Chapter 2 - Comfort


I couldn't believe it. The news disrupted me... I was driving so fast. Good, a traffic light. Time to calm down and focus, or my turn would come... of course the roads were empty around this time but you never know. The light turned green after what seemed like an eternity, and I continued my rush to Ib's house.

Arrived in front of the 55 Sanford Street, I was astonished at how calm everything was. I rang at the door and waited a little bit until I heard a click and saw the handle going down. Ib's mother pulled me in before I could say anything. The mood turned heavy in a few seconds. The woman was wearing a red dress. Her chocolate hair reminded me of Ib's, and those eyes... Ib had her mother's eyes, ruby ones, very beautiful. But she was trying to avoid my gaze.
"I'm really sorry to bother you at the present time, Garry..." she said very sadly. The event must've broke her. "But as you can hear..."
"Uh ?"

I calmed down to listen carefully. Ib was crying upstairs.
"Does she... know ?" I asked staring at Ib's mother again.

This time she looked at me. Her face looked very tired, she sure hadn't slept at all. I wouldn't be surprised if Ib hadn't either... her mother nodded at me and turned around to clear her eyes and nose.
"Should I go... comfort her ?" I proposed. She pointed at the staircase nodding, then looked at me over her shoulder :
"She told me herself to call you. I tried everything to calm her myself but to no avail..."
"No need to worry, ma'am, I'll do my best. Call me if you need any help... I'm terribly sorry for what happened."

As she didn't answer, I understood she wanted me to comfort her daughter. But what was I going to say ? If her own mother couldn't help her, how would I ? I went upstairs, saddened at the increasing sound of Ib crying... I knocked at the door and tried talking to her :
"May I enter, Ib ?"

I waited for a few seconds but she didn't stop or moved, she likely was in her bed. I decided to open the door and removed my shoes at the sight of the carpet covering most of her room. My gaze fast went on Ib. All I cared to see around her was a box of tissues, on a white piece of furniture on the left of her bed. I slowly walked towards her and sat down on the floor. She just had to turn her head to see me now.
"Ib... your mother told me everything. I'm sorry."

She sniffled, sobbed and sniffled again, then finally looked at me. Tears never stopped flowing down her cheeks, making her look totally exhausted. I felt so bad for her my own tears were coming up... while she stared at me, she didn't make any noise except two sniffles. Her gaze seemed empty, she was lost in my horrified look. Maybe she could feel that I was worrying for her. As soon as I put my right hand on her cheek, she took it and fell off her bed, directly in my arms.
"GARRY !" she cried...

She was so warm I thought she was sick. I wouldn't stop her crying if I stayed silent like that. I carried her to reposition her for a hug, as she glued her face back against my green shirt, getting soaked in her tears, and tried to reassure her :
"Everything is gonna be okay now. I'm here to protect you, and I won't stop before anybody tells me to."

She looked at me, trying so hard to hold her tears. I chased them off of her cheeks, then she sniffled. I saw a box of tissues when I entered, so I gave her one. She used it and seemed to need another one, which I had prepared already. She cleared her nose and started calming down as I patted her back when she leaned for another hug.
"Promise ?" she said so quietly I had to ask her to repeat after putting her on her knees.
"Did you say something, Ib ?" I asked gently grabbing her cheeks as to tell her to look at me.
"Promise me to protect me forever, Garry."

She trembled a lot from asking me that, holding her tears to face me. Refusing couldn't possibly cross my mind, but we'd need to tell her mom the truth about the gallery at some point, and it could be very painful for the both of them. I joined my pinky with Ib's without hesitation, as she needed more rest than worry.
"I promise, Ib. Now you should try to sleep, okay ?"
"I want to stay here." she replied hiding her face in my green shirt again. I giggled at her.
"Alright, I'll move. I have to check if your mother is okay, though. Could you move back a second, please ?"

