It went by in a daze.

I took in my brother’s face one last time before they closed the casket. When the top was finally closed, I fell to the floor. I had no will power to move anymore. It didn’t take long before Eli and Colton were there, picking me up and leading me outside.

“Listen, Josh would want you to move on and live your life. I’m sure that is what he was doing his whole life. I promise you, Josh wouldn’t want you to be sitting here crying over him. He would want you to be smiling and be happy because, you know Avery, he is in a better place.

“You just need to put on that brave face. People know you miss your brother with everything that is in you, but you have to live your life, babe. Do it for Josh. Live, Love, and Laugh for Josh, Avery.” Colton firmly told me.

I knew he was right. I knew Josh and I knew that that was what he would want from not only me, but from my parents, too. He wouldn’t want us to be like this.

Colton’s POV

       The second she called, Eli and I were in the car on the way to her mom’s house. She was in hysterics and we really didn’t know how to help calm her.  She just didn’t understand that we knew how she felt. We knew how it felt to loose someone who meant the world to you, who was your rock, who you looked up to.

When we were young, we lost our father. Taking his eyes off the road for two seconds, going into a ditch, and flipping his car. We knew exactly how it felt for him to be just….gone.

We sat on the ground in front of Avery’s bed day in and day out. We listened to her cry. We put comforting arms around her. We never once said the words we knew everyone hated when something like this happened. Sorry left our lips once the whole time.

“Can y’all just leave and not come back until I tell you it’s okay?” She pleaded.

We made sure it was what she wanted and we left. I didn’t drive home, I let Eli for once. I sat in the passengers’ seat and I cried. I don’t know why, but the tears just came pouring out.

“Eli, I know where we have to go.”

Three hours later, we were following a cop car to our house in Baker. Eli and I sat in the Anderson Police Department for two hours telling them everything Tom has ever done to us. What we’ve been going through for years now. Eli broke down, just like I expected him to.

We had proof. Eli had marks on him still from one of the last incidents. Tom had got so mad because Eli had left a bowl on the table. It was the night before our mom got home. Tom’s face turned blood red and he started cussing like usual, but that night was different. Tom had actually got Eli on the ground and punched him in the face and arms and where ever he could. Eli couldn’t do anything and there was no way I could get Tom off.

When Tom finally let up, Eli was bleeding from the nose and lip, his eyes were already swelling, and I could see a bruise forming on his lower left forearm.

The cut was still on Eli’s lip. Officer Jim snapped pictures of it and the mark on his eye. He took pictures of the few bruises I had on my back and then he said it was time for us to go face Tom.

When we pulled up in front of our house, my mom and Tom came outside. The officer motioned Eli and I forward, but we made sure to stay behind him.

“Good evening, Mr. And Mrs. Gerald..” Officer Jim greeted.

“What did they do this time?” Tom snapped.

“Actually, they didn’t do anything. You did.”

      Tom’s eyes practically jumped out of the sockets. We could see him start to turn red and he started to shake. He knew we had finally cracked and we told. He had always threatened that if we ever told we would regret it, majorly.

“I’m sorry. What do you mean, Officer?” My mom asked.

“Your husband has been abusing your children for years now. We've got proof from a recent beating and a witness.” Officer Jim glanced at Eli and me. “Boys, could you show your mother what your step-dad did to you guys?”

Eli stepped forward and lifted his lip up. You could clearly see the cut. It was still puffy. Then he leaned in so she could see the indent on his eye. My mom gasped. Finally, he lifted his long shirtsleeve to the yellowing bruise on his arm.

Officer Jim motioned for me to show my mom my bruises. I lifted my shirt up and showed the big one on my back.

“I’ve seen enough.” My mom turned to Tom. “How dare you touch my kids. Who do you think you are? I want you gone.”

“We actually have to take him in. Tom Gerald, you are under arrest. Anything you do or say may and will be used in the Court of Law. You have the right to an attorney. If you can not afford one, one will be appointed to you.” He turned Tom around and hand cuffed him.

“You will regret this.” Tom said.

We watched Officer Jim walk Tom to the cop car and lower him down into the seat. “I hope you boys will be better now. Thank you for telling us about this. You all have a good afternoon.”

My mother waved to the officer as we watched the car fade in the distance.

“My boys.” She beckoned us into her embrace.