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I shut my eyes, I had to. My chest was caving in on me. My world crumbling down on me.
In two seconds flat, I was leaning against the wall again, except this time I was sliding down it, holding Journey firmly against my broken heart.
Unable to hold myself up any longer.
“Beeeeee heeeeerrrrreeee,” were the last words I ever heard her say.
“I’ll always be here for you, Bailey. No matter what. It’s always going to be me and you against the world, Bay. Always.”
I stayed right there.
I didn’t move an inch.
Until she took her last breath.
Until all the machines around her went crazy.
Until she passed away…
But it wasn’t until I heard my father murmur, “Take me with you, Bay… please, just take me with you.”
That I realized I felt the same way.
14
HARLEY
Then: Eleven years old
“Would anyone else like to say anything?” the minister asked at Aunt Bailey’s funeral.
I stood up in the pew and everyone’s eyes turned toward me. Patting down the sides of my black dress, I nodded.
My eyes quickly connected with Jackson’s stare, who was sittin’ in the front pew, four rows ahead of where my family was seated. Swiftly, I made my way up to the podium down the side aisle of the silent church. The only sound was the clickin’ of my heels clackin’ away underneath me, echoin’ with the rhythm of my fast beatin’ heart.
I only had one shot at this, I didn’t wanna mess it up. Once I was standin’ in front of everyone, I took a deep breath, peerin’ out over the crowd of tear-soaked faces. Tryin’ to gather my thoughts about what I wanted to say. I didn’t really think this through, all I knew was I had to say somethin’.
For him.
The boy I still hated the most.
Jackson’s dry eyes narrowed in on me, waitin’, anticipatin’ what I possibly had to say at a time like this. I had yet to see him cry, to grieve the loss of the most important person in his life while he sat there holdin’ his baby sister next to Jagger who was a mess. Even after all the kind words everyone was expressin’ about his momma to God and the church filled to the brim with people, he hadn’t shed one tear.
With my stare directed solely on him, I spoke from the heart. “I’ve known Aunt Bailey since the day I was born. She ain’t blood related, but that didn’t matter. She was my aunt. The Pierces are our family.”
Jackson held his head up higher, still only focused on me with a blank expression on his face. In that moment, I couldn’t help but notice his black suit made him appear older. He didn’t look like the boy I’d known all my life. More like the man that just lost his mother.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my momma and daddy noddin’ for me to continue.
“Aunt Bailey was one of a kind. She was beautiful, graceful, smart. Her smile lit up a room, her laugh was contagious, and she always smelled like fresh sunflowers. She was one of the strongest women I’ve ever known. Her love and devotion for her family, her friends, her husband and kids were inspirin’. She was a second mom to us all, it’s just who she was.” I shrugged. “One of the best memories I have with her was when I spent the night at her house cuz Momma was havin’ my baby brother Owen at the hospital. The nightlight I brought with me from my room broke,” I half told the truth.
Jackson broke it, but I didn’t think it was the right time to remind everyone how much he sucked.
“The guest bedroom I was sleepin’ in was super dark, and I swear I could hear voices. After findin’ the courage to run outta the room, I ran straight to Aunt Bailey’s bedroom. Knockin’ so hard on the door, I’m surprised it didn’t fall off the hinges. You see, I hate the dark. Even to this day, I’m terrified of dark rooms. I don’t go in them, I don’t sleep in them, to me they don’t exist.”
Jackson knew that. Why? Cuz Jackson knew everythin’ about me. He made it a point, so he could torture me.
“When Aunt Bailey opened the door, I jumped into her arms. Wrappin’ them so hard around her, I don’t think she could breathe.” I chuckled, rememberin’ how she instantly hugged me back.
