Wearing Jack's flannel, he carried me up to my front door nibbling on the lobe of my ear.
"Cut it out." I snickered trying to open the door with my gold key.
Finally I managed to unlock the door letting the two of us inside.
"Mom-" I jumped out of his arms covering my bra with the unbuttoned flannel.
"How selfish of you-" Her bloodshot eyes stared back at us.
"What'd you mean?" I stuttered looking from her eyes to the pills she holding in her hands.
"Your fathers dead California." She pursed her lips before shooting back the prescription pills.
Falling to the floor I cried the hardest I ever have. Jack knelt down next to me trying to comfort me which was next to impossible as I had never been this low in my life.
"Look at me, look at me." Jack tried his best to capture my attention.
"You need to breathe." He continued to talk not wanting me to pass out again.
"Stay with me!" He shouted as I began to flutter my eyes closed.
Jack's POV
"What's your problem?" I yelled up at California's mother who was clearly already gone.
"My husbands dead." She spoke tripping over her left foot.
"Your daughter will be too if you don't help me." I screamed at her once more getting her to cooperate.
She helped me lift California up on the sofa before pulling back the hair that draped over her face when she fell to the floor.
I watched her cry as she looked down at her passed out daughter on the couch.
"She'll wake up soon, you better throw up those pills." I spoke sternly at California's mother going to fetch a damp towel for California's forehead.
Leaving towards California's room I heard her mom stand up and leave the room as well, I searched California's cabinets for a wash cloth as I let the sink run.
I pulled out a crisp white one dampening it to place on her forehead.
I watched California's body twitch as I lightly set the cloth down before buttoning up the rest of her flannel.
"How?" I looked up at her mother who continued to shed tears.
"The medication-" She paused covering her mouth.
"It ended his life." She looked deeply at me holding onto the arm of the couch for support.
"That doesn't make any sense." I slowly stood up walking towards her.
"But it does, my husband was sick Jack." She folded her arms over her chest.
"Why didn't you tell her?" I hissed directing my attention to California sprawled out on the couch.
"We thought he'd get better." She cried reacting to my feverish temper.
"So! She had a right to know, that was her father-" My voice cut off as wet tears fell from my eyes.
"I-I'm sorry Jack."
"I could've been there for her-" I pulled at the roots of my hair.
"What'd you mean?" She asked confused.
"We didn't talk for two weeks." I fell back on the couch still coming short of explaining myself.
I watched Sarah open her mouth to say something but she soon closed it looking from me to her daughter still under, setting next to me on the couch.
