I tossed and turned.
Then I tossed some more and turned more than that.
My body was screaming for sleep but my mind just wouldn't agree with it anymore. I wanted to look over at the clock to see what time it was and how long I had slept but I didn't want to open my eyes. If I did I knew I wouldn't go back to sleep.
So I laid there squeezing my eyes shut, tossing and turning.
But nothing worked.
Then it hit me and I groaned out loud.
Bathroom time.
I was tempted to try and hold it but I knew that would only make things worse. Either I could get up and go now, risking staying awake for whatever was left of this day OR I could hold it and wake up with a very sore bladder and be forced to jump out of bed and go. And if there's one thing I hate more than getting up in the middle of the night, it's getting out of bed before I was fully awake.
So, after a few minutes of silent deliberation, I reluctantly pulled myself from the warm confines of Jack's body and the thick, fluffy comforter to make my trip to the bathroom. I caught a glance of the clock beside Jack and rolled my eyes.
"2:38am." I grumbled and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door softly. I quickly did my business and washed my hands. It was then that I noticed a slight throbbing in my forehead.
A crying ache.
The effect of crying so hard and scrunching up your forehead, it sucks. And now it was an added problem to my already problem filled and sleepless night. I turned the light off in the bathroom after I dried my hands and walked out into the room again. Instead of going over to the bed I walked over to the dresser and grabbed my purse. I pulled out a bottle of Tylenol and shook out three red and white pills.
"Maybe this will help." I mumbled and grabbed a bottle of water from the tiny fridge to swallow them with. I sighed, my eyes closed, as the pills made their way down. I was feeling a little tired but doubted that it would be there when I finally got back into bed. I set the bottle down and looked down at the clock.
"2:45am." I whispered and looked up at the big wall mirror in front of me.
It was then that I nearly died.
My eyes were wide with shock as I stared at the person behind me. Their small lips were turned up into the smile that I grew so fond of. Theirs hands were clasped in front of them and their white hair wa pulled up on her head. Nothing has changed. They looked exactly the same since the last time that I had seen them...well, not the exact last time.
That time was one that I blocked from my mind.
"Evelyn." I whispered. My hands started to shake and her smile got bigger. I gripped the dresser, wanting to badly to turn around and hug her but I was too afraid.
What was going on with me? Am I crazy?
I closed my eyes and counted to five...then opened them again.
I was greeted with her smile again.
Oh, this made me weak.
It was almost slow motion as she slowly extended her right hand to me. I stared at it through the mirror and watched her frial old fingers slowly open up. Without any hesitation, I turned around and gently grabbed the tiny piece of paper that laid in her hands. I stared at it in mine and then looked back up to ask her something but...My eyes frantically searched the room and then I turned back to the mirror.
She was gone.
I looked down at my hand and slowly unfolded the paper.
11424 Majuro Dr.
Salem, Mass.
I shot straight up in bed and gasped for air. I felt a slight chill in the room and looked around. My eyes squeezed shut when I realized it was a dream.
"Just a dream." I whispered and opened my eyes to look at the clock.
2:45am. I groaned and rubbed my face with my hands as I laid back down. It was so real. I swear it was like she was there and I could still feel the paper in my hands.
I looked down at Jack's sleeping form and smiled. His arm was still draped across my waist and he had one of my legs twisted between his. He looked so cute and peaceful.
"Jack." I whispered and reached over to run my fingers through his hair. "Jackie, wake up." I smiled when he stirred a little but didn't wake up. "Come on. Wake up, Jack." I said a little louder and laughed when he moved closer to me and buried his face in my neck.
"Uhm." he moaned.
"Wakey, wakey." I sang and I saw one eye open.
"What's wrong?" he grumbled sleepily.
"I just need to talk to you real quick." I told him and sat up a little. He didn't budge.
"Talk." he mumbled and wrapped his arms around me tighter.
"Do you remember the address that the lawyer gave me?" I asked softly. Now I had his attention. His head popped up and he stared at me curiously.
"Yeah, why?" he asked. I kept running my fingers in his hair and sighed.
"I wanna go." I whispered. His brows raised and I smiled a little.
"Really?" he asked. I nodded once and he rubbed his chin. "Okay, we can go tomorrow...er uh," he paused and looked at the clock and groaned. "I mean, later today."
"I just wanna drive by though. See if I recognize it." I added and he nodded. "But we'll have to call Bobby to look for it. I don't remember the address exactly." I saw his face fall immediately and this time it was me who raised my brows. "What?"
"I kinda..uh." he sighed and squeezed his eyes shut. "I have the address, Em." he confessed. I stared at him shocked.
"Excuse me?" I asked needing to hear it one more time...or about a million.
"I brought the address with me." he repeated and looked at him sheepishly. Suddenly, I was mad.
"What? Were you going to force me to go? Trick me, huh?" I yelled and threw the covers off of my body but before I could crawl out of bed, Jack had his arms wrapped around me again.
