Page 58 of Be My Summer

With my dress gathered in my hand and tears cascading down my face, I marched onto my porch. The screen door led to the storm door. I placed my key inside of the lock and twisted the knob.

“Dad!” I cried out. “Dad.”

I didn’t have the strength to remove my shoes. All the strength left would be used to fall into my father’s arms until the world didn’t feel so cold and my heart didn’t feel so broken.

“Dad! I found her. Dad!”

I rounded the corner, head and heart in shambles. On the chair he loved so much, my father sat with his eyes closed. Though I wanted him to rest, chaos was happening all around me. My world had been flipped upside down in a matter of minutes.

“I saw her.”

A blubbering mess, I sat on my father’s lap and wrapped my arms around him.

“She’s here. She’s in Tribec–”

My words came to a screeching halt as I noticed the rigidness of my father’s body. He was no longer the warm blanket that tucked me in when the world was too much. He was cool to the touch.

“Dad?”

I lifted my body and waited for him to respond.

Silence.

“Dad!”

Silence.

“Dad!”

“Ray Collins! Do not do this to me.”

Silence.

“Say something! Dad!”

Silence.

“Dad, please.”

I shook his lifeless body, hoping he would open those handsome eyes and tell me everything would be fine.

Silence.

“Dad.”

“Summer–” a familiar voice captivated me.

I turned to find Saul standing over me, hand on my shoulder. I hadn’t heard him come in. I hadn’t heard anything but my father’s loud silence.

“He’s gone, Summer.”

“No. He’s asleep.”

“Summer, baby–”

“Dad!”

Silence.