Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters portrayed in this fic except for Carly and Annie Barringer, and there may be other characters entering later. If you don't recognize the name... I own them too!
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AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Okay..this story is going to be semi unrealistic...It changes some of the stuff that happened around..but I hope you like it anyway. Scott and Shelby are gonna be going through some rough times in this story..but REST ASSURE they will be okay and together in the end, I PROMISE so don't get all cat scratch fever on me! This is original..and there's nothing like it that's been posted.
I Can't Let Go
Ch. 1
If you never felt pain....then how would you know that there is healing?
-Anonymous
It was 7 A.M. on a December morning. The Barringer household was sleeping peacefully. All but Shelby. Shelby was up and adam every morning at 6, no matter the day. She had a family to think about now. Two daughters and a husband.
She put the coffee on the burner, and then headed into the living room of their upper middle class suburban home, grabbed their cat, and plopped down into Scott's recliner. This was the only time she had to herself.
She had her routine in the morning. Put the coffee on, start breakfast, and then cuddle with the family cat, Soup, until Scott woke. No one saw her cuddle Soup like this. Whenever Scott or the girls were around she acted like she hated the darn thing. Always talked about how they should get rid of it, but she really did love the cat.
She scratched Soup's ears and he purred wildly. Scott walked groggily into the room scratching his head and yawning. She threw the cat down abruptly and it made a frantic mew as it landed with a loud thump on the carpeting. Scott froze and looked at her.
"What? I wasn't doing anything. I was only getting it off the furniture." She snapped. He smiled slyly and nodded continuing his walk to the kitchen. "I was!" she said getting up and following him. "And I'll thank you not to look at me that way!"
"I didn't say a word." He said pouring coffee into a mug.
"No, but you implied it." She argued.
"I didn't IMPLY anything, Shel." He laughed and sat down at the kitchen table. She sat down across from him and crossed her arms over her chest. "What are you so worried about? That I saw you cuddling with Soup?" he said quickly and then filled his mouth with coffee. She sat up abruptly and then uncrossed her arms.
"I was doing no such thing!" she exclaimed loudly.
"Oh, cut the crap Shels! I see you every morning!"
"Oh, I don't believe it! You're spying on me?!" she laughed, pieces of her blonde hair falling out of her ponytail.
"Not exactly.......I just watch you when you don't know I'm watching."
"It's the same thing!" she laughed. He shrugged and smiled.
"It's the same way...like when we were at Horizon...you would pretend not to care about anything. It's all an act. You care. You just don't like showing it to anybody. You're afraid they'll see.... or at least think they know....how weak you really are. I know you're not weak, Shelby. I know how strong you are, so please don't hide yourself from me." He said quietly, reading into everything. That was exactly it. No one could have said it better.
"How can someone know more about me than I know myself?" she asked him.
"Sometimes I wonder the same thing." They both sat for a moment, getting lost in the moment when a loud thump coming from upstairs interrupted their quiet. They both looked at the ceiling. Shelby set her coffee down on the table.
"The girls are awake." She stated the obvious. Scott nodded.
"They'll be down any second." He replied. As if on cue, the two little girls came bouncing into the kitchen. They had deep blue eyes and medium length blonde hair. Scott was sometimes in awe at how much, even at such a young age, they looked like their mother.
"Good morning." 3 year old Annie Barringer sang happily climbing onto a stool, followed by her twin, Carly
"Good morning, girls." Shelby said and smiled warmly. "Can I get you something to drink?"
"No." Annie said flatly.
"Carly?" Shelby offered.
"No thank you, Mommy. Could I please have some cereal?" she asked politely.
"Yes you may." She said returning her daughter's politeness. She got up and fixed Carly a bowl of Cheerios. She set it down in front of Carly with a spoon. "and Carly Marie Barringer, if u stick one more Cherrio up your nose- -" the shrill ring of the phone interrupted her. She glanced at the phone and started inching towards it continuing to yell over the ring "we won't buy them anymore! This is your last warning." She grabbed the phone off the hook and put it to her ear. "Hello?" Silence on the other end of the line. "Hello?"
"Hello, is this the Barringer residence?"
"Yes it is. Can I ask who's calling?"
"My name is Jana Macintire. You don't know me. I'm afraid....I have some bad news. But first, may I inquire who I am speaking to?"
"Uh..T-this is Mrs. Shelby Barringer." She stammered.
"I see. Are you...Scott Barringer's wife?"
"Yes ma'am. Can I ask what this is ABOUT?!" she asked getting frightened.
"It's about your father in law. Martin Barringer."
"What about him?! Has something happened?!"
"Maybe it's best if I tell Mr. Barringer...."
"LOOK lady...Martin is my family too and I think I have right to know what the hell is going on here!" She yelled. Scott sat up in his chair and got a worried look on his face.
"Was." The voice on the other line said.
"Huh?" Shelby said
"He was your family." She said meekly. "Martin died early this morning."
Shelby wasn't sure if she had heard correctly. But she knew she had. She was shell shocked. The phone dropped from her hand and hit the kitchen floor and then slid across the floor.
"Shelby?!" she heard Scott's voice in the distance somewhere. She couldn't understand it. She had just talked to Martin yesterday. How could this be? She slid down and held her knees close to her chest and tried to force herself out of this world.
"Mommy?" Annie said, sounding upset.
"Carly, Annie, please just sit there quietly. Daddy's gonna take care of everything. I'm gonna take care of everything." Scott said getting up. He grabbed the phone off of the floor. "Hello?"
"H-hello? Mr. Barringer?"
"Yes? What's going on!?"
"I'm sorry son...your father....he died this morning." She repeated the grave news. Scott felt as if the whole world had fallen out from underneath him.
"How?" he fought back tears.
"Natural causes." She said sympathetically. Scott got a pained look on his face. "I'm sorry. Do you have plans to come up here and make the arrangements?" There was silence.
"Um..I'll be there. Tell my mom I'll be there as soon as I can."
"I'll do that. Again....I'm sorry. I understand your pain."
"You couldn't possibly." He said and hung up. He set the phone down on the table. He looked up. "Shelby?" he asked. She raised her head up from her knees. Tears were running down her face. "Oh God, Shelby." He said and somehow got to where she was sitting, gathered her shaking body into his arms and comforted her. She clung to him, not ever wanting to let go.
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Soon: The plans and arrival at the funeral. Scott discovers the truth....could ELAINE have anything to do with Martin's death? Haha..so I gave it away....well....there's gonna be a MAJOR twist in this! PLEASE REVIEW PLEASE REVIEW PLEASE REVIEW. If you want me to continue I need motivation....at least 10. Thanx. It;s 2 A.M.....so I'll post and go to bed. I'm sooo sleepy!