The Stoic And The Beast

Make Room For Two

Alicia's POV

It's been a week since the funeral. I'm standing in the driveway of my childhood home. I stare at my house as I've never seen it before. It didn't feel like my home anymore. I felt the squeeze of Jake's hand in mine. This is the first time I've been back here since the day they died.

"I promise that there isn't anything inside that'll give you an idea that something happened to them in there. I spared no expense in having it cleared. The crew even installed new carpets and flooring. There are newly painted walls and a couple of new doors but other than that, everything is the same as the last time you saw it." Jake soothed me with his words.

"I need to go inside Jake. I need to reclaim my home. I need to decide if I want to stay here to raise the baby or sell it." I explained.

"I understand babe. Let's go in. I'll be right beside you."

We walked to the front door and I put the key in the lock. I unlocked it and pushed the door open. A waft of fresh paint hit my nose along with the familiar scent of my home. Strawberries and creme. It was my mom's favorite air freshener. It reminded me of her and how much I loved this house. I forgot all about how my house smelled because I had been away for a while. For me, it had been about two weeks since I had last been here. I let go of Jake's hand and stepped inside. I looked to my right where the kitchen table was. That's the last place I saw my mom. The memory of her face was etched in my mind. For now, I could still remember her. Everything looked the same in the kitchen except for the new paint color and the old cracked linoleum flooring was replaced with new wood laminate flooring. I looked to my left where the sofa once sat. It was gone. The old brown carpeting was replaced with a new tan one. The coffee table was still there along with all the other furniture but no sofa. My dad's favorite place to sit was gone.

"Jake? Where's the sofa?" I questioned.

"They couldn't umm... clean it." He said hesitantly.

I nodded my head in understanding.

"The upstairs is untouched. Nothing happened upstairs."

"Oh, okay." I breathed.

So my parents fought for their lives right here where I'm standing. They died right here in these two rooms. I felt my stomach lurch so I ran to the sink in the kitchen. I waited for a few minutes to see if I was going to lose my lunch but thankfully I kept it down. I had already lost my breakfast due to morning sickness.

"You okay Alicia?" Jake asked while rubbing my back.

I nodded. "I'm fine."

I pushed myself away from the sink and went upstairs. The stairs no longer squeaked. I stopped at about five steps up. The fifth stair used to make the worst noise of all. Yet it was silent.

"The steps," I muttered.

"What about them?" Jake asked.

"They're not making any noise."

I felt that ugly ball of sadness forming in my throat.

"Did they before? The crew must have fixed them."

"Did they need to be fixed? I mean. They were noisy but I loved that about this house. It's a memory. One that I enjoyed."

I found myself sort of yelling at Jake. I instantly felt bad for being angry with him. It wasn't his fault. How could he have known?

"I'm sorry Jake. I didn't mean to get upset with you. It's just that..."

"It's okay. I understand. Some things need to stay how they are. I get it. I refused to let anyone empty my mom's room or touch her things for five years after she died." Jake looked down at the floor.