Be With Me

Chapter 34

James was silent all of the way, he didn't want to drive and kept staring out at the street as Rafaela drove back home. She commented about the weather, but he didn't answer and then she gave up, giving him his space and the silence he was imposing. James looked tired, exhausted even, big black shadows under his eyes, and his face showed pain, rage and sadness all in one. He had yet lost another important person in his life.

As she parked the car in front of their house, he got out of it and waited for her to open the door, then inside he crashed on the couch staring at nothing. His eyes simply stared at the window that was in front of him, but he wasn't seeing. His stare was blank, Rafaela could tell.

"Are you hungry?" She asked him.

"No." He answered. "I don't want to eat."

"James? Talk to me..." She pleaded sitting by his side and worried.

"I am fine."

"You're not fine babe. You can't be fine." She ran a hand over his hair, and he got up quickly, almost looking like he was avoiding her touch.

"I need a shower." He told her.

With that he turned around and went inside. She turned the TV on understanding that must had been a very confusing time for him, though she'd prefer he'd say something, he'd let go, he'd cry again, instead of being just stone cold and absent. When he was done and dressed in sweaters, he went to the kitchen and came back with a beer in his hand, sitting by her side again.

"Can you go pick up Liam? I want to see him." He said taking a sip.

"Ok...I just thought maybe you wanted to talk or be a little quiet." She said.

"I want to be quiet with him. I miss our son." James told her.

Rafaela got up and kissed his forehead. "I'll be right back."

She walked up the road concerned with his sudden change of attitude, with his sudden coldness but walked fast so she could fulfill his request as fast as she could. Maybe Liam was who he relay needed to heal. Then she rang the bell of her parent's door.

"Is he awake?" She asked seeing her mother with Liam on her arms.

"He is." Rafaela grabbed her baby and smiled down at him.

"Hi baby...did you behave?" She talked to him and Liam smiled at his young mother.

"He was an angel. Now we were just having fun. He's so sweet." Cynthia observed her grandson delightfully. "Look how he's smiling at you? Is it mommy Liam?" The baby blurted a sound that made them laugh. "Have you come to take him home?"

"Yeah...James asked me to see him." She said.

Cynthia lost her smile. "How is he?"

"Weird. I mean...he fell silent, he doesn't say a word, he doesn't cry. Nothing... I tried to talk to him, and he shut me up by changing the subject, then he simply asked me to pick up Liam because he missed him."

"Well, it's his son, he hasn't seen him in almost two months." Cynthia argued.

"I know mom, that's not the point. I just expected him to react differently. I know James is hurting a lot, Cliff was like a brother to him. I just want him to talk things out and he's keeping things to himself. That's all..."

"Give him time..." He mother patted her arm. "He needs time to deal with this inside himself. Losing someone for James must be a terrible thing, he must be shocked."

"I know all that. Well, I'm going, he's waiting, and I don't want to keep him waiting for long." Cynthia kissed her daughter and then the baby.

"Bye cutie." She said and Liam smiled shaking his arms happily. "Oh...you're so perfect." She kissed him again.