Chapter 60
I watched Adam closely. His gaze was still trained on the same spot for the last 5 minutes and I was growing worried. I mean, I was worried but I was going to dive into a panic attack if he doesn't move soon.
A few hours ago, the hospital called Adam to inform him that Carla passed on. The news broke him. A lump was lodged in my throat ever since, I wanted to cry and grief with Adam but I knew I had to be strong for him. He needed a support and between the two of us, he was the one who lost his mother and I was the only one there that wasn't sobbing their eyes out so I was currently comforting the whole Jones' family.
Pio was seating on my lap, his head tucked under my chin and I could feel the tears dribble onto my shirt softly. I couldn't bring myself to care though, the crying little boy was the only thing in my mind right now and I couldn't be bothered about anything else than to be a line that this family could cling onto right now, no matter how thin.
Cali was on my other side, her small hands locked around my waist and her head on my chest while she buried her face into my shirt and sobbed loudly. I was still stroking her hair silently as she cried. My fingers were treading into her locks and smoothing them while my other hand was holding Pio's small body close to mine. All the while, my lips were sealed shut while they were pressed against Pio's forehead, trying to offer them some kind of comfort. Jerry was somewhere in the house, wanting to be left alone for a little while and Preston was in his room, with music blasting out of it.
I knew what he was trying to do since I used to do the same thing all the time after Bryant's death. Turn the volume up so high to make sure that it would drown out your cries and prevent your sobs from soughting out anyone on the other side of the door.
Adam was sitting on the other end of the couch, not wanting to leave me alone to handle his younger siblings and yet needing some space. I didn't want to drag him out of his thoughts so I didn't bother calling him out on it. Even when the whole room was silent, with only the sobs and sniffles of the kids, my thoughts were racing and things kept on popping up. I hated feeling like this, so useless. Therefore, so I conjured up a to-do list. It was the only thing I could do and it consisted of all the dramas in my life.
Finally, after making up a mental list of all of my problems, I crossed out Penelope and fighting, dragging my conflict with Sonia all the way down to the bottom of the list. It was the least of my priorities and I couldn't find it in me to care if some police officer barged into the house and arrest me this second.
I was too tired.
The thing that was on top of my list was surprisingly not Dom or Quentin or baldy, not even annoying old scowl-face.
The only thing I could actually think of and focus on was Carla's last wish that she reminded me of that day in the hospital. I took the small wrinkled paper out of the pocket of my jacket and opened it slowly. It was a small piece of paper and inside was a series of number that didn't make sense to me. Why would Carla want to give me this? What do these numbers even mean?
Nevertheless, I remembered what I promised her and my gaze flickered to an immobile Adam that was still staring straight ahead and into nothingness. My hand that was holding Pio reached out to him when I heard that the children's cries have ceased into soft snores and breathing. I let my fingers graze his shoulder cautiously and when I saw that he remained motionless, I let my hand land on his shoulders and rub them softly.
"Adam," I whispered softly. He turned to me, his eyes emotionless and the sight of those eyes being empty, that familiar gleam absent in them, made me wince. It was painful to watch him lose that shine in his eyes but the pain was worse when he wouldn't even let me comfort him.
"Your mother gave me this a week before she passed, she told me to give it to you. She told me that you'll know what to do with it," I whispered softly, trying not to wake the little ones up and let them rest. They've shed enough tears.
In a flash, Adam had the paper in his hands and his eyes skimmed the numbers. He pursed his lips and helped me off the couch, shifting Cali onto his arms.
He motioned me to follow him with a jerk of his head, the piece of paper still tucked between his fingers while he held Cali's frail body in his arms. I got off the couch slowly, trying not to wake Pio up, setting my hands under him and my other hand holding his head to my shoulder. We walked up the stairs and tucked the unconscious children into their bedrooms before walking down the hallway to a small room that was left unlocked.
