Heaven Help Us

Checklist

RAIN’S POV

“Are you sure, Jepharee? You have everything?”

“Yes, mommy!” He glared. “I went through the list!”

I rolled my eyes a little. “Let’s go through it again. Remember when you almost forgot Batman?”

He stuck out his bottom lip in a pout for a moment, before he drew it back in to chew on it nervously. “I can’t forget Batman.” He said softly.

His eyes flew back up to me and he grabbed my hand. “Let’s go check the list again!”

I laughed and went with him to check the list and his suitcases.

“Okay, you read the list, and I’ll check, sound good?” I asked.

“Yes,” He said, hugging Batman tightly to his side and sitting on his bed.

“Alright, go ahead and start reading it.”

“Canvas?” He said.

“Yeah, you have a lot of canvas in here. How much painting are you going to be doing?”

“Uncle Gerard said to take extra just in case.”

“I guess Uncle Gerard is right, then. He knows more about painting than I do.”

“Paints? Acrylics, water based and regular?”

“Check.”

“Paintbrushes?”

“Check.”

“Sketchbooks?”

“Yeah.”

“Drawing pencils?”

“Yep.”

“That’s all that’s in that suitcase, Mommy. It’s full anyway,” He said, switching lists.

I closed it and zipped it, making sure everything would be alright.

“Next list.” I told him.

“Okay.” He said.

I waited, looking at the suitcase full to the top of shirts.

“Okay.” He repeated.

I looked over at him. “Jepha, what are you doing?”

“Uncle Raven walked by.” He said simply. “Case of shirts?”

“Yeah, this looks pretty good.”

“Case of pants?”

Another suitcase, full of pajama bottoms and pants for him.

“Yeah,” I said again.

“Case of…Mommy, what’s this word?” He pointed his little finger at a word.

“Bedding.”

“Bedding?”

“Yeah, we have your bedding. Your Batman blankets, sheets, pillows, the works, Jeph.”

“Oh. Alright.” He jumped off of his bed, still clutching Batman, and ran out of the room.

“Hey! No, get back in here, mister! You have to help take your stuff to the car!” I called after him.

“Nooooo!” I got in response. “I gotta say goodbye to Uncle Raven!”

“Uncle Raven’s going to be with us while we head over to the buses, Jepharee!”

“I don’t care!”

“That kid,” Dante came into the room, smiling.

“Yeah,” I sighed, leaning down to pick up his suitcases.

“Here, I’ll help with that. I just took mine down, and a couple of yours.” He told me, grabbing Jeph’s art and shirt suitcases.

“Thanks, Dante. You’re a life saver, you know that?”

He just grinned and followed me down the stairs. We piled Jeph’s suitcases in the back of our van and made sure they were labeled correctly.

“Alright, well, let’s get Jeph and Raven.” I said.

I chased down Jeph, who giggled so much it should have been illegal; it was so adorable.

After I got him in his car seat, Raven sitting next to him, discussing art and music.

Jeph was holding my hand subconsciously, as we drove to Sunset again.

When we pulled in, I could see the Black Veil Brides bus, black background, the boys’ faces and logo on the sides, but they themselves were nowhere to be seen. Next to it was Picture Me Broken’s bus, their logo painted onto the side. Brooklyn and Shaun stood outside of it, talking. I could see Jimmy go inside the bus, following Austin. Death To You’s new bus was fucking huge. You could tell it was gonna be luxurious as fuck.

“Mommy! Look, it’s Uncle Jinxx, and Uncle Ashley, and Uncle CC, and Uncle Jake! Oh. My. God. Mom! It’s Andy Biersack!” He said in awe. “Will I get to meet him, Mommy? Will I?”

“Maybe,” If he’s not being a drunken dick. I forced out a smile for my son’s sake.

Our son.

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