"No, listen." he whispered and me to his chest. He kissed the back of my neck and rested his chin on my shoulder. "It was strictly a just in case decision. I wanted to have it in case you decided you wanted to go see it. Okay? I would never force you or trick you into doing something you didn't want to do, Emilie. I should be offended that you even let that cross your mind." he whispered and I relaxed, feeling guilty now.
"I know. I'm sorry." I whispered and moved to snuggle up next to him.
"Let's just go back to sleep. We'll deal with this later." he yawned and pulled me onto his chest. I kissed his jaw and smiled up at him.
"I love you." He looked down at me and kissed the tip of my nose.
"And I love you, Diddle."
I was all nerves later that morning. I literally fell out of bed when Jack woke me up. I hit my toe on the door as I walked into the bathroom. I burnt my head with my hair straightener. I poked my eye with my mascara brush and my eyeliner pencil. And I ended up getting up locked out of the hotel room. I was a mess, a total mess.
I had to give it to Jack though, he was handling this well. He, for the most part, contained his laughter when I hurt my toe and burnt myself but by the time I nearly poked my eye out, he was starting to worry. Then when he realized I locked the car keys and hotel keys in the hotel room, he managed to shut up and just walk away. I thought he ran off but luckily, he came back...with a very amused house keeper and an extra key.
He almost forced me into the passenger seat and we were off. I tapped my fingers against the window, my leg, the dashboard and his leg the whole time we were in the car. I was a little happy when he stopped at a gas station to get directions. On one hand I was able to get out of the now freakishly small car and breath but on the other hand, we were getting closer the address.
"I don't know why I'm doing this." I muttered of the millionth time that morning. Jack sighed audibly and squeezed his eyes shut for a second. I knew I was driving him insane and as much as I wanted to stop, I just couldn't. I was going insane myself and I needed company.
"Because you know you have to." he told me calmly. I looked over at him with narrowed eyes.
"I don't have to do shit." I spat and I saw him roll his eyes. About time his good demeanor waned.
"Okay." he agreed and looked over at me with a smirk. "Because you know you want to." I glared at him and rolled my eyes this time.
"Whatever." I grumbled and looked out the window. Childish, yes but I had no control over what I was doing or saying.
"Listen, Em. I'm know you're scared." he started softly but I quickly cut him off.
"I am not." I argued and he bit back a groan.
"Fine." he mumbled through pursed lips and thought for a minute. "You're apprehensive. Better?" he asked sardonically.
"I guess." I hissed and gave him a sarcastic smile. He looked away with a long sigh and I sighed too. I was treating him like crap.
"You don't know what this address is going to hold. You don't know what is going to happen so you can't plan how to handle it. But Ma would never send us somewhere that would hurt us. You know that." he told me. I bit my lip when he reached over and grabbed my hand. I'm an ass to him and he doesn't even have the decency to be one back. Why do I deserve him again?
"I know." I relented and squeezed his hand.
"She left this for you for a reason. Now we're going to see what's there. You owe her this." he reminded me and slowly brought my hand to his lips. I smiled and rubbed his hand with my thumb.
"I know." I nodded and looked back out the window. He had a point. Evelyn would never try and send me somewhere that would hurt or scare me. She knew how much I had been through and it was selfish of me to think she would try and hurt me more. "I'm scared, Jack." whispered after a few minutes.
"I know." Jack nodded and squeezed my hand. "But I'm right here." he promised and kissed my hand again. I sighed feeling a little more calm and looked out the window.
"How far?" I asked. I looked around out the window but didn't recognize anything. It was more of a small side town on the outskirts of Salem than Salem itself. Jack let my hand go and grabbed the paper that held the directions.
"The road should be up here soon." he spoke after a minute. I nodded and went to reach for the radio but stopped.
"Are you okay?" I asked Jack. He looked over at me with an almost pained expression and nodded weakly. I watched again as he shifted in his seat. "You sure?" I asked again. He groaned loudly and gripped the steering wheel.
"I gotta piss." he announced and I rolled my eyes.
"Oh nice Jack." I muttered at his lovely choice of words.
"What?" he asked sensing my sarcasm. "Would you rather me say urinate?" he asked and I looked over at him.
"No, but the cave man bathroom response could be avoided." I told him in all honesty. He huffed and I smirked when he kept shifting.
"What? I do. Really badly too." he whined. I shook my head and frowned when he stopped moving and grabbed the paper again. He set it down slowly and pointed to my side of the street. "There it is."
I looked over at the house he pointed out and realized it was bigger than a normal house. On the front lawn was a white and beige sign that read Salem Care Center. I looked at the oddly long house as Jack stopped by the sidewalk. It looked like a little old lady's house. It had flower pots scattered everywhere from the front porch to the window sills. The shutters were a bright white and the house itself was a pale yellow color. I then noticed the people that were walking around in the yard and front porch.
They were old people. It was a nursing home.
"Recognize it?" Jack asked in a strained voice. I shook my head and looked back at him.
