Page 32 of Her Saviors

BROOKLYN IS CHANGING every single day since we found out that Bennett and his parents will be spending the rest of their lives in prison. Every single day she wakes up she smiles a little brighter and stands up taller than the day before. Jayce and I are watching the weight that’s been holding her down fall from her shoulders as she gets through each day and realizes her nightmare is finally over. It’s an amazing sight to see because she was already growing and gaining confidence and now she’s moving down her path of discovery and healing even faster than before. I’m all for it because this is what she deserves. Our wife is an amazing woman and she’s starting to see that in herself instead of shrinking into nothing if she feels she’s doing something wrong. We’re literally seeing how much Bennett and her parents hurt her as she was growing up and then while she was with that stupid fuck.

Right now our girl is in the kitchen talking to Fee and holding Adrianna while Leif plays on the floor with a motorcycle he brought with him. Adrianna is Scorch and Fee’s new baby girl and it’s the first time Brooklyn is getting to see her. Ophelia has been waiting to bring Adrianna up to see Brooklyn and she’s finally in the right frame of mind to talk to Fee and meet the newest member of our family. I’m giving the girls space to talk and hang out, but I have taken a few pictures of our girl holding the baby girl because she’s so fucking sexy and looks so right with a baby in her arms. It makes me long for our babies to be here so we can watch her hold them and fill her role as a mom. Jayce and I are both waiting for the day our twins are born and we get to start our new journey in life.

Scorch is sitting with me in the living room as we hang out while our women talk and laugh. Brooklyn is filling Fee in on everything that’s happened with the trial, Bennett’s sentencing, and how she’s feeling with the pregnancy. Fee is the first one my wife tells that she’s carrying twins and is scared as hell to have them because she has no clue how to take care of more than one baby at a time.

“Brooklyn’s havin’ twins?” Scorch asks me, his voice full of shock as he looks at me with wide eyes.

“Yeah. We found out when we brought her to the hospital after Bennett had her,” I answer him, a smile on my face as I look in the kitchen to see Brooklyn with a soft, serene smile on her face as she looks down at Scorch’s daughter. “It was a shock to us all and none of us were thinkin’ that’s what we’d learn that day. We just wanted to know our baby was safe and nothin’ happened from the beatin’ and punch to the stomach she got.”

Before Scorch can respond, my phone starts ringing on the table in front of me and I pick it up to see a number from back home. It’s not one I recognize, but I feel deep in my gut that I need to answer it.

“Hello?” I ask, waiting to see who’s calling me.

“Is this Mr. Gavin Calhoun?” a woman asks from the other end of the line.

“It is. Can I ask who’s callin’?” I return, not sure what to think of someone using my birth name.

“This is Mrs. DeGraw from Children’s Protective Services. I have your brother and sister with me at this time. Has anyone been in contact with you, Mr. Calhoun?” she answers, fear and shock filling me as I try to figure out what the hell is going on.

“No. You’re the first person I’ve talked to. Why do you have my brother and sister with you? Where are my dad and stepmom?” I question the woman as Scorch sits up straighter in his seat and Brooklyn makes her way to the living room with Adrianna still in her arms as she rests a hand on my shoulder.

Reaching up, I place my hand on top of hers so she doesn’t move her hand away from me. The uncertainty filling me is making it hard to think and I have a feeling I’m going to need my wife and best friend with whatever Mrs. DeGraw tells me next.

“I’m sorry to be the one to inform you that your dad and stepmom, Carrie, were killed in a car accident late last night. They were on their way home from a date and were hit by an older man who fell asleep at the wheel. He wasn’t drunk or on drugs, he’d been trying to get home from a trip and thought he’d be okay to make it. You are their next of kin and if you can’t take them into your care, they’ll be placed in foster care. There will be stipulations in place for you taking the children but you will be able to adopt them and raise them as your own,” Mrs. DeGraw informs me, her voice almost robotic like as my entire body freezes and I get stuck on the words that my dad is no longer alive.

I’m not sure how much time passes, but someone takes the phone from me as everything fades to nothing. I don’t see anyone else in the room with me and there are no sounds penetrating the thick fog surrounding me. It’s like a giant, hazy bubble has me encased inside it and I can’t think, see, hear, or anything else. My heart is racing out of control and I can’t breathe. I feel as if I’m covered in sweat and my entire body is trembling. I’m freezing cold and feel as if I’m surrounded by ice with no way to warm up despite the house being very warm.

“Gavin,” someone calls out that I barely hear. “Baby, I need you to come back to me. Please, Gavin. We’ve got a lot to figure out and I can’t do anything without you.”

Brooklyn. Blinking my eyes, I look up to see my beautiful wife with tears running down her face looking at me with a deep sadness and pain filling her eyes. When I realize she’s no longer holding the baby, I pull her down in my lap and bury my face in her neck. Tears fall from my eyes and soak the top of her shirt and her bare skin.

“Love, I don’t know what to do. I need Jayce. He’ll know what to do. Where is he?” I ask, not remembering he’s at work and we’ve been visiting with Scorch and Ophelia.

