Your Christmas Bonus is here and you'll finally know what Casey promised Carla. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Happy birthday to my little sis. You'll always be annoying but you'll always be stuck with me. Love ya sis, here's the shoutout you've always wanted. @grumpyprincess
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I watched Adam closely. His gaze was still trained on the same spot for the last 5 minutes and I was honestly growing worried. I mean, I am worried but I was starting to go into a panic attack if he doesn't move soon.
A few hours ago, the hospital called Adam to inform him that Carla passed on and the news broke him. A lump was lodged in my throat ever since, I wanted to cry and grief for Adam but I knew I had to be strong for him.
He needed a support and between the two of us, he was the one who lost his mother and I was the only one there that wasn't sobbing her eyes out so I was currently comforting the whole Jones' family.
Pio was seating on my lap with his head tucked under my chin and I could feel the tears dribble onto my shirt softly. I couldn't bring myself to care about it though, the crying little boy was the only thing in my mind right now and I couldn't be bothered to care about anything else than to be a line that this family can cling onto right now, no matter how thin.
Cali was on my other side, her small hands locked around my waist and her head on my chest while she buried her face into my shirt and sobbed loudly. I was still stroking her hair silently as she cried. My fingers were treading into her locks and smoothing them while my other hand was holding onto Pio's small body close to mine.
All the while, my lips were sealed shut while they were pressed against Pio's forehead, trying to offer them some kind of comfort. Jerry was somewhere in the house, wanting to be left alone for a little while and Preston was in his room, with music blasting out of it.
I knew what he was trying to do since I used to do the same thing all the time after Bryant's death. Turn the music up so high to make sure that it will drown out your cries and prevent your sobs to sought out to anyone in the other side of the door.
Adam was sitting on the other end of the couch, not wanting to leave me alone to handle his younger siblings and yet needing some space. I didn't want to drag him out of his thoughts so I didn't bother object.
Even when the whole room was silent, with only the sobs and sniffles of the kids, my thoughts was racing with things popping up. I hated feeling like this, so useless. So I conjured up a to-do list. It was the only thing I could do and it consisted of all the dramas in my life.
Finally, after making up a mental list of all my problems, I crossed out Penelope and fighting and dragged my conflict with Sonia all the way down to the bottom of the list.
It was the least of my problems and I couldn't find it in me to care if some police officer barged into the house and arrest me this second.
I was so tired.
The thing that was on top of my list is surprisingly not Dom or Quentin or baldy, not even annoying ol' scowl-face.
The only thing I can actually think of and focus on is Carla's last wish that she reminded me of that day in the hospital.
I took the small wrinkled paper out of the pocket of my jacket and opened it slowly. It was a small piece of paper and inside was a series of number that didn't make sense to me.
Why would Carla want to give me this? What do these numbers even mean?
Nevertheless, I remembered what I promised her and my gaze flickered to an immobile Adam that was still staring straight ahead and into nothingness.
My hand that was holding Pio reached out to him when I heard that the children's cries have ceased into soft snores and breathing. I let my fingers graze his shoulder cautiously and when I saw that he remained motionless, I let my hand land on his shoulders and rub them softly.
"Adam," I whispered softly and he turned to me, his eyes emotionless and the sight of those eyes without that familiar gleam made me wince. It was painful to watch him lose that shine in his eyes but the pain was worse when he won't even let me comfort him.
"Adam, your mother gave me this a week before she passed, she told me to give it to you. She told me that you'll know what to do with it," I whispered softly, trying not to wake the little ones up and let them rest from the amount of tears they've shed.
In a flash, Adam had the paper in his hands and his eyes were skimming the numbers before he pursed his lips and helped me by getting off the couch and shifted Cali into his arms.
He motioned me to follow him with his head, the piece of papers still tucked between his fingers while he held Cali's frail body in his arms. I got off the couch slowly, trying not to wake Pio up, setting my hands under him and my other hand holding his head to my shoulder.
We walked up the stairs and tucked the unconscious children into their bedrooms before following the hallways down to a small room that was left unlocked.
Paintings with different themes were hung on the walls and Adam led me in deeper into the small room before taking a painting of a boat stuck in a storm in the middle of the open sea off the wall and settled it down carefully on the floor beside his feet.
"This is my mom's studio. She had a passion for painting and used to spend majority of her time in here before she fell sick," he croaked. He cleared his throat but didn't bother saying anything else. It was the first words that he has said to me after finding out that his mother had passed and I wasn't going to interrupt in case he wanted to sputter out another few words.