"Nope." I answered and looked back to the sign. "The date under the sign says it was built 6 months ago. That must be why it didn't show up as a nursing home in the system."
"Huh?" Jack asked. I sighed, forgetting that I didn't get to tell him this detail.
"I went to the station before all that crap went down and the system said it as just a house. It's so new that they haven't updated the system's yet." I explained as quickly as I could. I really didn't want to get into the whole story. It was still a little sore in my mind.
"Oh." he mumbled and looked at the nursing home. "Em, I really gotta go." he whined after a few seconds. I laughed and pointed to the house.
"Go inside then." I told him. "I'm sure they have loads of bathrooms." I chuckled and he stared at me in horror.
"I don't wanna go by myself." he almost yelled.
"Why not?" I asked, confused by the tone of his voice and look on his face.
"Old people scare me." he grumbled and scratched his head. Oh, he's too cute.
"Seriously?" I asked, trying not to laugh.
"Dead serious. They are either way too nice or just creepy." he nodded seriously. "Please come in with me." he begged and poked out his bottom lip in the cutest pout I had ever seen. I couldn't help but laugh and he grinned. He knew he had won.
"Fine. But you better be quick." I warned him and got out the car slowly.
"Yes'm." he saluted . He was so corny sometimes.
It was a nice nursing home. Everything was clean and old people proof, of course. The walls were a pale blue and had clouds on them. I think i could do without the clouds though. It kind of made it look like heaven. Creepy much?
I looked around the lobby for a bathroom and nudged Jack when I found one.
"Over there. Hurry." I told him and just as he let my hand go the lady at the front desk called out to us.
"Sign in please." she smiled. I smiled back and pointed to Jack as he walked into the men's room.
"Oh, he just needs to use the restroom." I told her and turned around.
"All visitors must sign in." she called, her voice a tad more forceful than I had been in her last and identical statement. I rolled my eyes and turned back around. I mustered a smiled and waved my hand to the door, once again.
"Really, we're just passing through." I told her. Her face fell from poilte to down right rude in a flash. She threw the pen and clip board on the desk and riased a brow.
"Sign in, please." she ordered and sat back in her chair. I popped one hip out and raised a brow at her. Why the need to be so damn rude? Jack needed to use the restroom, I highly doubt that constitutes the need to call us vistitors and be rude.
We glared at each other for what seemed like forever and finally I sighed and stomped over to her desk.
"Oh my god, fine." I growled and picked the pen up, signing my name without looking up at her. When I was done, I slammed the pen down on her desk and smiled. "Here. Happy?"
"Thank you." she frowned and she grabbed the clipboard. I rolled my eyes and turned around to see Jack walking out of the restroom.
"Jack, let's go." I yelled suddenly, He turned his head to me and frowned when he saw my face. "Let's just go." I growled and grabbed his hand. I could see the car through the doors and wanted to run through the doors but right as I reached for the handle...
"Wait!" the lady at the front desk yelled. I swung my whoel body around angrily to glare at her.
"What now?" I hissed but my angry faltered when I saw the face contorted with surprise and another lady standing next to her, looking down at the clipdboard.
"You're Emilie Ravin?" the other lady asked looking up at me, a small smile graced her lips.
"Yes." I nodded and I felt Jack rub my hand.
"It's her." the rude lady gasped and covered her mouth. I looked over at Jack who looke just as confused as I was. I saw the new lady walk around the desk and smile at us.
"Well, we've been waiting for you Emilie." she told me softly. I heard Jack huff and I just stared at her.
"Excuse me?" I asked, not quite sure i was hearing her well. She has been waiting for me? How? I haven't been near Massachsetts in years.
"We didn't think you'd come." she smiled again and I shook my head politley.
"I think you must be confused." I told them and tugged Jack's hand to turn around. I wanted to leave.
"No, not confused. Surprised, yes." the rude desk lady laughed.
"Why surprised?" I asked. Confusion was still there but the curiosity was more promenent.
"Well, when Mrs. Mercer came by-" the second lady started but Jack cut her off.
"My mother was here?" he asked. I stared at them and looked up at Jack, who was plale white.
"Evelyn Mercer. Yes." she nodded and Jack looked down at the ground. I squeezed his hand and looked over at them.
"When did she come here?" I asked quietly.
"Oh about 4 months back. She called first and came that very weekend." she answered and looked over at the desk lady for comfirmation. She nodded.
"Why?" Jack asked. I was surprised they heard him.
"Well, she was looking for someone. Apparently, she'd been looking for a while and she was so happy to finally find them, she came down to see for herself. She said you would come here but I didn't think she was being real." They both smiled now, looking at us like we were some kind of magical appearance.
"Who did she see?" I asked at the same time that Jack spoke.
"What's going on?" he asked. We looked at each other and the desk lady smiled at us and she walked back to her desk.
"I think you should see for yourself and talk to them." she told us and picked up a key and handed it to us. "It's room 201."