Chapter 9: Pictures & Memories
A few weeks had passed since Kendall's service. Since that awful day, it had been difficult for everyone. Day to day living was a task for each of them.
Erica and Bianca arrived at Kendall's condo hoping to take on one of those tasks. They knocked, but Ethan did not answer, so they let themselves in. They had not been there in some time, but you could still feel Kendall's presence everywhere. Bianca could even swear that she could smell the sweet subtle scent of her perfume. Erica walked over and pick up a double picture frame from the table. On one side there was a photo of all the Kane women and on the other side there was a beautiful photo of Kendall and Ethan together. Bianca walked over to her mother and lovingly gazed at the photos with Erica.
"God – I miss her Bianca!" She ran he fingers over the photo, "Were they happy together? I mean, I was so insistent on her leaving him and her moving on that I never noticed."
"Yeah, they were mom; he was so good for her. They made each other so very happy and he loved her without conditions. He was willing to give her the world if she wanted. " Bianca told Erica and she simply smiled. Erica and Bianca decided it was time.
Ethan walked into the condo after a long and frustrating day at the office. He would only go to work to help get his mind off all the memories. He heard some voices in the condo coming from the bedroom, "Hello?" He shouted out toward the area.
Bianca peeked out of the bedroom door, "Ethan, its us, we're in here."
Ethan walked in to the bedroom and noticed that Erica and Bianca were packing away Kendall's clothing and some of her belongings. Ethan stared around the room, his expression giving away his displeasure at what he was seeing.
"What are doing?" Ethan sternly asked both of them as he watched.
"It's time Ethan. We wanted to be the ones to pack Kendall's things, so you wouldn't have to do it." Erica explained to Ethan as she continued to take Kendall's clothing from the closet.
Ethan grabbed Kendall's jacket from Erica, "You're not taking anything. I won't let you." Erica glared at Ethan.
"Ethan, it's done, Mom and I sold the condo. It was in Kendall's name and I know you were both here but …Ethan" Bianca tried to rationalize with Ethan.
Ethan stared down at the jacket, and told them, "I said no, you're not moving anything."
"Ethan!" Erica tried to get him to listen.
"You don't understand, you're not moving anything. The reason you are not taking anything is that I bought the condo. Her things will remain here where they belong. Nothing is leaving this house." Ethan started to return her clothing from the box to the closet. Erica and Bianca carefully watched him as he continued.
Bianca grasped Ethan's arm to stop him, "I know you miss her," Bianca glanced at Erica, "We all miss her, but Ethan, the only way, the only way that we can all move on is if you take certain steps. Steps needed to help the grieving process. You can't just sit here with all these reminders around you."
"Did your therapist give you that bit of advice?" Ethan snidely remarked to Bianca. Ethan then realized that his remark was uncalled for. "Bianca…. I 'm sorry – I didn't mean to…" he paused.
"Ethan we understand" Bianca interrupted Ethan. He walked over to the bed, defeated in his demeanor and sat there.
"I love her." He sat there and just stared at her jacket, "She was going to be my wife. I was going to ask her to marry me that night." Erica and Bianca glanced at each other surprised at his comment. "I guess we were both going to surprise each other that evening." Ethan was referring to the baby and the proposal.
Seeing the hurt and love in his eye, Erica walked near Ethan and told him, "When you ready, we will help you with all of this,"
She pointed toward Kendall's things, "until then, you do what you need to do." Both Bianca and Erica decided to leave.
Ethan was again left there with her belongings and the memories. Ethan ran both hands through his hair in desperation and looked around the room. "How am I supposed to make it without you? How the hell am I supposed to go on without both of you?" He buried his face in his hands.
Kendall's looked on determined and answered Ethan, "You're not going to have to. I am going to find a way out of this hell, one way or another." For the first time, Kendall felt an incredible amount of strength both mentally and physically. She had to find a way out of here. It had been a couple of months and she still had no idea who her captors were. Why they were holding on to her, she did not know, but she was going to figure it out soon.
