A Little Mad

Chapter 54

"I really am so sorry about the baby Mercedes...."

Mercedes gave Bruce a reassuring smile. 

"I'm taking it one day at a time. Thank you."

Bruce nodded and smiled.

"If you ever need somewhere to go... you're always welcome.."

Mercedes hugged Bruce tight.

"Thank you so much.... for just being you Bruce..." 

Mercedes looked up and saw curly hair just outside the window. 

"I think Selina is here."

Bruce laughed when they pulled away.

"She hates using the front door." 

Mercedes laughed and waved goodbye. 

"You really should stay off that leg for a while."

Mercedes sighed and nodded.

"I'll rest it when I get home I promise." 

Bruce smiled as he turned towards the window. Alfred held the front door open.

"Are you sure you'll be all right?"

Mercedes smiled.

"Alfred... you and Bruce are the sweetest... but I'll be okay I promise."

Mercedes unlocked the apartment and slowly entered. It was completely silent. She was the only one there. She walked around the apartment, staring at everything. She came to one room that held the one thing Mercedes refused to leave at the other safe house. She walked down the bookshelf, examining Jerome's music collection. It had been a while since Mercedes had come in there and played anything. She found one of her favorite Kid Rock albums. Her mood was like falling into an endless pit that you couldn't find the end of. She skipped all the way to the song Lonely Road Of Faith. The song started as she stared around the empty room. 

Up and down that lonely road of faith
I have been there
Unprepared for the storms and the tides that rise
I've realized one thing, how much I love you
And it hurts to see, see you cryin'
I believe we can make it through the winds of change

God is great indeed
If you believe, in the everlife
Yeah we gotta
Make some sense of the piece that's not defined
And if you just hold on, I won't let ya fall
We can make it through the storms and the winds of change

Mercedes couldn't make any sense of her life anymore. She thought about Jerome heavily. the only thing her mind could scream at her was Jerome is a horrible man. She thought about his child abuse and while he didn't deserve that; it was not a crutch or excuse for the man he became. Mercedes couldn't justify or rationalize Jerome. For the first time, she let what type of man Jerome was to the world sink in. She thought about the way she behaved before she got shot. She was ashamed and frightened of herself. She didn't really want to become as crazy as Jerome, but she felt her sanity was slipping anyway. She knew she was going crazy and had to find some way to keep any sanity, because the one major aspect that she couldn't rationalize; was despite everything Jerome does and the man that he is, she loves him. Mercedes gently set in the floor and her tears didn't hesitate to flow.