SHOUT OUTS! to Maricole and foxfieldco...thanks for the reviews...I appreciate it!
John followed her through her room and out the sliding glass doors to the balcony. He watched as she walked to the railing and looked over.
"It's beautiful, isn't it? The city at night."
"Yes, it is. I miss it sometimes."
"The shadows make it beautiful...Sal said shadows make everything beautiful." She looked from the city to the full moon that seemed to hover just above them. "He's really gone."
"I'm sorry."
"He took care of me when Dad was in the burn unit for almost two years. I guess you can say I was a bit of a handful after the accident...but Sal put up with all of it...he never got angry...never raised his voice...and never hit me. He would pick me up from Grandfather's -"
John remembered vividly his own visits with Shawn O'Doyle and he hoped Jessie's weren't the same. "You stayed with Shawn O'Doyle?"
Jessie nodded. "I had to stay with him until Dad recovered...he didn't like me much."
"He hit you, didn't he?"
"With...with a belt. He used to lock me in the closet too. He said I was a brat and that I made his son weak."
"That son of a bitch," John said angrily. It made him sick to think that his Grandfather was cold-hearted enough to abuse Jessie after she had suffered such a traumatic loss. Of course, she would be a little hard to handle, she had just lost her mother and brother and her father was in a hospital burn unit unable to comfort her because he was sedated most of the time.
"Sal found out what he was doing...he took me to the cemetery to bring flowers to Mom and Travis...I got upset and he hugged me...I cried out when his hands touched my back. Grandfather had hit me with a belt the night before, so I was still sore. He turned me around and lifted the back of my shirt...I heard him say something under his breath...then he picked me up and held me. He kept saying he was sorry. When we got back to the car he told me I wouldn't have to stay with Grandfather anymore...I was going to live with him until Dad got better."
"Did he tell Dad?"
"I don't think so...he promised he wouldn't. I told him Grandfather said Dad would be upset If he knew I was being so bad that he had to punish me...and Grandfather told me if Dad got upset he could die. He promised me he wouldn't tell Dad and upset him...he would only tell Grandfather that he wanted me to stay with him from now on. He never got to talk to Grandfather though...he died of a heart attack that night. Sal took care of me until Dad recovered."
"Sal never told him? Not even after Grandfather died?" John didn't believe it. He did not believe that Sal kept what happened from Patrick. He also found it very hard to believe that Shawn O'Doyle conveniently died of a heart attack the day Sal found out he had abused Jessie. He wasn't upset about it, but he didn't believe it. Not for a minute.
"No, I mean, I don't think so. Dad has never said anything and I never talked to him about it. I was only with Grandfather for nine months, so it wasn't that bad...I mean it could've been much worse."
"Well, I'm glad Sal was there to look out for you. From what I've heard he loved you very much."
Jessie nodded and wiped at the tears that welled up in her eyes. "He told me that I spoiled him...that he would never have kids of his own because he loved me too much. Dad told me he had a medical condition that prevented him from havin' kids..." Jessie smiled. "He had a way of making things look smooth instead of rough around the edges. I was never 'the boss' daughter'...he loved me unconditionally...it was like having another father." The tears were flowing freely now and she looked towards the moon to try and focus on something else.
John saw her struggling with her composure. "Hey," He said softly and when she turned to look at him he held his arms open to her. "Come here."
Jessie hugged him fiercely and cried into his chest. "God, I loved him."
John held her. "I know, Jess. He knew too." John kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back until she was done. "C'mon let's go inside...It's getting cold."
Patrick pulled away from Robert and sat up taking a deep, quivering breath and wiping his face with his shirt sleeves. He was done. He couldn't cry anymore tonight he didn't have the energy. He was totally drained. Mentally and physically. He sat quietly for a moment to pull himself together. He could feel eyes on him but he didn't have the strength to look up.
"Sam, can you grab the Scotch and a glass, please?" Robert asked as he picked up the pictures from the coffee table and gave them to Bailey. "Thanks." He filled the glass halfway with Scotch and put it in Patrick's hand.
Patrick took a long drink, a deep breath and then finished it off. He handed the glass back to Robert and waited patiently as he poured him another. "Thank you, Bobby," He said finally finding his voice.
Grace brought Patrick a damp, cold washcloth. "This will help."
