Divided

Four.

Whitney

Sleeping comfortably I was awaken by my cell phone ringing. Noticing that it was 2:30 in the morning, I groaned looking to see that Toni had called me. Maybe she got into an argument with her husband, and needed advice.

"Hello?" My voice was sounding hoarse, because I was tired as hell. I spent all weekend grading papers, which is the least favorite part of my job.

"Whit-, Mama.." Toni sounded like she'd been crying a lot, which made me concerned.

"What's going on? What happened?" Internally, I started to panic.

"Mama's gone. She was hit by a drunk driver, and they..they tried to save her but she didn't make it." Instantly hearing that, I sobbed into my hands. I couldn't take anymore deaths.

"Who's gonna call Janet?" I asked. The silence between Toni and myself on the phone was a killer. I didn't want her to feel like she should do everything because she was the oldest.

"Why did I even ask? I'll call her, Toni. Don't worry. I gotta go..I-I love you." I said.

"Alright. I love you, too." Toni said, ending the call. A shaky sighed came out of my mouth, as I scrolled looking for Janet's contact information. We haven't communicated since my husband's funeral, and this is not how I wanted to start back, by relaying terrible news.

Clicking on her name, I held my phone close to my ear as it was ringing. Within ten seconds, I heard my sister's voice.

"Hey Whitney, what's going on?" Janet sounded like she was up already. I don't know why I became the bearer of bad news.

"Something terrible happened. Mommy died, in an accident." Hearing my sister sobbing in the phone, I restarted the waterworks. It was constant losses in our family. Janet's best friend, then my husband, now our mother was gone. This was all too much with this year.

"Umm, if you don't mind...can I come to your house? I'll be there in a few hours, but I just don't wanna be alone, right now." Janet rambled. She was more than welcome to stay with me.

"Jan, we're sisters...you're always welcomed here. I know that calling you under these circumstances wasn't really ideal, but I want you here with me."

"Okay, I'll see you later." Janet sniffled over the line. I know she's been through a lot this past year and I can definitely relate.

"I love you, remember that." I heard more sniffles from her, as she responded back to me.

"I love you too, bye." I hung up the phone. I couldn't sleep after getting this news. Getting out of my bed, I headed to my son's room as he was sleeping. I laid next to him, and cuddled with him. Kissing his forehead, I became more emotional. He looked just like his father, and acted like his grandmother with her dramatic behavior.

A part of me wanted to question God's doings, but I heard my mother's voice in the back of my head saying 'Everything happens for a reason. Don't question His plans and doings.'

With my life's downfalls, my only hope I wished for was to please my mother.