One phone call.
That's all it took.
All it took for her world to shatter into a million pieces.
Gone.
He was simply gone.
She couldn't hear the others asking her what's wrong as the phone slipped from her hand.
She could only her heart pounding in her ears.
He was gone.
" Cara?" A gentle voice broke her from her thoughts momentarily.
" Albert....he's gone." She whispered so quietly she could scarcely hear herself. But everyone did. Sky pulled her trembling body into his arms. JoJo sat next to her, holding onto her hand. Bexley sat next to Josh, who sat silent. The five of them sat on the floor, not saying anything.
Cara didn't cry. She didn't know how.
oOOo
Cara could hear JoJo on the phone with Ben. She could hear his worried voice from across the room. Sky and Bexley had run to talk to Mr. Calhoun about getting some time off. Josh sat next to Cara, holding onto her as if she were a small child. She basically was at that point.
Sky and Bexley entered the room, causing JoJo to basically jump out of her skin.
Cara smiled at that.
Just a little.
" He said that you can have as much time off as you need. And that we can take a few days off to go with you." Sky sat on the bed. Josh released her so she could fall into Sky's grip. Cara nodded.
" I've already booked tickets, we'll leave tomorrow morning." Bexley said as Josh sat next to her on the opposite bed.
" Ben said he'll meet us there." JoJo nodded.
" Tell him to turn around. He can't miss rehearsal." Cara shook her head.
" It's Ben, I couldn't stop him from coming." JoJo replied.
" And plus, we care about you. And we don't want you or your family going through any of this alone." JoJo knelt in front of her, gripping her hand. Cara nodded.
oOOo
The cast came by, one by one. People stop in, say a few words, then slide back out.
Melissa and Steve stopped by with Wren. The little girl immediately climbed onto the bed to cuddle with Cara. Cara welcomed it, loving Wren to death.
Chaz stopped by with fresh macaroni and cheese from a restaurant down the road, knowing it was one of Cara's favorite comfort foods. Cara almost cried when he gave it to her.
Nick arrived with her favorite type of crappy German chocolate from the store. He explained that he fought through thick and thin to get it for her, earning a smile in response.
oOOo
" Cara. You ready?" Sky walked into the room.
" Yea." Cara replied quietly, grabbing her bag. He held his hand out to her, and she took it, letting him lead her out the door.
A handful of the cast had gathered in the lobby. They said quiet goodbyes and gave her tight hugs. She appreciated it, a lot actually.
With that they all loaded into an Uber, heading to the airport.
Cara stayed quiet for the most part, as did JoJo. Which worried the others too. Albert was her cousin after all, even if they never got the chance to meet.
The two girls sat side by side on the chairs while the others split off with missions in mind. Most likely consisting of food and Advil.
The plane ride was only around three hours. The group slept most the way there. The got off the plane and gathered their luggage, calling another Uber to pick them up.
They walked up to the door of Cara's house, still quiet. She slowly raised her fist to knock, pausing millimeters from the door. JoJo reached forward, resting her hand on Cara's shoulder. Cara sighed, gently raping her fist against the wood of the door.
After a few moments, the door swung open. On the other side stood a girl, closer to 17, her eyes were wide and puffy. She almost mirrored Cara in all ways aside from her hair color and length.
" Cara." She whispered, pulling her into a tight hug.
" Come inside, mother should be down soon." Anni opened the door for the rest of them to enter. They walked into the parlour. They could hear a woman speaking softly down the hall.
" Karl is heading back now." Anni said softly, Cara nodded in response. A few moments later a woman whom also resembled Cara came down the hall, pulling Cara into a hug.
(Italics will be German)
" It's good to have you home." She murmured.
" Good to be home." Cara nodded.
" Will you be staying?" Anni took a step forward.
" No, my job is on the tour. And please speak English, they don't understand." Cara begged quietly.
" That's the point, my dear." Her mother replied.
" Mother, this is my boyfriend Sky, and my dear friends JoJo, Ben, Josh, and Bexley." Cara turned to her friends. JoJo flashed her a silent question in which Cara silently shook her head.
" Guys, this is my mother Greta and my sister Anni." Cara stated.
" You will call me Mrs. Bachmann." She gave Sky an unapproving look.
" Yes ma'am." Ben nodded.
" You should date him, he's polite." Greta said to her daughter. JoJo bit back a laugh when she heard that.
" Ben is dating JoJo, and I'm quite happy with Sky." Cara said, rather annoyed with her mother's behavior.
