Page 60 of Second Swing
Janelle
He’s gone.
My uncle is gone guys.
I feel like I can’t breathe.
There are multiple messages from Janelle as she shares her grief with us. Her Uncle Matt was someone incredibly important to her. She would skip out on us early in the morning to hang with Uncle Matt. He kind of became everyone’s uncle.
Paloma
I’m caught up.
I’m so sorry babe.
When do you come home?
Before she responds, a video call comes through. I answer and each ofmy best friends' faces come into view. Janelle’s pain is painted across her face in the same way Cassidy’s was when she lost her parents.
“I’m coming home in two days. I don't want to miss the funeral, but I also don’t know if I can do it.” Janelle’s voice cracks as tears flow freely down her cheeks. “I’m uh, I’m going to take bereavement leave. I’m thankful I was notified before I decided to sign on for another few years.”
“Yeah, don’t make any decisions when you can’t think straight,” Cassidy says, the most logical one of us all.
“Okay, well when you get here we will all pile in at my house and have a girls’ night. Something chill so you can take a breath,” I respond. Knowing whenever we all get together it heals something in each of us.
“I’ll hold the fort down at the bar,” Brianna speaks up.
“You absolutely will not. Cassidy and I will either close for the night or see if the part-time girls can take over. You are just as much a part of this family as any of us, B,” I say, not giving any room for argument. Cass nods her head backing me up.
“Janelle, flowers will be at your mom’s in the morning,” B says, seeming brighter. “You make sure to let us know once you get in and don’t worry about anything. If you need us—you call.”
“Are we allowed to be at the funeral with you?” I ask, needing to know what ways we can support her.
She starts crying harder. “You girls being there would be incredible.”
Janelle makes an attempt to wipe away the tears that are streaming down her face, too overcome with emotion and pain to really answer anything. Not that she needs to. I can’t imagine how she is feeling, and I will do everything in my power to make sure she is cared for. “I’ll bring breakfast to your parents’ house in the morning before work, okay?
Before she can respond, Cassidy says, “And I’ll bring them dinner tonight.”
“I'll handle lunch and dinner tomorrow too. We’ve got you, babe,” Brianna finishes.
We each tell her how much we love her and let her tell us a bit more about her Uncle Matt. It seems like she needs to speak his story, and we will always be here to sit and listen.
“You three are the best friends a girl could ever ask for. I love you guys so much.”
We each echo the sentiment back to her and stay on the phone as she packs her bags. We fill in the quiet where it’s needed and other times allow her the space to cry. Shared grief is easier to bear, and we’ll carry this with her until the weight of it isn’t as heavy.
The days waiting for Janelle pass quickly. She went to her mom’s house when she first got in and spent the day with her, but Brianna is picking her up now so we can all have a night in.
I have pajamas set on the bed with slippers for each of us. There is a charcuterie board in the fridge and wine chilling, just in case she needs a little bit of liquid love too.
Mami dropped off some guava pastries to Mrs. Paxton, Janelle’s mom, this morning and made sure to send a plate of them for us to enjoy tonight. I pick up the remote to play the music on the television just asWaffles begins to meow loudly at the door.
“Waffles E. Benedict Reyes! You will behave yourself tonight or I will put you in the room, do you understand me?” I slant my eyes at his side-eye I swear he’s giving me. A few knocks rap at the door, and Cassidy is wrapping me in a tight hug as soon as I let her in.
Brianna and Janelle pull up before I close the door. Cass and I race to the car door, pulling Janelle and B into an embrace. I smooth my hand down Janelle’s hair, letting her tears soak my shirt.
When I pull back, I hold her shoulders and look into her eyes. “We’re here for you, babe. Always. Let's go inside.” Interlocking our fingers, I walk her into the house with Cass and Bri following closely behind us. “Your pajamas and slippers are in the room. Go get changed.”