He smiled at her. "Thank you." He ran the washcloth over his face and then held it over his eyes for a moment. The coolness felt good on his sore, puffy eyes.
"You okay?"
"I'm tired...I'm just tired." He couldn't think of anything else to say. He rubbed at his temples as his head started to throb.
"Go lie down Patrick...get some sleep."
"There's still a lot to talk about and I should check on Jessie."
"There's nothing that can't wait until morning," Bailey told him. "Go ahead and get some rest."
"John's with Jessie...she's fine. I'll go up and check on her later." Robert put his hand on Patrick's shoulder. "She's worried about you...it wouldn't make her feel any better to see you like this."
"Okay, Bobby, you're right." Patrick gave in, he was just too tired not to. He stood up and walked towards the hallway that led to his bedroom. "Don't let me sleep later than nine, Bobby, no matter how bad you think I need to."
Robert smiled. "Nine it is. Sleep well."
Patrick went to his bedroom and changed his clothes. Lying down on his bed he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
John walked around Jessie's room looking at the pictures she had on her walls while he waited for her to come out of the bathroom. He stopped at one of a little boy he guessed to be about four or five years old. He had blond, curly hair and bright blue, green eyes. He was smiling proudly in a baby, blue cap and gown as he held a rolled up piece of paper tied with a blue ribbon in his hand.
"Travis' pre-school graduation picture," Jessie said from behind him.
"You okay?"
Jessie nodded and looked at the picture. "He walked around with that stuff on for two days. He couldn't wait to go to 'real' school."
"He looks like you..."
"He's got your's and Dad's eyes...Mom's blond hair."
"What was he like?"
Jessie smiled fondly as she remembered her little brother. "He was sweet...talked a mile a minute, ya know? He loved books...could read as well as any first or second grader when he was five. He was really smart. He loved animals...said he was gonna be a vet and work in a zoo when he grew up." Jessie sat down on the edge of her bed. "He loved watching cartoons and The Animal Planet but didn't care much for anything else on t.v...he'd rather play outside or look at books. He loved being outside no matter what the weather was like...especially when it rained. He loved the rain. He was afraid of clowns and the dark. I use to lay with him every night until he fell asleep and if he woke up in the middle of the night he would come to my room...he would put my arm around him and snuggle close...and sometimes his shaking would wake me up, but he never told me what he was afraid of. He told us every day that he loved us." Jessie looked up at John. "I never thought of him as a pest or a tag-along...I was always happy to have him with me whenever he was."
John sat down next to her. "Thank you for that." He sighed. "I wish I could have known him."
"You would have loved him...he was the best little brother, ever."
"I'm sure I would have loved him as much as I...well...well as much as I love you."
"Really? But you...you don't even know me...not really...not enough to-"
"Love you? Well, I do. I love you...I love the idea of having a sister...of having you as my sister. Patrick...Dad told me he loved you from the moment he held you for the first time and it was the same for me. When I hugged you back at the VCTF...you were a bit unsure at first...I felt it...but then you hugged me back...and that's when I felt it. I felt like I was home...like nothing bad had ever happened and I was home. I loved you for that."
Not knowing what to say Jessie hugged him.
"I'm sorry." John felt her start to cry against him.
Jessie pulled away rubbing her eyes. "I'm okay. It's just...remembering T.J., it got to me...I haven't talked about him for a long time." She smiled. "Sorry, I've been such a cry-baby."
"Don't be sorry. You've been on an emotional rollercoaster for the last twenty-four hours...trust me, you're handling it very well. You're also exhausted and probably still have a bit of the sedative in you."
"I am tired." She yawned. "Will you stay...until I fall asleep."
"Definitely."
Jessie got settled into her bed and John took his shoes off and sat on the bed beside her, leaning against the headboard. She curled up next to him and he put his hand on her head rubbing it gently as he ran his fingers through her hair.
When he was sure she was sleeping he slid off the bed and put his shoes back on. Walking out the door he turned and watched her sleep for a moment. "Everything will be better tomorrow." He whispered. "Everything will be okay."
Tbc...Sorry, it's been a while for an update but I've been working crazy hours and my brain is mush. I'm halfway through chapter 16 and 17 will follow a bit quicker...I promise.
