In Your Arms

Chap. 54: Wipe My Tears

(Picture of Chris Eaton & Katie Morgan at airport above AND Gif of Katie crying below)

I stand at the kitchen counter, making Chris and I turkey sandwiches. He sits in the living room with Copper, watching my favorite show, the Big Bang Theory. I can hear Sheldon's hilarious insults from across the hall. I can't help but giggle out loud.
            My phone buzzes at the end of the counter. I wipe my hands on the towel and go check whose calling me. It's dad. Ugh. Well, if I don't answer now, he'll keep calling. I slide the green button across the screen.
        "Hey, Dad." I say annoyed.
        "Katie..." the sound in my father's voice is sullen, sad "Babydoll, I need you to come home."
           "I can't go to Texas, Dad." I begin worry. "Is mom okay? Dad, what's going on?"
            Footsteps echo into the kitchen, along with clicking nails. I listen closely to my father as he speaks. I can barely hear Chris when he asked me who it was on the phone.
             "Punkin', I'm sorry to have to tell you this over the phone, but your Aunt died." My heart begins to quicken, which Aunt died? Bárbara? Rebecca? Paula? Carmen? "Barb's gone."
No. No no no no no no no! It can't be. My Aunt Barb cannot be dead! Not my Aunt Barbie! On the inside, something begins to suffocate me. I cover my mouth to muffle my sob, tears already trailing down my cheeks. Suddenly, Chris has my phone and is talking with my father. Everything goes so fast. At first, I'm grasping the kitchen counter then my body is falling to the kitchen floor—

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              I had blacked out on the kitchen floor for 20 minutes. Chris kept trying to wake me by gently smacking my cheeks and moving my shoulder.
         When I woke back up, everything came flooding back and so did my tears. Chris held me close to his chest and shushed me, kissing my salty tear stained cheeks. And then he made the decision that we BOTH were going down to Texas for the funeral. I tried to tell him that I didn't want him to go considering he wouldn't know anybody and that's not how I want him to meet my family for the first time.
So, apparently, my dad got angry and started screaming at Chris through the phone because, well, I never told my dad that I was dating a boy. Oh and the fact the boy I was dating was not a boy at all. Oh, no! He's a MAN. And my dad knew it over the phone by the sound of his voice. How do I know all this? Well, I called mom after I Woke up from my blackout and guess who answered? Yup, Dad. I had to hang up because he had me in tears. My favorite aunt, the aunt who never married or had any children, who helped raise me with my parents, was no longer my dad's concern. Dad wanted to know why I didn't tell him about my new MANfriend 20 seconds after it happened. He wanted to know when and where it happened. And lastly, he wanted to know who my new "manfriend" was. And what made me cry harder was him screaming at the top of his lungs at me.
For the next few hours, I laid on Chris's bed and bawled my eyes out. He kept pulling me into his chest and holding me, comforting me as I wept. He rocked me back and forth, shushing me as I wept into his chest. I could barely stand up in the shower I was so broken, Chris had to climb in and help me. My Aunt Barb, whom I've considered to be more like my grandma and who treated me more like my grandma all my life, is dead.

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After Chris had packed for a week in Texas, he took me back to my apartment and he helped me pack. I sat on the edge of my bed as Chris explained my situation to Tara. Tara kept trying to hug me and comfort me and I just felt smothered.
Everything became a blur. Even riding on an airplane for the first time was a blur. Chris had put our luggage away and found our seats. He let me take the window seat but I ended up falling asleep on his shoulder for the majority of the flight. He kept trying to get me to eat, but I can't. I feel...blah. Empty and broken. How can I eat when one of the few important people in my life has died? Chris kept kissing my forehead and held my hand so tight in his.
"Honey, I know it's not the time, but why didn't you tell your family about me?" Chris says softly, trying to be gentle with me.
"Because I wanted to surprise them." Lie, I actually NEVER wanted to tell them because of the many aspects they would consider flaws. "I wanted it to be perfect."
Chris pulls me into his lap, an arm over my back and the other holds my legs close to him. He hushes me in my ear, kissing my salty cheeks. I hear someone clear their throat. Chris and I turn to see one of the stewardess.
              "Excuse me, but you have to take your own seat, ma'am." The Stewardess says so fake, too nice. "It's for your own safety."
            Chris pecks my cheek and slides me into the window seat. The Stewardess smiles at him with goo-goo eyes then when Chris turns, the bitch gives me a nasty glare. Whoa. I just cussed. I am falling apart! Chris takes my hand, his thumb rubbing over mine.
             "Honey, Baby, stop crying. It's all going to be—"
             "DON'T—say okay." I wince, "Aunt Barb is my favorite aunt. Or was. I was her favorite niece and she helped raise me. She was l-l-like—like my grandma."
             "Oh, Honey..." Chris says softly, giving me a soft expression.
            I break once again, tears falling down my cheeks. "I never got to say goodbye. I never got to say goodbye!"
           Chris gently wipes my tears. "I know, Baby. I know. I'm so, so sorry."
           Suddenly, I remember Aunt Barb's will. God. It's all in my name. EVERYTHING. Her house, her truck, her life's savings—I CANT DO THIS!!!
           "God, what am I going to do? I can do this by myself!" I think out loud.
          "Baby, you're not alone." Chris assures me, "I'm right here."
            "No," I sniff "Aunt Barb left EVERYTHING to me. I was her favorite niece and she wanted me to have everything she had. How can I sell her things and take her life's savings? It's not mine."
           Chris nods his head, patting my hand. "I'm store your parents will help you—maybe I can be of service to help you with her things."
            I lay my head on his shoulder. For the next 5 hours, I try to think up a plan to try and help me cope with my Aunt's death. I fall asleep once again 30 minutes before landing.