Something Peculiar (Enoch O'Connor)

16. Being Strong

It wasn't until they were in the boat that the realization hit Antonia.  She looked down at her empty arms and let out a quiet sob as she realized: Reggie was dead.  Her best friend of eighty years was gone, just like that.

"I'm so sorry," Horace said as he hugged his sister.  "I know you were a lot closer to him than I was."

"Here," Jacob said as he tore off part of his coat sleeve.  "Tie this around your eye, until we can get you an eye patch or something."

She let out another sob and buried her head in her hands.  She'd lost everything; she'd lost her eye, all of her belongings, and her best friend.  The day couldn't get any worse.

She calmed down a little when she felt Enoch's arms around her, giving her a hug.  "Shh," he said to her soothingly, making everyone look at him in shock.  Never, not once, had they seen Enoch give anyone a hug and be gentle with them.  "Shh," he repeated.

She hugged him and buried her head into his shoulder as she quietly sobbed.  She wanted nothing more than for Reggie to be sitting there trying to make her feel better.  She didn't even care about her eye, all she could think about was Reggie.

Enoch gently rubber her back and held one of her hands.  "I'm so sorry," he said quietly as she let out another sob.

"Antonia," Horace said as he knelt down beside his sister.  "Look at me."

She slowly turned her head to the side, hiding her missing eye in Enoch's sweater.  

"I know it hurts.  I can't say I know how it feels, but I know it sucks.  I know you're upset, but right now you need to be strong."  He took hold of her one had that Enoch wasn't holding and gave it a reassuring squeeze.  "Once we're safe, we'll let you do whatever.  You can scream, cry, grieve, whatever it is you feel you need to do.  But right now, you need to be strong."

"Reggie is dead," she said quietly.  "I'm missing an eye.  I don't have anything left."

"That's where you're wrong.  You've got us."

She shook her head.  "No, no you need to get away from me.  Right now.  Get as far away from me as you can.  Please, I'm begging you, save yourselves."

"Antonia-"

"I'm serious!"  She tore her head from Enoch's sweater and fully looked at her brother.  "My old ymbryne? Dead!  All my old friends?  Dead!  My first boyfriend?  Dead!  Reggie?  D-E-A-D!  My eye?  Gone!  Everything bad is attracted to me, and those around me."

He shook his head.  "We're not going anywhere, and we're not letting you leave."

"Are we nothing to you?" Enoch asked in a sad but slightly angry voice.  "Are we not good enough?  You say that you have nothing, but we're all right here.  You've got your brother, and your friends.  And me, your boyfriend.  I freaking love you and you call that having nothing?!"

"Enoch, yelling at her isn't the way to go!"

"He's right," she said quietly.  She didn't know what shocked her more: That he said he loved her, or that he was screaming at her.  "I don't have nothing, I have you guys.  But Reggie, he was different.  He's been there for eighty years.  I knew Reggie better than I know Horace or Wesley, or anyone else.  He was the best friend I could ask for, and now he's gone."

"Antonia, you need to be strong for us," Enoch said as he took the strip of cloth from Jacob.  He gently covered her missing eye with the cloth and tied the two ends around her head.  "For Reggie."

She took a deep breath and nodded slowly.  "For Reggie."

"You look beautiful, by the way.  You've got a sort of bad ass look to you now."

She laughed and playfully smacked his arm.  "I know it looks bad."

"It actually doesn't."  He put his arm around her and hugged her tightly.  "You look beautiful."

"You really do," Horace said as he squeezed his sister's hand.  "Astonishing, better than myself."

"So what do you say, Antonia?" Emma asked from across the boat.  "Think you can be strong, for just a little while longer?"

Antonia slowly nodded her head, tightening the fabric knot behind her head.  "I'll be as strong as Bronwyn," she said, earning a laugh from all of her friends.