Chapter 9: All Mixed Up
She shadows me in the mirror and never leaves on the light
"I'm going to pick the kids up from school. Please put in a load of dirty socks. Shit! I broke my shoe heel. Stephen?" Jackie interrupted my thoughts as the record blared.
"Yeah Jackie?"
"I'll be back in half an hour, love you."
"I love you too." I said.
After the record ended, and I was finished with the dirty socks, matching them into piles. I turned off the Led Zepplin documentary that I didn't really watch.
The other day I thought I heard Donna laughing in the other room. It was just little Donnalea. Our littlest angel. She scares me sometimes, she reminds me so much of her namesake.
It was Jackie's idea.
I can't believe my eyes, I wait for her forever, she never does arrive
Then there are the nights when I dream about Donna. She's telling me she forgives me. She's glowing and she smiles like she did when we were nine. When it was me and her and the porch. And everything was innocent and nice. Her eyes match her blue jeans and we laugh until she starts to crumble away and I wake up sweating and feeling like there are snakes in my gut.
It's all mixed up, she says to leave it to me, and everything will be alright
Then Jackie is there, and she holds me and says it's okay.
"I know you love her." she says in a quiet voice. Like a secret. My secret.
"Jackie…"
And Jackie holds me, and I am home.
The End