On The Edge Of Forever

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Jace

Saylin pulls me aside and sighs, “Rose wants to speak with you. She’s waiting in your office.”

“Alright, thanks.”

Saylin bites her lip and pulls me into a soft embrace, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I love you and I love Arron.”

“Honey I know,” I reply, kissing her forehead, “I love you too. Stop stressing. Just relax. Everything is okay now. Arron is fine and so is Xavier. In a few days, we’ll all be heading back home and everything will go back to normal in most ways. I actually have to speak to Rose about a few things myself. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Saylin smiles and pecks my lips lightly, “Okay. I’ll be with Rose and Xavier.”

I nod and start off toward my office. For once, the white walls of the hospice do not mock me in subdued silence. The beeps of monitors in various rooms do not dance on the most fastidious parts of my nerves, and the air in the room does not strangle me with clammy hands. My mind does not threaten to tear my apart from the inside out; no, I am at peace. Truly and utterly at peace.

My office door comes into view and I take a deep breath. Slowly, I twist the door handle and step inside. Rose is leaning against my desk and looks up when I walk in.

I’m not sure what to do with my face, so I set my lips in a meager smile. Rose sits in one of the chairs, gesturing for me to sit in the one adjacent to her. I comply and take a deep breath, “Where are the rest of you children?”

“They’re at the hotel and probably asleep. They’ve had a long day. We all have.”

I nod and run a hand through my hair, “Yes we have. I plan on going home and getting a good night’s sleep. I have to be at work tomorrow and that’s that. I’ll be around Xavier and Arron all day. Saylin said that you wanted to talk to me about something though. What was it?”

Rose bites her lip and looks up at me. A dozen emotions float through her eyes, accompanied by every sad song and tragic story ending. Dull light illuminates the darkest corners of her eyes and shadows that reside in those corners hold steadfast to somber memories. They dart to and fro, avoiding the light threatening to destroy them.

Finally, she groans and a tear slips from the prisoninous confines of her eyes, “I don’t know what to do.”

Hesitantly, I reach over and rub little circles in her back, “What do you mean?”

She coughs and continues, “I just don’t know what to do. I’m so lost… I don’t know what I’m going to do now that Louis is out of the picture. When I left, he told me not to come back. He said that he was glad to be rid of me, his children, and Jason and Arron. My little job is not going to support four kids, and I know Arron doesn’t want to live with me anymore… That’s why I said four. I mean, not to mention that Jason graduates soon and he’ll probably be leaving. He has the brains to go to college and I really hope that he does.  I don’t want him to make the same mistakes I have and still am making. I don’t want any of them to struggle along.”

Sobs overtake her words and she slumps forward. Painful memories find sanctuary in the river of tears flowing in unbroken currents out of her eyes. In one quick motion, I pull Rose tightly into my arms and hold her against my chest. Her sobs transform into dull whimpers and staggered breaths. I close my eyes and continue gently rubbing her back. Rose catches her breath once more and sits up, wiping away the stray tears, “I’m sorry for that. Thank you though.”

I place a hand on her shoulder, “It’s okay. Everyone has to let something out. You don’t have to worry about that now though, Rose. I’m going to pull some strings and get you and Jason both a job up here. I own a house that you can rent and the school is maybe 3 miles away. I am not going to let anything happen to you or any of your children. They don’t deserve that,” I pause and grab her chin, forcing her eyes to catch mine, “And you don’t deserve that either.”