Fraying Edges

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Ruby Grayson went back home for Madeline's burial. Her mind was overwhelmed with her constant shuttling between college and her house. She could feel the very distant dizziness, but she drowned it out.

Madeline was buried a few days after her death. Ruby attended the burial with her family, partly as a form of courtesy and partly because even if Madeline had come into their lives in a flurry of negative happenings, she was still human. And God loved both the good and bad equally.

The burial had taken place the day before and it was still all fresh in everyone's mind. But Amara was having dinner with them, her fiancee included, so they all smiled and put on happy faces.

"So, the first time I went to Nigeria after years, I spotted this pretty lady with amazing high puff, and guess what?" - he didn't wait for anyone to guess - "she turned out to be my ex school mate. Being the fine guy that I am, I walked up to her and from that moment, we clicked." This brought out laughter from everyone on the table.

Prince's story of how he met Amara seemed to elicit pure joy. He could pass off as a comedian. Except for his harsh accent, you wouldn't know he wasn't an African-American. He was chocolatey and lively, a sure match for the feisty Amara.

As the day began to evaporate behind dull skies, never to return the same again, James came in to her room. It had been confirmed that they could adopt him, and a lot of paperwork had been done so he had moved in with the Grayson's the week before. But, he would keep his old surname.

He came in silently, dropped a piece of folded paper, and slipped out as quietly as he had come.

She opened the note with puzzlement and read the words written with sloppy handwriting.

To Ruby,

I'm most likely dead by the time you are reading this note.

I don't know why, but I have never really been good at expressing myself enough with words, but I'll try. I want you to not hold me to how I walked into your lives. I could see pain in your eyes the first time you opened that door for me. I saw it because you reminded me of my younger self. The only difference is that you are responsible, and I have never really been. I pray you do great with this thing called life. Cheers! Please love James as a brother, teach him to never be like me. Help him to be better. This will probably not mean much, but I truly am sorry.

Goodbye.

Yours sadly, Madeline.

Balling up her hand, she fought back the waves of anger that slammed her. She squeezed the paper and threw it across her room. She would forgive her, but it would take a very long while for her to forget.

The next day she finally settled in back in her college apartment. It was a Monday morning and her classes were by ten a.m., which meant she had three hours left to get ready.

She picked up her painting supplies that had been lying around with shaky hands, and she did what she had not done for a long, long while. She painted. Swift and hungry were her strokes. Brush connecting readily with the canvas. She painted till the sky turned bright. Catherine stopped at her doorway - she could feel it - but she was too deep in her world to spare her a glance.

She painted what she felt as accurately as she could. She added color to her dark world. Red, blue and shades of brown decorated the dark wasteland that she always seemed to associate herself with. Colorful and artful, dark and beautiful it was, and it gave her intense fulfillment that she had finally actualized it with her gifted hands.

She was frayed, but the whole part of her, the part untouched, was the important part right then. And she clung to it with her remaining sanity.

A/N

Finally! Here's the last chapter. It probably needs to be worked on and it is very short, but I am very glad I'm over and done with Fraying Edges!

Please don't forget to vote and comment!

The epilogue will be posted soon and that'll be it. 

Love y'all!

Mackenzie the 2nd. . . Out. . .