New Girl - Ondreaz Lopez

58

-Maddy's P.O.V-

My fingers shuffle through the hangers in my closet. I haven't lived here in so long I don't even know what's in here anymore. I pull out the black dress in the back, the one I've only ever worn once before at my grandmas funeral a couple years ago.

It still fits.

I pull my hair into a low bun, throw on some tights and black flats. I don't bother with any makeup. I don't see the point.

My dad and I drove in silence to the funeral home. It was a nice service. My dad spoke very well, I could tell it was the hardest thing he's had to do. Saying goodbye to a parent is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. But unfortunately we all have to do it at some point. I just never expected it would be so soon.

"Don't be sad baby, I'm not going anywhere" her voice echoed in my head. It's true, I'll never lose her. I never expected this would be the outcome of this trip home though. Everything I was worried about before seems so unimportant. Literally nothing else matters. Life is so short, it would be childish to spend it on useless drama.

We hosted the wake at our house here. Family I haven't seen in years was here telling me how wonderful she is. Was. I know she was amazing. She was my rock. Now I just feel lost. Like everything in life now means nothing without her there to see it.

I push the emptiness down and put on a brave face for everyone here. I really just want to be alone.I keep trying to say it out loud but it doesn't sound real. She's dead. My mother died. She had cancer she was very sick and it killed her. Those are the facts. I just still can't believe it.

-Ondre's P.O.V-

I snap my head around at the sound of the front door opening and closing. Tony and SJ are in the kitchen making dinner. So I'm not sure who would be bold enough to just walk into our house. My guard is up. Ready to fight this intruder.

Then I lose my breath, and my heart skips when I see Maddy walking in with a suitcase trailing behind her. Her face is incisive, unsure of her actions. I haven't seen her since the incident at the sway house, 3 months ago. She hasn't tried to contact me, and I don't blame her. She looks good. Like the first day I met her.

We stood in silence, maintains eye contact from across the room. I glacé down at her suitcase to see a Canadian flag tag hanging off the side. Was she home? Did she leave LA to see her parents? My hearts pounding so loud and my feet frozen to the floor beneath me.

"Somebody here" Tony asked coming into the room. He paused at the scene displayed in front of him.

"Hey" she croaked.

I haven't heard the sound of her voice in so long, I forgot how much I missed it.

"Hi" I breathed back.

"I probably should have called, but I got a new phone, a new number. I didn't know how to get in touch" she said letting her hand fall from the handle on her suit case.

"It's okay" I said taking slow steps toward her.

"I uh, was wondering, if I could stay here a little while" she looked down at her feet as she spoke, her voice cracking.

"Of course, is everything okay?" I said stepping closer to her, only a few feet away from her. She let out a deep breath and looked up at me again, tears welling in her eyes. A battle going on in her head.

"No" she breathed, and closed the gap between us, wrapping her arms around me and crying into my chest. I held her there, rubbing her back and kissing the top of her head. A gesture I'd taken for granted. Her smell overwhelmed me and my heart pounded with her presence. "I miss you" she cried.

"I've never stopped missing you" I replied.

"She's gone, my mom, I went home to say goodbye, and all I could think about was that I needed you with me. You told me if I felt like running away, to run to you. So here I am"

My heart broke. She lost her baby, then her mom, in the span of 6 months. I can't imagine the grief she just endured. I picked her up into my arms and carried her to my room— our room, and we stayed there the rest of the night, and every night after that. She came back to me. A day I never thought would come. I made a promise that day, to never let her go, to do everything in my power to hold onto this girl as long as my heart beats in my chest.

THE END