Page 54 of Endgame

My sweet and tortured girl. Her pain makes me want to physically break things. Her comment about missing them, and then her Dad’s fifty second birthday, throws me off a little. I know very little regarding her relationship with her parents. I’d like to know more, though.

I can’t stand that there are parts of her I’m still trying to figure out—parts she has yet to learn about me.

Somehow, I’m able to read her like a book. My worry over her is sinking deep in my stomach. I decide to call her and maybe ask some questions if the opportunity presents itself.

Picking up my phone, I click the call button on her contact.

She picks up on the third ring, “Hello?”

“It’s me.”

“How did you get my number?”

“Good morning to you too. I got it from Navy when I first picked you up at the DDS in case I couldn’t find you. It seems I’d need it eventually.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“You know what, Callaway? I’m not proud of how I acted, and I know I’m lucky you were there.”

“Not gonna lie, Dakota, but you scared the shit out of me. I didn’t know what happened to you to get to that point. You can’t do that shit again.”

I’m pissed she jeopardized her safety like that.

“I know, I’m sorry. It’s just that yesterday was my Dad’s birthday, and I thought I could handle it. I thought I could handle the pain of them not being on this earth anymore, but I can’t. I can’t fucking breathe sometimes, Cal. I’m suffocating, and the alcohol…it was just there. I needed not tofeelfor a moment. I needed a moment.”

She lost them. Permanently.

I’m such a clueless bastard. That makes sense why she was alone. She has no one to be upset with.

Her sniffling through the end of the phone has me almost out of the bed, headed straight towards her.

“Fuck, Dakota. I’m sorry. Had I known, I would have done everything to make sure you weren’t alone.”

“It’s fine. It’s not like you had a way of knowing. I knew Navy had her big interview the next morning so I didn’t exactly tell her either.”

“Can I ask you something? You can say no.”

“Yes.”

“What happened to them? Your parents.”

“Car accident. They were hit by a drunk driver a year ago.”

I hate that. She didn’t lose one, but both of them. Life is fucking cruel.

“I’m sorry. You must miss them.” Her heavy exhale tells me I’m spot on.

“You have no idea.”

“I could tell you were going through something when we first met. It’s understandable for you to feel angry. I don’t think anyone could be prepared for living through such a significant loss.”

I’ll listen as long as she needs.

“That’s only part of it. The other part is that I didn’t get to say goodbye. That’s the reality that haunts me.”

Jesus. I can’t imagine not having that closure with my parents.

---