For The Love Of You

37

Cheryl's P.O.V:

"Mike, she's fine. Calm down." I told him as I saw how scared he was looking.

"But-...what was all of the crying and the screaming and the-..." He said but I cut him off.

"She had a bad dream. She's telling me about it right now. I think that her Mother and her boyfriend killed her brother..." I said as I then looked over at Olivia.

"It's my fault." She said as she laid her head down on the table and started to cry.

"Brother?" Mike silently mouthed to me. I nodded my head.

"Olivia..." Mike said as he then walked over towards her and sat down in a seat next to her. "Why do you feel like it's your fault, sweetheart? They're the ones who did their horrible things...not you." He said to her as he rubbed her back.

"I was supposed to protect him. I let him down as a big sister and-....it's too late. I-...I couldn't move...I didn't know what to do." She said as she looked up at Mike with her red, puffy eyes. "It's my fault. No matter what anybody says." She then added as she put her head back down. Mike then looked over at me.

I looked back at him with the same look of frustration and compassion. He knew I related to that all to well.

"Come tell her." He mouthed to me as he tried to soothe her.

"Olivia baby girl I know how you feel I really do." I said as I sat down next to her on the side opposite of Mike.

"No you don't no one knows what it's like to lose their baby brother because you couldn't do anything, but you should have." When she said that I knew I had to tell her my story. I quickly got up and went to get a picture that was in the living room.

"Look baby girl." I said as I showed her the picture.

"Wh-...who is that?"

"That's my baby brother Elroy-... he died a long time ago."

"He-...he did?"

"Yep... and he had 4 children so it was up to us to raise them... you'll meet them soon." I said as I tried to fight back my tears.

"Were you upset when he died?"

"This sounds like a mother daughter conversation I'm going to-... head out." Mike said as he stood up.

"No Mr. Mike please don't leave not yet." Olivia said as she grabbed him.

Mike looked at me confused on what to do. I just motioned for him to wait in the living room.

"Okay baby girl how about this I'll wait for you two in the living room okay?" He said as she agreed and let him go.

"Now mommy-... how... how did he die?" She asked me. I took a deep breath and sighed. Telling this story wasn't gonna be easy, and there's gonna be tears.

"Well, uhm...he died from a specific type of bone cancer when he was 20 years old. Once I found out, I was...deviated. Him and I were....best friends, I mean- I was his big sister and I wanted to always take care of him. I think that it broke my heart into a million pieces and sometimes I felt like I should have done something. I blamed myself and asked myself why wasn't I there for him when he needed me the most? I was out on tour, I was just now getting myself out there to promote my music to the world and that's when I found out. I don't think that there's a day that goes by when I don't think about him." I explained to him.

"So...you do understand how I feel....." She then said as she wiped her face.

"Yes. I do. Were you and your brother best friends?" I asked her.