It was a give or take and I'd take whatever I can if it meant having him talk again.
Behind the painting was a safe box inside rectangular hole that seemed to be measured accordingly to the size of the safe box. Adam didn't waste any time and started pressing the numbers that were written on the paper to open up the box.
I waited with my hands above my heart, trying to calm my breathing and assure myself that nothing was going to jump out of there and bite our heads off.
When the safe clicked open, Adam pulled the door wide open and inside laid papers; pictures, letters and more pictures.
Each was addressed to different people with their names written on top of the envelope and pictures were piled on the other side of the safe, pictures of Adam with his siblings when they were younger or recent pictures that they took before the sickness started affecting Carla.
Adam grabbed the pictures first, going through them and I could see that tears were starting to prick his eyes. I didn't want to intrude into memory lane so I stood there awkwardly as his eyes scanned each and every one of them, drinking up the pictures and his mother appearance in each of the pictures.
A stray tear escaped his eyes and he was quick to wipe it away. He took out the letters next, his eyes going through the names on them before they stopped on two of them.
I was about to look away, wanting to walk out of the room and leave him to it for a while but a hand that was holding one envelope stopped me. My eyes, full with surprise, caught Adam's while my fingers gently took the plain white envelope from him.
Above it, my name was written in calligraphy. I stared at it for a moment before turning it and prying the letter open as carefully as I could. Inside, I found a small pendant and a folded paper.
I took the pendant first, the emerald stone sat on the middle, catching the light from one of the bulbs on the ceiling. I dropped it inside the envelope again before taking out the folded paper next.
With a deep breath, I opened the letter and started reading through.
My dear Casey,
By the time you read this, I'm probably on my death bed. I'm sorry to leave you with my despaired family to deal with but I beg of you to remember what you promised me.
In case you forgot, you promised me that you won't leave them to fend for themselves during their time of grief. You promised me to be you and be the light in this dark moment.
I know that you've experienced the pain of losing someone dear to you so I beg of you, dear child, help them; help me.
I hope that you realize that you are a part of our family the second that you stepped through that door. My son is head over heels for you, you've got him wrapped around your fingers and from what I saw; you don't even know how deep his love is for you.
He cares for you, Cassandra, and I don't mind because I know that you're a great woman and you will make a great mother someday.
I see how my young ones are around you and how much you care about them. You will make a wonderful mother, I can feel it.
And I want to thank you for being there for my Adam right now and for the money you've slipped in my room to help pay the bills of my medications. You might not know it but I was never asleep when you would drop by and slip the money inside the hospital room.
Thank you for helping us with the bills but I fear that it was too late for me. Thank you for trying, for giving me more time with my children and husband.
The pendant inside the envelope along with this letter was something my grandmother gave to me as a child when I deliberately risked my life to save someone else. She told me that this was some sort of recognition of my bravery that day because no one else was there to witness the incident.
I don't know where you gained that much money but thank you. Maybe you risked your life in getting that money but then again, maybe you didn't. Nevertheless, you did something that not all people would do and you deserve this pendant.
I know it's not much but I held it close to my heart since the day my grandmother gave it to me. I hope you will cherish it as much as I did.
Thank you Casey, I know you will keep your promise. Be patient with them, they aren't the easiest family to deal with but they are good people. I wish you a happy life, may God be with you for the rest of your life and even after that.
Love,
Carla
Needless to say, tears escaped my eyes and I immediately took off the necklace I was wearing to slip in the pendant. The necklace didn't have any pendant on it before the emerald stone and I only wore it because it used to be Bryant's so it was a perfect way to keep the stone safe.
'I will literally keep it close to my heart, Carla.' I thought silently while caressing the beautiful green pendant, so small yet is worth a million lives.
~•~•~
I hope you guys like the chapter and guys, I've been receiving a lot of comments on your dislike about the turn of events in the previous chapter and some of you even asked for a resurrection.
I'll say this once, I won't be resurrecting Carla. I really am sorry for the twist but yeah..
I still love you guys, even if it comes to the point of you calling me a bitch for writing out Carla's death.
Anyways, I'll be making an instagram soon to start interacting more with you guys. I'll notify you on the next update which might take a little longer than Saturday but I'll try to finish the update as soon as I can.
I love y'all and stay awesome. God bless -J