“He’s at work, baby. Why don’t you call him while I make you something hot to drink. It will help calm you down and warm you up. You’re freezing, Gavin,” she says, her voice soft and warm as I look up to find Scorch and Fee looking down at me with sorrow-filled eyes as I try to figure out what happened to my phone. “I’ve got your phone, Gavin. Mrs. DeGraw is waiting for us to call her back and tell her our flight information so she knows when we’ll be there to see the kids. Regardless of whatever decision you make, you need to go home to bury your dad and stepmom and see your siblings.”

“Okay,” I tell her, taking my phone from her hand and finding Jayce’s number. I press call and listen to it ring a few times before my best friend finally answers the phone. “Jayce, I need you.”

“What’s goin’ on, Gavin?” he asks me, his voice on high alert as I listen to him move around at the shop.

“He’s dead, Jayce. My dad is dead. Carrie is dead. The kids are with some lady from Child Protection Services. I need to go home, Jayce. I don’t know what to do. What am I supposed to do?” I ask him, feeling more vulnerable than I have in a very long time as more tears fill my eyes and roll down my face.

“Fuck!” Jayce says on his end of the call. “I’ll be right there, Gavin. Where’s Brooklyn?”

“She’s in the kitchen. I’m lost, Jayce. I didn’t get to repair my relationship with my dad. I’ve hated him for so long and now I won’t ever get to talk to him again. To know that he’s been tryin’ to get help from the grief that’s held him hostage for so long. Why didn’t I ever talk to him again? Why didn’t I try to fix our relationship and be there for my dad, brother, and sister? I’ve barely talked to Carrie, but I know she was a good woman. How do I fix this?” I cry out, falling from the couch to land on the floor in a heap as strong arms surround me and help me back up on the couch again.

“I’m on my way, Gavin. We’ll figure everythin’ out when I get home. Don’t get off the phone with me. I’ll keep you on speaker. Let Scorch, Fee, and Brooklyn help you until I get there,” Jayce orders me, starting his truck as I hear it in the background.

I don’t say anything else as I let the tears continue to fall and revert back to the little boy who lost his mom and dad at the same time. My dad was so consumed by the grief of losing my mom, the love of his life, that he forgot all about me. It’s because of Carrie that he was getting help and we had had one conversation since he started counseling. It wasn’t a major talk, just my dad checking in on me for the first time since the day we lost my mom. Our conversation was stilted and superficial at best, but it was a step in the right direction. Now, we won’t get to take any more steps to repairing our relationship and he’ll be buried next to my mom.

We’ve been in Western, my hometown for almost a week now. Jayce took care of everything from the second he walked in our home and found out what happened. Brooklyn had to tell him because I couldn’t say a word. I sat on the couch in a stunned silence and didn’t focus on anything around me. Even when Brooklyn and Jayce surrounded me with their love and comfort, I couldn’t appreciate what they were giving me. I don’t remember anyone else from the club showing up to offer their support, but Brooklyn has told me more than once they were all there.

The first thing we did when we got here was go to the county building where my brother and sister are being held. Brooklyn fell in love with them at first sight and they’ve been clinging to her since then. Kyler, my five year old brother, is withdrawn and no matter what we do, we can’t get him to talk to us about anything. He’s very quiet and watches everything around him. Mia is my seven month old sister and she has no clue what’s going on in the world around her. She doesn’t understand that she just lost her parents and will never see them again. Brooklyn is focusing on taking care of the kids while Jayce takes care of me. I’ve spent more time crying over the last week than I have my entire life. I’m mourning the loss of my dad for the second time in my life and I’m not sure how I’ll get past the feelings running rampant through my body and mind. My heart is shattering my chest every morning when I wake up and remember where I am and what happened.

Right now we’re staying in a hotel instead of the home they lived in with my dad and their mom. Mrs. DeGraw isn’t sure that the kids being there is the best thing since we have to bury our parents. So, we booked a hotel suite that has two bedrooms and brought the kids there. Brooklyn has the second bedroom set up with a crib for Mia and some stuff from the house for Kyler. Jayce went and gathered them some clothing and toys to have with us until we can get to the house and pack up their belongings.

Today is the funeral and I’m sitting on the bed in our hotel room half dressed as I try to process that this is the day I say my final goodbye to my dad and Carrie. Jayce walks in the room, dressed in a black suit with his cut on under the suit jacket. He’s got his boots on and I can’t see a single tattoo on display as he makes his way over to me. Jayce isn’t wearing a hat like he normally does today. My dad always said something about the hats Jayce wore and I can’t tell if he found them funny or was annoyed my best friend was never without a baseball hat on his head.

“Come on, Gavin. You gotta snap outta this shit and get ready for the funeral. I know you’re tryin’ to get through each day and are mournin’ a person you’ve already mourned in the past, but we all need you. Kyler and Mia need you. You’re their big brother and they’re gonna depend on you because you’re all they have left. Brooklyn and I can only do so much for them, Gavin. We need you,” my best friend tells me as I nod my head and stand from the bed to put my black button-down shirt on.

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