This Is The Dawning Of The Rest Of Our Lives

I softly knocked on the door. There was a hoarse “Hmm?” and I silently opened it.
“Hey there.” I whispered, entering the room.
“Jessie?” Tré asked, sitting up a little.
“Yeah, I’m here,” I said, smiling a bit and walking over to him, sitting down on his bed. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight. I stroked his hair and softly rubbed his back a little.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“A bit better, now you’re here.” He said with a weak smile. I placed a soft kiss on his warm cheek. He reminded me of Tessie right then. Whenever she was sick, she’d do the same. Cling onto me like a little monkey.
I sat a bit further on the bed, allowing Tré to lean against me while I leaned against the wall. I had my arms wrapped around him and he put his head on my shoulder. From time to time, he sniffed or coughed, sitting up a little. He shifted somewhat before leaning against me again and closing his eyes. Before long, his breathing steadied and he dozed off.

I checked my watch, Tré peacefully sleeping. He actually looked innocent and harmless when he was asleep, can you imagine that? It was damn cute. What I saw on my watch, however, wasn’t all that cute. I had to get home soon if I didn’t want my mom to freak out again. But Tré looked so sweet and calm…I didn’t want to wake him up, but I didn’t want to leave without a word either. I waited a little more. Maybe he would wake up himself. Who knows?
He didn’t. To wake him up or not to wake him up, that was the question. I finally decided not to. He needed his sleep. I gently stroked his cheek before slowly trying to manoeuvre out from under him, trying my hardest not to wake him up. When I had finally managed to get up, he slowly opened his eyes.
“Jessie?” he asked with a yawn, rubbing his eyes.
Great…I could as well have woken him up directly.
“Yes, I’m here. Do you need anything?” I whispered, taking his hand and stroking it with my thumb. He shook his head sleepily.
“Where are you going?” he asked, now noticing I was standing. I bit my lip. I didn’t want to go.
“I have to go home,” I muttered, “Before mom freaks again and grounds me longer.”
“Oh…” he said hoarsely.
“Tré, I’m sorry, I want to stay, I really do, but-”
“Shh,” he said, placing his finger on my lips “don’t worry about it. I need to sleep anyway…” he added with a weak smile. I lightly nodded, glad he understood. I placed a kiss on his finger, and then on his lips before pulling him into a tight hug.
“I’ll try to come see you tomorrow,” I said, gently rubbing his back. He smiled a bit and pressed me close against him for a second. When he released me I ruffled his hair a little, making sure not to shake his head too much and I lightly waved at him before leaving the room.

“Hi, I’m back!” I said, noticing how my mother quickly brushed the back of her hand over her eyes before turning her head to look at me.
“Hey, Jessica,” she said.
“Mom, are you okay?” I asked, walking towards her. Her lip trembled for a split second and tears filled her eyes.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” I insisted, my heart beating faster as I noticed something was definitely wrong. She swallowed and stammered something inaudible.
“What?” I managed to ask, my heart now pounding in my throat.
“He left, Jessica!” she suddenly sobbed.

“He what?” I heard myself ask, merely as a confirmation of what I already knew.
“He left!” my mother cried, burying her face in her hands.
I felt a lump form in my throat and was incapable of saying anything. I sunk down on the couch, next to my mother. I wrapped my arms around her in an attempt to comfort her. I knew it most likely wouldn’t help, but I couldn’t bear the idea of doing nothing at all.
Mom clung onto me, which was too much for me to bear at that moment. Tears flowed down my cheeks and I leaned against my mother’s familiar form, as I had done so often when I was young. I was oblivious to the world around me, and sat there with my mother, gently rocking back and forth. Soft footsteps approached us, but neither one of us noticed them until a small voice accompanied them.
“Mommy? Jessie?” Tessie stammered with a trembling voice. I looked up to see her little face on the verge of tears, her big eyes looking at us, not knowing what was going on. I released my mother and pulled my little sister onto my knees, hugging her tight and leaning against my mom again. Tessie put her thumb in her mouth as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. In her other hand she held Snuggles, his paw clenched firmly in her small fist. Somehow, I had the urge to hold him too. I wanted Tré to be there, and I guess at that moment that was simply the thing that got closest to him, so I grabbed Snuggles’ other paw, pulling him a bit towards him so he was in-between Tessie and myself. All I could think of at that moment was how much I wanted to be with Tré, to curl up against him, in his arms that seemed to comfort me whenever they held me.
“Jessica, I’m sorry,” mom said after a moment, sniffing silently.
“For what?” I asked, looking at her and stroking Tessie’s hair.
“For being so hard on you. And on Frank. I wasn’t thinking properly at the time, with your father seeing…” she swallowed, but didn’t continue.
I didn’t say anything, and thought about it for a bit.
“It’s okay mom,” I whispered then, “I see what you mean.”
“I just want you to be careful,” she said.
“I will, mom. I promise I will.” I answered, looking at her. She sighed.
“That’s easier said than done. But…I guess this is not up to me. It’s your life, not mine. Sometimes I just see things that can go wrong in your life, and I don’t want it to go wrong for you where it went wrong for me.”
“I know things can go wrong, mom, but if the cán go wrong it doesn’t mean they will.”
“I know, honey, I know.”