Color

Upstate New York, 5 Years Ago II

Even when his baby was born, Bruce's expression didn't change too much. Most fathers would've smiled or burst into tears or done something to show excitement but not Bruce. It was as if he was born with one face and that face was set in stone. Sure, he showed tiny bits of emotion but they were subtle and it took someone with great observation skills to see them. Santana and Janice happened to be two of these people.

However, giant tears leaked out of his eyes when he heard the news from Janice.

"Brittany's dead." Janice whispered to him while Santana was playing with Brittana in the living room. Bruce said nothing for a moment, his face unreadable. And then his eyes started shimmering and Janice couldn't believe it but he started crying. He wiped away the tears as they came but this was something that shocked his wife to no end. He had never cried in all the time that she knew him and here he was silently bawling. After a few seconds of battling the never ending onslaught of tears, he grabbed his keys and started for the door.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Drive." He replied and slammed the door shut. Bruce was still a man, Janice concluded, and she knew he was probably going off somewhere deeper into the country to let out his sorrow. Janice envied his luxury. After hearing Santana's confession, she too wanted to just wander off in the night and have a good cry. Her mothering instincts prevented her from taking off and leaving the girl by herself.

"Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?" She offered. Santana looked up. "I find it helps to be close to someone." Santana smiled appreciatively.

"No thanks, I'm a big girl." She replied. Janice sank into the couch next to her, hoping that Max and Laney were fast asleep and wouldn't wake up anytime soon.

"This must be hard."

"You have no idea." Santana said.

"I'm sure I don't. I don't think I ever had a friend as close as Brittany was to you. I mean, Bruce is my closest friend and I don't think I could handle losing him." She replied.

"I guess it is hard." Santana admitted, spinning the ring on her finger.

"I don't know how you do it." Janice stroked the top of her head comfortingly. Santana shrugged.

"I don't know either." The two of them sat there in silence until Santana stood up.

"You going to bed?" Janice asked, not quite knowing how to comfort the girl. She watched the girl sadly as she walked up the stairs, shoulders slumped slightly forward as if a heavy weight was pressing her down. Janice covered her face and took in several deep breaths. She could still see the blond girl's shining smile, her ever cheerful and light hearted demeanor, and her innocent blue eyes. She remembered how calm her voice was even when she was screaming and pushing a baby out of her. She handled the whole situation with an air of "everything was going to be alright."

It was hard to imagine that angel now returned to heaven. With a heavy sigh, Janice stood up from the couch and went upstairs. She heard Santana on the floor above her flopping into bed and she checked on Max and Laney who were slumbering peacefully. She knew she'd have to tell Max one day, and Laney deserved to know about the girls who helped her into life once she was old enough. Max understood death, being on a farm where there were hundreds of animals made it hard to keep from the boy. But telling him that Brittany was dead would be a completely different matter. The boy asked about Brittany almost every day since they left, wondering when the blond would come play with him again. Janice rested her head against the doorway and let her body seize up in quiet remorse. She made a silent promise to take her whole family and pay respects to both Brittany and her family.