That Summer

Missing You

"W-What do you mean that you're not going?" Michael sat me down in the living room after the rest of his family left and my family went to their rooms that they're staying in.

"Michael with everything that has been going on recently, I think it's best that I just stay behind. It'll give me some time to get back on my feet and recuperate." Michael shook his head, sitting down next to me.

"Anna you can recuperate with me! We can get through this together sweetheart, I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy." I looked down at our intertwined hands.

"If you want to make me happy Michael then you'll just have to understand and accept my decision. Being the mother of a child who was killed, I'm going to need time to adjust. I can't go on tour with you and be shoved in the spotlight with tons of questioning about my miscarriage. I'm not saying that I won't go back on tour with you, it's only temporary Michael." I searched his eyes for some sort of sign that he accepts my decision, but I could only see resentment.

"I can't do this without you." He weakly said.

"I have faith in you Michael, just give me a few weeks for me to rejuvenate myself and get back to normal. Please, just understand why I'm doing this." I knew that he wouldn't understand completely since he didn't have this happen to him directly, but as his girlfriend and mother of his now deceased child he needs to learn how to trust my decisions.

"Who's going to be with you while I'm gone? I don't trust you staying by yourself anymore so if I'm going to understand and accept your decision then you're going to have to do the same with this." He said with sincerity.

"Aubrey is going to stay with me, you can trust her Michael. Just give it a few weeks, that's all I need." His stern expression soon softened.

"Just a few weeks?" He asked.

"Just a few weeks, and we'll go from there." Though I knew that this was the best decision, I couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness.

...

"I'll take good care of her Michael, don't worry okay?" I could hear Aubrey say from outside the bedroom door.

"I-I know Aubrey, I trust you. She's just been through so much and I'm just scared to leave her again. I'm just going to say goodbye to her and take a moment." My sleep deprived body refused to move at the sound of Michael entering our bedroom. Last night was a rough night considering I didn't sleep one bit. The stress of Michael leaving and everything with Cole's death has just taken a lot out of me.

"Anna? Baby I'm leaving soon." His gentle hands rubbed my sweatshirt covered arm.

"I know, I could hear you and Aubrey outside the door." I rolled over to see his sleep deprived face also. The thought of him having to leave after all of this was tearing me to shreds and I couldn't hold back my emotions any longer. Tears filled my eyes as I wrapped my arms around Michael and sobbed into his chest sadly.

"M-Michael, please d-don't go. St-Stay." The sound of my sobs overtook my voice.

"I want to, so badly. Please don't cry Anna, sweetheart I'll see you soon okay?" My arms didn't release him for I knew how badly I felt for letting him go without me, but I didn't have a choice.

"I love you Michael, so so much, as does Cole." I felt the feeling of Michael's warm tears roll down my exposed neck. The talk of our son was too much for him to handle and I knew that it would upset him more if we continued to talk about it.

"I will always love you Anna, and I will never stop loving you nor Cole." His loving eyes looked down at me, filling me with warmth and hope like it was the first time we'd fallen in love all over again.

"I know you do, and I don't doubt that for a second. Now go out there and heal the world like the hero you are." His soft lips pressed against mine, putting my body in a state of comfort.

"Goodbye Anna, for now." He winked before leaving me be.

"And Anna? Get some rest please, all I ask is that you take care of yourself." I nodded my head before he walked out the door. It wasn't long after that I heard him leave the house and pull out of the driveway, in that moment I knew that I was going to be empty for a very long time until we were together again.

...

Throughout the day, I didn't dare step foot out of the bedroom. I didn't want to go out and I didn't want to do anything except grieve for my child and suffer the loneliness without Michael. Aubrey came into check on me every so often, she knew that I needed to be by myself for a while after everything.

"Hey do you need anything?" She asked, waking me out of my sleep, again.

"No, I just want to be left alone but thanks Bre." I heard her sigh before walking over to my bedside and turning the light on.

"Why don't we get out of here? Maybe walk outside to get some fresh air or something?" I shook my head in response to her question, there was no way that I was going anywhere outside of this room.

"I swear to God Anna, you're becoming a recluse! Come on, I'm not taking no for an answer, we're walking outside!" She peeled the covers off of me, revealing my legs covered with a pair of baggy sweatpants. Reluctantly, I got up and made my way down the stairs with Aubrey by my side.

"Why are you making me do this Aubrey?" She opened the backdoor for me to walk out.

"Because it's good for you, a little sunshine can't hurt you." I rolled my eyes, keeping my eyes glued on the ground. She tried to make conversation but everything kept targeting back to either Cole or Michael, eventually we decided to go back inside.

"I'm going back to bed." I announced before Aubrey pulled me back to her.

"No, we're going to spend some quality best friend time together. It'll be like old times! Why don't you pick out a movie and I'll make us some popcorn and bring out some good ole junk food." I couldn't help but grin at her ambitious ways to make me feel better.

"See? There's what I want to see from now on okay?" I rolled my eyes, turning around to take a look at Michael's movie collection. Horror or Disney? I asked myself, knowing that either would make me feel better. The sun would be coming to its rest outside soon, so why not go with horror?

"What did you pick out?" Aubrey asked, making multiple trips back and forth between the kitchen and the living room.

"Well there's A Nightmare On Elm Street, Halloween II, The Thing, or Friday the 13th." I listed.

"Only you would pick out those movies." I couldn't help but crack a smile at her snide remark.

"Well it's more amusing to me to watch you jump like the scaredy cat you are." She picked up a piece of popcorn and threw it at me, missing me completely.

"Why don't we watch A Nightmare On Elm Street?" My eyes widened in surprise at her pick.

"Really? Last time we tried watching this, we were barely five minutes in and you were already screaming your head off." I chuckled, glancing between the stack of movies in my hand and her.

"Why not? I can be a risk taker!" She proclaimed falsely.

"You'll be in my bed tonight, I'm already betting on that." I walked over to the TV and slid the movie in before walking back.

"Whatever Anna." I popped a cookie into my mouth, watching the opening credits filling the screen. Times like this is when I began to miss my parents the most. I normally don't talk about them since we never had the best relationship as a family, but I guess it's okay to admit to my sadness of missing them. I think it might be time that I be more open to Michael about my family.

Hello all! I apologize for the long update, I'm trying to write as much as I can but these next few weeks are going to be tight. You know how jobs can be 😒. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!!!