Don't Leave Us (Book Three in the Don't Leave Series) (Watty Awards 2014)

Chapter Eight: Your Bones

Chapter 8

The phone rings as Phoenix and I were laying on the couch together. His eyes were blankly staring at the TV, even though I doubted he was watching. He was only one month old, after all.

"Hello?" Chris said from the kitchen as she answered the phone. There was a silence and I could hear the phone fall onto the floor. Phoenix moved his head to see what was going on in the kitchen and I could hear Chris's strangled sobs as she stumbled towards us. 

"Chris, what's wrong?" I ask, sitting up with Phoenix looking at his mother with a confused expression, or what seemed like a confused expression. 

"Tyler... he was found in a d-ditch with a bullet t-through his neck and s-stab wounds along his body..." she cried. My eyes widened. Tyler was dead? No. This isn't happening. This is some sick and twisted joke someone tried to put on my family. Chris stumbled up the stairs and to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. I could hear the rustling through draws and the sound of someone loading a gun. 

My eyes widened. 

I set Phoenix in his play pen and quickly run up the stairs one second too late.

The gun. Goes. Off. 

I scream as loud as I could, slamming my body into the bathroom door repeatedly. This wasn't happening. My family is not dying. I couldn't be alone in this house. I can't be alone. 

"CHRIS!" I start to scream louder and louder, slamming my body into the door as I cried.

"CHRIS PLEASE," I wailed, slamming into the door one last time. The door busts open and my eyes find Chris's blood leading to my shoe. I follow the trail to her head as it bleeds on the floor. I cover my mouth with my hands, tears falling down my face.

"No..." I cry, slipping my face into my hands. "No..."

And in that moment, I swore I felt a hand on my shoulder and a whisper in my ear.

"I'm okay."

***************

Sitting at a double funeral with a crying child in my arms was not my ideal moment of fun that day. As Tyler AND Chris were both put into the ground, their son cried so loud. He didn't know what was going on, yet he knew his mother was not alive anymore. 

I cried silently in the back, knowing I'd have to adopt my "nephew" and raise him as my own child. Diana hadn't visted me since the day Mat died, and I didn't mind. I didn't even know the reason why she decided to visit me instead of Tris anyways, but it happens sometimes where things go unexplained. 

Phoenix fell asleep shortly after the funeral, and I drove home in the silence. I played the old CD's Tyler and I used to listen to in the car, the music slowly coming through my speakers as more tears decided to fall. 

As I came to a red light, I couldn't hold back anymore emotion. I slammed my fist onto the steering wheel, crying loudly into my arm. Someone honked behind me but I didn't want to move. 

This was the spot Tyler was killed. 

***************************

Phoenix was lying on my chest and Reegan was over too with Mathew. The little tike was running around the living room, playing with Phoenix's toys and chewing on his shoes. 

"You doing okay, Dad?" she asks, patting my back. I had finished crying before she came, but it was still hard to hold back some of the salty tears. I nod hesitantly.

"Somewhat," I sigh, rubbing Phoenix's back softly as he yawned. Reegan smiles sadly as she watched the baby cuddle into my chest.

"Chris was going to be such a good mom," she whispered, brushing some hair out of Phoenix's eyes. I nod.

"She was. I've taken up father and mother for both of them now." I didn't want to admit it, but having Phoenix as now my son was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Tyler and Chris both left the world without warning and my heart was wounded badly already from Mat's death still. 

Mathew walked over to Reegan, pulling on her jeans.

"Mommy?" he mumbled, looking up at her. He looked so much like Mat, the resemblance was over bearing. He had his eyes, and his nose, but you could tell by the smile that he was Mat's grandson. 

"Yes, baby?" Reegan said, picking Mathew up and sitting him on her lap. Mathew's pokes her stomach lightly.

"When is sissy going to be born?" My ears perk up.

"Sister?" I ask. Reegan smiles.

"Yeah. A little girl." Reegan looks down at her stomach before replying to Mathew that it would be a while before his new sister would be here. Mathew nodded and looked towards me.

"Hi grandpa," he smiled. I smiled back at him.

"Hey kiddo," I whisper, pushing back some of his long black hair from his face. Mathew looks towards Phoenix and points at him.

"Is that what sissy will look like?" he asks, looking up at Reegan. Reegan nods and pushes his hand down.

"Yes and I've told you it's impolite to point," she replies. I smile. 

If only it was this simple.