She sat back the time I got up, and spread her arms when I could carry her, putting all her strenght in this little smile she gave me as encouragement. I went downstairs with her and saw her mother on the sofa, still covering her eyes.
"Ma'am, is everything okay ?" I asked her while touching her shoulder. She looked at her daughter and smiled at me.
"You can call me Ashley, Garry, it's okay..."
"I wouldn't dare, ma'am. But if you allow me asking, what is your last name ?"
"I'm Ashley Jordon."
"Garry Jordon...", Ib interrupted.

I felt as if time stopped around me, it was so strange. I stared at Ib with surprise and her cheeks turned pure red, before she gave me an embarassed giggle to hide her face behind my shoulder. She squeezed me harder in her little arms when her mother began to laugh.
"Ib sure has a great imagination !" she added, amused. I stared at Ib's mother as Ib replied her :
"I'm not kidding, Garry promised me to protect me forever..."
"Oh yeah ?" she smirked. I surely was getting as red as Ib was.
"Just ask me when Ib needs my help and I'll come running." I said and nodded, just trying to hide my face away for a bit. "I'll never take your daughter away from you."
"I know you wouldn't, I saw how trustworthy you would be since Ib couldn't stop thinking about you." Mrs Jordon replied.

Of course the remark made Ib blush again, and it made me giggle when she hid her face again.
"Will you be okay now ? I mean, you really need some rest, I won't bother you anymore." I asked to change the subject. I wanted to put Ib on the sofa but she caught me with her two legs to prevent her from falling. I carried her again as her red eyes were staring at me.
"Sweetie, Garry is also tired, he must go back to his house to sleep too, you know ?" her mother said.
"Only this night, please... Garry..." Ib murmured, trying not to fall asleep.
"You're not gonna let me leave, aren't you ? Fine." I answered with a smile, then sat down on the sofa, hugging Ib as she was hugging me. And she closed her eyes.

Her mother's felt at ease when she stared at us, making me blush again.
"You're adorable, Garry. Do you have any brother or sister ?" she asked.
"I don't. And I live alone since I was 16, my mother had a cancer." I murmured so Ib wouldn't hear much. After that, Mrs Jordon shut her mouth with her hands.
"I'm sorry Garry, I didn't wanna make you remember this."
"It's alright, don't worry. Is Ib sleeping already ?"

I looked at Ib again and could feel her breath on my chest. She was peaceful too, as if nothing ever happened.
"She looks so peaceful. You must be very special to her, Garry." Mrs Jordon said, closing the distance between us. "Maybe she'll be better with you than I for a while..."

She was starting to worry me, how could she say that ? Sure she didn't know how to make her daughter calm down, but I'm a complete stranger to the family...
"Never say that, please. Maybe I can help her sleeping but I can't take care of her like you did the 9 past years. Don't blame yourself, she's counting on you, you're her Mom, Mrs Jordon." I said, encouraging her.
"Don't you want to stay with us, Garry ? Be the Garry Jordon she's dreaming about ?" she asked, petting her daughter's shoulder. She really knew how to make me uneasy ! I wanted to speak but she continued : "Actually, don't you think it sounds nice ?" She looked at me and realized that she had lost me in my thoughts. She nodded to apologize. "I'm sorry, what am I saying, it must be very uneasy for you..."
"Don't... don't be sorry, Mrs Jordon. I would be lying if I said Ib's thoughts didn't please me..."
"I'm getting tired, I know I'm not making any sense, sorry. I'll go to bed." she quickly said while getting up.
"Could I use your sofa to take some rest, then ?"

When I tried to get up, Ib made a little noise, making me stay sat. Her mother was in front of us, smiling.
"I'm afraid you'll have to stay here if you don't want to wake her up. Do you need a pillow ? It must be a painful position to sleep."
"I'm fine, I swear. I care more about Ib than myself.", I said, looking at the peaceful Ib.
"Make sure she never gets that sad again, please. She really likes you." she finished before going upstairs.

I felt very awkward letting Ib sleep on my lap, but her mother didn't really mind. I'd protect her life from anything right now, even if I had to sacrifice mine for her. I repositioned her so she wouldn't get a stiff neck tomorrow, and rolled my coat as a pillow before falling asleep.


To be continued...