" If you say so." Greta rolled her eyes.
" Let me show you to your rooms." Anni broke the tension before it could start. The others welcomed the idea, walking down the hall, leaving Cara with her mother. Sky casted her a glance as he past. She sent him a soft smile and a nod.
" I must apologize for my mother's behavior." Anni started once they were out of earshot.
" She changed after my brothers left, and now that we've lost Albert..." Anni trailed off.
" We're very sorry." Bexley rested a hand on her shoulder.
" Thank you." She whispered.
" Um, this is Cara's room, which you girls can share with her," Anni gestured to a door to her left," And this is the guest room which the boys can share." She pointed to the door to her right.
Cara came up the stairs, looking quite unhappy.
" What did she say?" Anni asked.
" Don't bother with the German, An. She can understand." Cara nodded to JoJo. Anni turned to JoJo, looking rather confused.
" We're evidently 3rd cousins." Cara leaned heavily into Sky.
" Nice to meet you, cousin." Anni smiled lightly.
" You as well. It's upsetting to meet under these circumstances though." JoJo sent her a gentle smile, which Anni simply nodded to.
" She basically went on about how I'm not living up to her expectations and yadda-yadda-yadda." Cara rolled her eyes.
" That sounds about right." Anni nodded.
" Why don't you guys get unpacked, supper will be in about half an hour and then father might be home." Anni said, taking her cue to leave.
They split off into the separate rooms before all gathering in Cara's room. Sky sat next to Cara in her bed as she leaned against him. Bexley leaned against the headboard of her bed, while Josh laid his head against her stomach. She casually ran her fingers through her hair. Ben sat in one of the armchairs with JoJo in his lap.
" Is she always like that?" JoJo finally asked.
" Not always, but after my brothers left, she changed." Cara shook her head. Nobody replied to that.
" We should probably head down to dinner." Bexley looked down at the clock.
" Yes." Cara nodded in agreement.
" Jo, do you mind if I don't tell her we're related yet? I think her heart could handle the shock and then she might be sent into a tangent about how inappropriate the meeting is and-"
" I understand." JoJo laughed. Cara nodded, leading them downstairs.
They came into the dining room where Anni was setting the table.
oOOo
It was around 11:30 that someone knocked lightly on the door. Cara sighed, standing to answer it.
She couldn't say she was surprised when she saw Josh standing there with a pillow, looking like a lost puppy.
" I got too used to sleeping next to Bexley." Josh said sheepishly.
" I figured." Cara chuckled lightly, opening the door more.
" This won't get us in trouble?" Josh asked cautiously.
" I don't care if it does. You guys are married, you have a right to share a bed." Cara shrugged.
" You sure?" He asked again. Cara threw him a look.
" Thank you." He whispered, slipping in the room. Cara chuckled, closing the door behind him.
Josh quietly edged over to Bexley's bed. He had to climb over her to get to his normal side of the bed.
" What?" Bexley opened her eyes, looking quite disoriented.
" Just me, Angel. Go back to sleep." Josh whispered, kissing her forehead. She closed her eyes, settling against his chest.
oOOo
The funeral commenced swiftly and smoothly. Cara was too raw to think. Mourning relatives and sympathetic friends.
They all gathered in Cara's family home.
" Oh, Cara dear." Theodora, her mother's old friend, beckoned her over.
" Hi, Thea." Cara allowed the woman to pull her into a hug. The dark skinned woman brushed Cara's hair back.
" You've grown up quite a bit, haven't you?" She smiled.
" Well, it's been a while." Cara cracked a weak smile.
" Why Cara, you've grown so beautiful." Leanna, another one of her mother's friends.
" You must go out with my Johnny, you two would make such a splendid couple." Leanna pointed to her son. Not that there was anything wrong with Johnny. He was just too stuck up for Cara's taste.
" I actually have a boyfirend." Cara replied, pointing to her redheaded boyfriend who was playing with ome of her younger cousins.
" Oh." Leanna blinked.
" Does he treat you like a lady?" Thea asked.
" Of course." Cara nodded.
" Then I approve." Thea smiled.
" But does your mother?" Leanna pried.
" My mother has more to worry about right now." Cara ended the conversation there.
oOOo
Cara walked through the garden of her home, Sky by her side.
" He always said that he'll always be here for me." Cara whispered.
" And he will be. He's here," He placed his hand over her heart," With you."
Cara gave a soft smile.
" Yeah. I guess he is."