Two weeks had passed since Ambrose's funeral, and yet Bitsy was still mourning over him after all that time. The shock of everything had left her feeling empty and hollow, like life wasn't worth living. What good was it once your mortal enemy was gone? Meanwhile, Helen couldn't help but worry about Bitsy. She hadn't seen much of her since the funeral. Bitsy was starting to develop a habit of locking herself in her office and only coming out to eat before then retreating. Helen knew that she was struggling to cope with the loss of her full brother, and she was desperate to help her in any way possible. So she decided to take action. Without hesitating, she decided to text Franziska about wanting to talk over the phone. After she'd done so, she waited and waited until her iPhone started ringing.
Helen picked up. "Hello?"
"Who is this?" replied a feminine voice with a German accent. "Just kidding. I know it's you, Helen. I'm not foolish enough to pick up the phone for someone I don't know."
Helen just rolled her eyes. "Ha ha, very funny. Listen, Franziska, I need you to do me a favor."
"What is it, you fool?"
"Is there any way you could… help me with Bitsy?"
"Like I would be foolish enough to carry out something so heinous."
"What? No, no, no! Not that kind of 'help!' I mean, I want you to literally help me with Bitsy. Ambrose's death seems to be affecting her more than she's letting on."
"Judging by how she acted at the funeral, I think that goes without saying. Only a fool would look at that and not pick up on it."
"Can you help me or not?"
"Of course I'll help you. I'd be a fool to pass this up."
"Okay, that's all you needed to say."
"Alright, just tell me what we need to do, and I'll be on my way."
Helen nodded. "Of course."
And so Helen proceeded to explain the whole plan to Franziska, including a surprise element that she wanted to hold on to as a Hail Mary pass. Franziska was skeptical at first, but she soon came around to the plan. They both worked on it until they were satisfied and ready to move forward.
Even more weeks had gone by since the funeral. Thanksgiving was now a mere two weeks away. Helen and Franziska tried numerous times to reach out to Bitsy, but to no avail. It seemed the more they tried, the more distant Bitsy grew. The other two women were heartbroken for her. They knew that she needed time to grieve and that the emotional pain she was experiencing was valid, and they were gradually growing concerned that the grief was becoming too cumbersome for her to handle alone. That was when they finally decided to act on their Hail Mary: having Whitney Diamond, her friend-turned-rival, reach out to her in the hopes that she could save her from herself.
With Whitney in tow, Helen and Franziska found Bitsy pacing back and forth in her bedroom in front of her parents' oversized portraits, and they cornered her.
"Bitsy, we need to talk to you," Whitney said.
Bitsy didn't respond.
"Bitsy, please!" Whitney grabbed her arm to keep her from leaving. "Let us in! We know you're in a lot of pain, but we're here for you. You don't have to face it alone."
Still, Bitsy seemed to be in a daze, and she kept trying to wriggle out of her grasp.
"Let us in, Bitsy," Whitney pleaded once more. "We can help you. Just let us in."
Bitsy stopped struggling but still couldn't bring herself to look at her. "I don't know why I'm here anymore."
Helen and Franziska looked at each other, surprised but relieved that they were actually getting somewhere with this.
"I... I understand," Whitney rejoined. "Sometimes, I struggle to ask myself why I'm still here when John and Petunia aren't. I still don't know if I'm ready to forgive myself or not. But I do know that I need to try. I need to be able to forgive myself so I can move on and be a better person than I was before. I need to find a way to move on and forget the past. Despite how I may feel at times, I have to remind myself that their deaths weren't my fault, that I ultimately didn't fail them as a mother. The same should be said for you, Bitsy. Ambrose's death wasn't your fault. It was just time for him to go."
"Don't you think I know that?" Bitsy still refused to look at Whitney. "Of course it wasn't my fault! It's just that out of the four of us, I'm the only one left who's still here. My mother, my father, Ambrose... they're all gone. Where do I go from here?" Bitsy took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She felt a wave of sadness wash over her and she began to tear up. "I know I have to keep moving forward, but how? I've never had to think about what life would be like without him. How am I supposed to just live for myself?"
Bitsy couldn't bring herself to say much else. It wasn't necessary anyway, since she soon found herself being hugged from behind.
"To be honest, I don't know," Whitney replied after a few moments of silence. "Even if I did know, that should be up to you to decide. Regardless of how you go about it, just remember that you're not alone. Also remember that the world doesn't stop when someone dies. It just keeps going."
"O-Okay." Tears scrolling down her face, Bitsy finally returned the embrace and rested her head on Whitney's shoulder. "I'm still not sure how to feel about all this..."
"You'll be alright. I promise."
As this went on, Helen and Franziska couldn't help but watch from behind.
"Do you think she'll be able to go on with her life?" Franziska asked Helen.
"I certainly hope so," Helen replied. "It might take her a while, but I'm sure she'll be alright eventually."
Franziska nodded in agreement, and the two of them watched Bitsy and Whitney continue to embrace.