“See something you like, Jaxon?” She eyes me up and down seductively.
Nope, definitely do not.
“The doctor gave me a prescription that needs to be filled. It’s an ointment for the burn. We have to use it twice a day for seven days. He also said we could give her Motrin for-”
“Yeah, I got it, Jaxon. I’ve been her mother for almost two years now, or did you forget that?”
My concern about her appearance evaporates. “Whatever, I’ll pick Emersyn up on Monday.”
Gelissa reaches out to take Emersyn, but she clings to my neck, shaking her head. “Not my Mommy.”
I look at her, confused. “Baby, of course, it is. You’ve been crying for her this whole time. She’ll take good care of you.” I kiss her head and hand her over to Gelissa, and just like the first time I ever picked Emersyn up, she slams the door in my face.
I step out of the building and into the freezing cold air. There’s no one in sight. When my car comes into view, I jog to get there faster. Thank fuck for auto-start.
Quickly opening the door, I jump in, feeling the heat blasting on my skin. I’m bummed I won’t have the baby on New Year’s Eve, but honestly, she’ll be sleeping at midnight anyway.
My phone rings, so I answer through my Bluetooth.
“Hello?”
“Hi, I’m looking for Cameron or Jaxon. My name is Dan, and I work over at Fix-It Guys.”
“This is Jaxon. It’s been a while. I almost forgot you guys were working on her computer,” I say playfully, understanding why it took so long.
“We do apologize for the delay, but given the extensive damage, it took us much longer than usual to get access to the photos. On a brighter note, we have a flash drive all ready to be picked up. As a token of good faith, we had all the photos printed so you guys can have copies, too, just in case. We’re only open for another hour because we close early for the holiday. Feel free to pick them up now. If not, we open again on Monday.”
“Thanks a lot. I appreciate it.”
I know I need to get home to Cameron, so I should probably head straight there and pick her pictures up later, but I also know how much they’ll cheer her up if she’s feeling guilty about what happened with Emersyn.
She’s been waiting for them, and I’m sure having them now will put her in a much better mood. I think no further and head right for the store. What’s ten extra minutes?
◆◆◆
I pull up to the house and quickly park in the garage. I grab everything I need to bring inside, holding Cameron’s pictures in my hand.
I only peeked at the top one, a picture of Broadway at night. I step out into the cold, the dragging sound of the garage door closing behind me as I walk. Feeling a strong gust of wind numb my face, I open the gate as a couple of snowflakes land on my cheek.
I look up and notice there’s a sheet of grey covering the sky. I enter the backyard, pick up some of Sam’s smaller outdoor toys, and put them on top of the table just in case it snows a lot and they disappear.
I stick my key in the lock, turn, and open the door, anxious for the heat from the house to warm me up.
When I close the door, I notice it’s eerily quiet. “Cameron! I’m home, baby. Emersyn is fine.”
Nothing.
I swallow hard. Maybe she’s in the shower? I step further into the house, and a chill takes over me. There’s a coldness in here and not the type the fireplace can fix.
A cold that can only come from emptiness.
Our house is void of life.
I feel the dash of panic, and I don’t even need to look further to know she’s gone.
I stare ahead at the empty apartment, dread spreading to the tips of my fingers, making me drop Cameron’s pictures all over the floor by the entryway.
Still holding out hope, I head towards the bedrooms, feeling the walls waving back and forth and closing in on me. I check Emersyn’s room for Cam, and when it comes up empty, I check our bedroom.
She’s not here.
I hear scratching on the bathroom door, and when I open it, Magnet runs out and heads straight to the front door, scratching at it. Please, Cameron. Don’t do this to me.
Heading towards the kitchen, I spot it immediately, and any thread of hope I had left has now deteriorated.
Her keys lay there on top of a folded piece of paper.
There’s a pit in my stomach as I enter the kitchen, still eyeing the paper. I reach for it, squeezing it so tight it crinkles between my fingers. Opening it up, I feel my hands tremble as the words appear on the front, obliterating life as I know it.
Not able to get past my name, I drift off to a happier place. Somewhere Cameron is. I stay there with her, if only for a moment, not acknowledging the reality that I know is waiting for me in this letter.
My throat feels like sandpaper, and my eyes tighten to hold back tears as I accept the fact she really left me this time. Walking in a daze into the living room, I sit down on the couch and attempt to read the letter again.
Jaxon,
The first time I saw you, I remember envying how content you looked with life, just standing behind that register. I wanted to know what it felt like to exist amongst the masses and live a normal life, even if it was a mediocre one. Thanks to you, I’ve known not only fulfillment, but love, trust, honesty, and most of all, happiness. Our time together may
