Losing Hope | {BOOK 4}

79| Sweet, Sweet Alone Time

The party was winding down, just a few guests left at the house, sitting around telling stories.

"And Asa made us go roller skating," Bucky continued his story. "And right after these ghouls almost got us. So, there's the three of us, all banged up, with a ton of ironic teenagers skating under these neon lights. You remember this, Jody?"

"Mm-hm," Jody smiled fondly, leaning against her fist.

"Oh, it was classic. I mean, you know, until the two of you snuck off for some sweet, sweet alone time."

"Oooh!" Elvis grinned.

"'Sweet, sweet alone time'?" Dean echoed, looking over at Jody.

"You, Jody?" Sam chimed in. "You didn't tell us you had a relationship with Asa."

"Oh, it was just... it was a casual thing," Jody dropped her hand, looking over at Asa's mom. "Sorry, Lorraine."

"Asa was always popular with the ladies," Lorraine shrugged.

"Yes, he was," one of the other men agreed.

"Our mom loved him," another hunter, Max, chimed in. "She used to talk about him all the time."

"See?" Lorraine chuckled.

"And, you know, I do have a life when you guys aren't around," Jody shot at us.

"Beer, anyone?" Randy asked.

"I'm good," I declined.

"Yeah," Dean shook his head.

Randy disappeared into the kitchen while Jody continued.

"And, uh. Here's a news flash. Dating is hard. It's not like I just turn into a boring, small-town sheriff when you guys are gone. I do stuff. You shouldn't be surprised that I'd enjoy the company of a ruggedly hot man."

"Amen to that," Max's sister, Alicia, and I agreed, laughing.

"Hey, you clearly deserve your sweet, sweet alone time," Dean quipped.

"Well, I mean, it wasn't always sweet," Jody shrugged.

"Uh... yeah, it's just not how we think of you. You know, I..."

"Good, 'cause that would honestly be weird."

"Nobody... nobody said you can't date, right?"

I hit Dean to make him stop talking as Lorraine called out to somebody.

"Come on in, don't hover."

Everyone turned to face the newcomer and I nearly stumbled off the armrest of the chair Dean was sitting in before he grabbed me.

"Sorry, I knocked," my mom said, looking around at everyone.

Dean was staring over at me as I swallowed hard before darting my tongue out to wet my lips.

"Hi," I managed to get out.

⁘

Sam, Dean, and Jody followed my mom and I to the front hall for a more private discussion.

"What are you doing here?" Mom asked me.

"What are you doing here?" I countered.

"We, uh..." Dean cleared his throat hesitantly, obviously unsure about interrupting the moment. "Asa was a friend of a friend. Uh, friend of Jody's."

He gave me a pointed look and I rolled my eyes.

"Jody, Emilie. Mom, this is Jody Mills," I introduced the two to each other.

"Mom? Mom," Jody echoed. "Wait m- your mom?"

"Yeah."

"I thought- I thought you were..."

"I was," Mom cut Jody off.

After hugging my mom excitedly and making the moment even more awkward, Jody left us alone.

"Where you been?" I demanded.

"All over," Mom shrugged. "I went back to Greensburg for a few days. And then, um, I've been using James's journal to retrace a few things. Try to catch up on what I've missed."

"You could've just asked me, you know."

"Ellie, come on," Dean whispered.

"She could've," I snapped.

"It's okay," Mom told him. "She's right. But... this is something I needed to do alone. I... Listen, most of the people I know are dead. And then I remembered Asa. He was so young when I met him, I thought he must still be around. And then... I saw an article about his death, and, uh.."

"So you'll text me once a week, maybe, but you'll drive all the way to Canada to see some dead guy? Well, that's awesome. I'm gonna get some air."

"Ellie, wait..."

I ignored her, heading toward the door where I was met by Jody.

"Hey," she greeted me.

"Hey."

"You okay?"

"Swell."

"Huh. Is that why you spent the entire ride up here letting Dean tell me in extreme, excruciating detail how he killed Hitler, but, uh, you neglected to mention the fact that your mom is back from the dead?"

"Yeah, no big deal," I muttered.

"That's a lie," she replied.

"Jody..."

"Look, maybe this isn't my place, and this is epic stuff, but, you know, if I could have my son and my husband back? I mean, really back? I would give anything, absolutely anything to have that. And it would scare the hell out of me."

I swallowed, eyes flickering from Jody to the door and back.

"Yeah?" I asked her.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Because what if I've changed? What if they changed? What if it just didn't work out the way I wanted? If you wanna talk about anything, absolutely anything, I'm here."

"Thanks, Jody."

I gave her a hug, and then headed out the door and over to Baby. My mind raced as I thought about my mom and what Jody said.

⁘

JUNE 1985

The only time Dad could get me to leave Mom's side was when visiting hours had ended for the day. It had been over a week, and the doctors hadn't seen any improvements. Dad had started bringing research materials with him while we sat in the hospital room all day. I knew he was trying to figure out a way to save her; to figure out what she had been talking about when she said 'they're coming'. But he was striking out just as much as the doctors were.

It was a Monday when John Winchester showed up with Dean and baby Sammy in tow. The three of us would play on the floor at the end of my mom's bed while he and my father poured over pages of lore books and other things at the table in the corner, speaking in hushed voices. They stayed with us for three more weeks. Dean would try and comfort me when he could, assuring me it would be okay.

I never found out the truth about what went after my mom; what creature made her so sick like that. All I knew, was that one day she woke up and told me she loved me and everything seemed like it would be okay again. She was dead the next day.