Counting On Forever

Chapter 2

A big thank you to qinx01 for
making this amazing new cover!
Hope you enjoy this new chapter!

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~{Chapter 2}~

Two weeks have passed since that horrific day. Not once had I stepped out of my apartment. I didn't sleep or work. I ate hardly anything and didn't answer any phone calls or emails. My world had completely stopped.

I spent hours mindlessly watching TV. My phone kept ringing. I would not answer, but I would listen to the voicemails. Many of them were from James' family and Beth.

Not once had I cried since that day. I wanted to but no tears would come. There was something that was keeping me from letting all my emotions out all at once. Maybe it was a good thing, but I'm not quite sure.

Beth had no idea what happened, so she always sounded cheery in her voicemails. Every time I listened to her voicemails, I would scream and usually throw something. I hated hearing her so happy while I was so miserable.

When James' family called, I would groan and bury myself deeper in my favorite chair.

The day after reaching the two week mark, somebody knocked on my door.

I didn't answer.

The person kept knocking.

"Go away!" I shout.

A knock came again.

"Go away!" I repeat.

This time, someone rings the doorbell. I yell out a string of curses, even though I knew I shouldn't, and kept sitting in my chair.

The person began to knock harder, and I could hear someone kicking the bottom of the door.

"Open up, Kate!" a muffled voice called.

I curse yet again and get up from the chair. I stomp to the door and am ready to give whoever was at the door a piece of my mind.

"I said for you to go freaking..." I stop when I see who it was.

It's Beth and James' mother. It had to be a dream, so I close my eyes and shake my head. I open them again, and they are still there.

"Wh-what are y-you doing here?" I ask.

Beth answers, "We came to check on you. You haven't been answering any of our calls."

I run my fingers through my messy and dirty hair and ask, "You know what happened don't you?"

"I learned about it a day ago," was her quiet reply.

I look past her and at James' mother. "You really thought I was going to answer anyone's calls? I'm hurting right now! Do you guys not get it?!"

She steps forward and takes my hands in hers. "Kate, you aren't the only one who was faced with the loss of James. I lost my son. We are both hurting. Why can't we hurt together?"

I lower my head and give her a hug. I realize how selfish I've been. I've been thinking of only myself. I have no idea what it's like to lose a child. A child shouldn't die before their parent.

I whisper into her ear with a wavering voice, "I'm so sorry... so, so sorry."

She pulls out of the hug and wipes away her tears. "Me too. Kate, we can get through this if we seek God and help each other. We just have to try."

I gesture for them to come in. That afternoon, we spent hours talking. For the first time in two weeks, I felt a small sense of security and hope.