Chapter Eleven

Three Days Later

Karmen Jones

I stand beside Wesley as they lower his

mother’s pearl white coffin into the fresh ground. Everything seems

similar to what I remember of Tommy’s funeral but completely

different. For one, it’s not raining. Also, no one is crying.

No. Everyone is huddled in little groups in

silence as we all bid farewell to a great woman. Each of the Blake

brothers stood behind the podium and said something beautiful about

the woman that raised them on her own for most of their lives.

Now, we watch as they pour the dirt onto her

coffin before turning and heading back to her house. I want to say

something but I’m not sure what. Each of the men in the limousine

with me is silent, pondering their new reality, and I don’t want to

interrupt. These past days have been an insane whirlwind, and it

has taken its toll on all of us, especially Shane. I know he has a

lot weighing on his shoulders right now but today isn’t the day for

that.

When we reach the house, Lenor greets us on

the steps before leading us inside. By the door is a giant blown-up

photograph of Mrs. Blake. It’s from last year’s fair and she is

standing with all three of her boys, smiling. They had just come

off the roller coaster and their hair is messed up and their cheeks

were red. I remember the moment clearly because I was there, I took

the photograph.

“I hope it’s okay that I used this one. She

looked so happy,” Lenor says. She has been helping plan everything

and simply being supportive whenever and wherever needed.

Adam hugs her tightly before kissing her

forehead. “It’s perfect.” His smile is genuine, even though I can

see he is already tearing up.

“I remember how angry she was when you threw

up in the car,” I say looking at Shane. “It wasn’t the same fair,

though. I think I was around ten. Tommy was with us, and you ate

too much funnel cake.”

The tips of Shane’s ears turn red before he

bursts out laughing. It’s the first time since Charlotte dropped

the baby bomb that I’ve seen any kind of emotion from him, and I

relax a little.

“I remember you getting in trouble a year

later from doing the same thing.”

And just like that, the cloud that has

fallen over us lifts and the atmosphere changes. People walk into

the house to us talking and laughing and quickly realize what is

happening. Instead of mourning the life she missed out on living,

we are celebrating the life she lived.

Yes, she was taken too soon but she lived a

full life, and we are going to remind ourselves of that, share our

fondest memories, and remember her the way she used to be.

Wesley Blake

The funeral was beautiful but the thing that

made it perfect was listening to everyone sharing their favorite

memories of Mom. Having Karmen by my side through all of this has

made it somehow easier to bear and I am more grateful than words

can ever explain.

Once everyone has left, Adam disappears

upstairs to his room and Lenor goes home. Shane receives a phone

call which he takes outside, and he never returns. Karmen and I

clean the dishes in silence before letting ourselves out and

walking the two blocks to her house. Somewhere along the way, she

removes her black heels and I carry them for her like this is an

everyday thing for us.

“Do you mind living here?” she asks me.

“It’s my house!” I say with mock outrage,

and she laughs. Pulling her against my chest on the porch I kiss

her deeply before moving away. “We can live wherever you want,

babe. As long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy.”

“You know you’re being corny, right?” she

asks with a laugh.

“Only for you,” I say pushing the door open

and letting us into the house.

I freeze once I cross the threshold. In

front of me stands Charlotte and Shane. She has a gun pressed to my

brother’s temple and I want to roar in outrage. I keep Karmen

behind me, not wanting to give Charlotte an extra target.

“Charlotte, what is going on?” I ask

calmly.

“I want my life back. The life I deserve,”

she mumbles. “I want the life I deserve,” she repeats.

“This is your life,” Shane says. “You have

to live with the consequences of your decisions.”

Charlotte hits him in the temple with the

butt of her gun and I watch his body fall to the floor. What the

fuck am I supposed to do in this situation? I can’t protect

everyone, and she is clearly insane.

“Charlotte,” Karmen says from behind me.

“Why don’t we talk about this?”

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear a damn word

from you!”

She is waving the gun around and I want to

yell at her, but I need her to calm the fuck down before she does

something that can’t be taken back.

“Why don’t you tell me what it is you want

exactly? Maybe I can do something.”

“There’s nothing anyone can do, everything

is already ruined,” she says softly. “I just wanted to make sure

you all get to see what she did, how she ruined my life.”

I watch her lift the gun to her temple and I

react before I can think it through. I charge at her and tackle her

to the ground. A shot goes off. It’s thunderous and leaves my ears

ringing but I don’t feel any pain.

Sliding the gun across the polished wooden

floorboards, I do a quick mental check to make sure I’m not hurt

before looking down to check on Charlotte. Her body wracks with

sobs but I can’t find any injuries.

“Get your ass to my house!” Karmen yells

into her phone from her position beside Shane. “And bring your

dad.”

“Are you okay?” I ask once she hangs up.

“I’m alive,” she says softly. “Jacob and Mr.

Wilson are on the way.”

I look at the woman pinned beneath me as the

sirens echo through the air. I knew it wouldn’t take long for the

cops to show up. They probably got called by the neighbors.

Everything is a blur after that. The lights,

the police and the paramedics, Shane getting loaded into the

ambulance and taken to hospital, and finally the arrival of

Charlotte’s brother and father.

Mr. Wilson speaks to the officers in hushed

tones as they load his daughter into a separate ambulance. Once

they leave, he approaches us with Jacob keeping his distance.

“Thank you for calling, Karmen,” he says

with a sad smile. “I’m sorry you have been dragged into this

mess.”

“I don’t know what happened,” I say, still

trying to make sense of everything.

“Charlotte has a delusional disorder.

Recently, she has decided to go off her meds,” Jacob says. “We

weren’t aware of it until this morning.”

Karmen gasps beside me. “What about the

baby?” she asks.

“That’s why she stopped,” Mr. Wilson says.

“She said the pills were going to hurt the baby.”

“What happens now?” I ask. I feel bad for

her, but I need to know my loved ones will be safe.

“She’ll go back to the facility in

California,” Jacob replies sadly. “If they can’t balance her

condition while she is pregnant, they’ll keep her there until after

she gives birth.”

“She wouldn’t tell us who the father is,”

Mr. Wilson cuts in. “Do you know?”

“My brother Shane,” I say.

“Then I’ll keep you updated on her condition

and that of the baby,” he says before walking away and getting into

the car.

“I’m sorry,” Jacob says softly before

joining his father.

For the first time I feel something other

than dislike toward the man. It seems there are a lot of things

that happen behind closed doors, and we never know a person’s true

situation or motivations until they let us in.

Karmen sits on the bottom step and releases

a sigh. “That was a lot.”

“Are you okay?” I ask, joining her.

A sob breaks free, and she shakes her head.

I hug her tightly and let her cry until she is done.

“Can we go to bed?” she asks softly. “I just

want to sleep.”

“We can do whatever you want, babe.”