My mind is reeling, unshed tears forming in my eyes before I force them away.Don’t do that,I scold myself as Blue opens the main door and leads us inside.They’re fine. Your dad and sister are fine.
They have to be.
They are all I have left.
Blue hits the button for the elevator, and we stand in silence for a few seconds before she leads me over to the stairwell. I stop at the door, turning to face her and let her know she doesn’t need to stay with me, but the look she gives me lets me know she isn’t going anywhere.
“I don’t mind staying till he gets here,” she tells me in response to the look I give her. She gives my hand a gentle squeeze before we make our way up the five flights of stairs.
Her hand in mine is the only thing keeping me grounded, the only reason I haven’t completely gone off the rails. I continue the mantra in my head as we ascend.They’re fine, they’re fine, they’re fine.Today will be the day Neve and I bicker about whose turn it is to do the dishes before arguing about who gets to pick what we watch, only for Claire to come in and decide for us. Today will be the day I tell my father about Travis leaving rehab, our confrontation, and that I am officially raising my little girl on my own.
And that I’ll need all the help, love and support I can get.
Blue pushes the door open for the fifth floor, the two of us exiting the stairwell. We turn the corner and pull open the door for my hallway, my eyes staying downcast on the dark blue carpet.
Blue pulls us to an abrupt stop and I glance up, suddenly wishing that I hadn’t. My eyes land on two uniformed officers standing outside the door to my apartment. She squeezes my hand as they turn around to face us, Blue trying to give me some comfort as I fixate on the sympathy covering the police man’s faces.
“Are you Marlowe Reyes?” The taller officer asks.
I stand there quiet, numb and frozen, unable to answer. It feels like cement has found its way into my throat, and I’m suddenly sinking in quicksand. I attempt to swallow, clear my throat, but nothing comes out. Blue wraps an arm around my shoulders before she looks at the two men who are waiting for a response.
“She is,” she answers for me in a whisper.
“Can we go inside?” He directs the question at Blue.
She grabs the keys out of her pocket and leads us over to the officers, moving to stand in front of them to get the door open. She quickly wraps her arm back around me and walks me inside, gesturing to the officers to follow us in.
Blue guides me over to the couch and sits me down, and it feels like everything is moving in slow motion. It’s like I have no control over my body, like I’m floating above myself. She sits down next to me, our knees touching as she faces me, holding both of my hands tightly between her own as I stare straight ahead.
The officer that spoke outside sits down on the leather chair I have next to the couch and across from the saucer chair while his partner stands behind him, his arms crossed in front of hischest. Something about his demeanor causes me to raise a brow. He doesn’t look like he’s here to deliver bad news. That’s got to be good, right?
“Ms. Reyes, there’s no easy way for me to tell you this,” he says, the sadness that laces his voice causing tears to spring to my eyes as my spine stiffens. “But your father and sister were in a car crash last night. I regret to inform you that they didn’t make it.”
I hear Blue take in a sharp breath as her hands tighten around mine. I subconsciously nod, trying to wrap my head around what he had just told me.
“Okay,” I say after a minute of silence while all three of them stare at me. “So, when can I go see them?”
“Mar,” Blue whispers, squeezing my hands to bring my focus to her, but I keep my eyes on the officer.
“Ms. Reyes, they didn’t make it,” he repeats as the other officer takes a small step forward, his arms falling to his sides.
I scoff as I shake my head, abruptly leaping to my feet and catching everyone off guard. “My dad is coming to take my sister and I to lunch soon, so I better go get ready. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave.”
I turn on my heel and walk down the hallway, heading straight for Neve’s room. Stopping outside her door, I knock twice and wait a few seconds as only silence greets me.
“Neve, come on, wake up,” I say as I open the door. I glance up once I’m inside and notice that her bed is empty, still made, showing no signs that someone had slept in it last night.
I slowly back up, my eyebrows furrowed together as I quietly close the door as if I am afraid of waking someone up.
Making my way back into the living room, I notice Blue standing by the couch. She slowly makes her way over to me, her hands slightly extended as if I’m a wild, cornered animal. She puts a hand on my arm, her other hand gripping my own as shetries to lead me back to the couch, but I stay rooted to the spot, unmoving.
“She must have stayed with a friend last night,” I say to no one in particular, my eyes finding a clump of dog hair on the rug. I stare at it, using it as a lifeline, my mind unable to stay on one train of thought for over two seconds. “But I still need to get ready.”
“Marlowe,” Blue pleads, tugging gently on my arm. When I look up at her, I see the silent tears streaming down her face.
I stop fighting her for a moment, feeling as if I’m finally coming back into my own body. Blue puts her hands on my shoulders, shaking her head as she wraps her arms around me, holding on tightly as she whispers into my ear.
“I’m so sorry, baby.”
