“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.The party get too much for you?”
I nodded.“I, uh, just thought …” I stopped, not sure how to tell him why I had left.
“You wanted to get away from a crowd of strangers being loud as fuck because you’re grieving.”
I swallowed.“Yeah,” I replied softly.
“Understood.I don’t blame you.”
While I wanted to read the letter, I also wasn’t in a rush for Forge to leave.
“I’ll leave you to your peace,” he said, then turned to walk away.
The urge to call out something to stop him was there, but I didn’t.He should be downstairs with his family.I wasn’t his concern.
Closing the door, I went back to the seat and got comfortable before reading Calvin’s letter.
Elsie,
I’m not sure how long these emails will take to get to you.But I hope it’s fast.
I’ve been worried about you since I left.Keeping my focus on this set is difficult.I wish I could hear your voice.That would help.But your safety is more important.
Things are going smoothly for the most part here.You’d love it.I can’t wait until you can visit.Hopefully, that day comes sooner rather than later.
Oz and the rest of the family will do what they can to get your life back.Trust me on that.This might not be what you wanted, but it’s better than the alternative.
In other news, Miley and Ned broke up.You were right.They were having issues on the trip.Seems Ned accused Miley of cheating and has proof.I don’t know.They always had drama anyway.Sucks though since they were such good friends before they hooked up.It’ll make the friend group awkward now.
Eh, you probably don’t want to hear all that.But I wanted to give you a little distraction.Information from the outside.
Everyone misses you.They are worried about you and send their love.Hettie and Jojo planted a tree at the park your mom loved in your parents’ memory.They wanted me to tell you.
Their funeral will be closed to the public and heavily guarded.I thought you’d want to know.It’s at an undisclosed location, and I’m not sure when it is happening.The media doesn’t have any more information than that.
I sucked in a deep breath, held it, then let it out slowly before continuing to read.
I miss you, Elsie.More than you know.I think about you all the time.
Write me back as soon as you get this.Let me know how you are.
Love ya,
Calvin
Placing the letter in my lap, I lifted my gaze to stare at the darkening sky.My chest felt hollow.The void crept in on me.My parents were gone.Dead.They would have a funeral that I couldn’t attend.They’d be lowered into the ground, and I wouldn’t be there to tell them goodbye.Yet another goodbye I was being robbed of.
I would write him back, but not tonight.I couldn’t right now.I tried to think about the other things he’d said in the letter.I tried to care about my friends and their breakup, but I just didn’t.I was numb.
“I miss you too,” I whispered to the empty room.
I missed the life that I’d had.The people in it that I loved.
It would never be the same.Not without my parents.I would never be the same.
Who was I now?Without the three people in my life who defined me.The three people I could always count on.Calvin wasn’t dead, but we had both known his life was about to change.He’d been given an internship, working on a set for a television show coming to Netflix.I was still trying to get my degree in finance.Or I had been.
