*Requested by NewYorkChicago22061940*
Jordan- 9
It was that time of the year again for Hank and Justin, it was the anniversary of Camille's death. The two men tried to hide their emotions from Jordan because when they were upset, she was upset. It was always like that since she was a baby.
It was the morning of the anniversary, thankfully Hank didn't have to work he wouldn't have been focused at all. Justin called out of work for the day like he always did, he still remembered the day his mother died he was 16 going on 17 when it happened. Since then he acted out all the time, got in trouble with the law, Hank had to bail his son out of jail multiple times.
Hank was cooking breakfast, he was depressed and tried not to have it show it was already gonna be a hard day he didn't wanna show it around his little girl. Justin then came down the stairs feeling the exact same way, when the older father looked to his son he saw that Justin was fighting back his tears.
"After we drop Jo off at school, I was gonna go to cemetary if you wanted to go". Hank tells his son.
"It seems like it was only yesterday when mom died, it gets harder and harder each year". Justin replied, his voice cracking.
Camille's death had hit them all hard, she had died of cancer. They were all with her in the hospital when she passed, Hank held her hand the whole time. Erin had kept Justin out of the room and when the monitors were going crazy and she died, the elder man hugged and cried into his surrogate sister's shoulder.
Every year on the anniversary of her death they both took the day off of work and went to see her grave then stayed at home the rest of the day. When Jordan came they always made sure that she was with someone during that time or she was at school. It was bad enough that Jordan had to go through life without her mother, they didn't wanna drop or dump their pain onto her.
The two heard footsteps coming and quickly changed their moods, when Jordan seen her father and brother she had a gut feeling something was wrong. By the look on their faces she could tell they were upset and she noticed, every year on this exact date they were always upset. But why? What happened that they were always upset?
"Are you guys alright?" Jordan asked highly concerned.
"Were fine Jo Jo". Justin told his sister.
"After you eat finish getting ready for school". Hank said.
The nine year old started eating her pancakes, Justin went to his room to get dressed. Hank started cleaning the dishes while Jordan finished eating. She gave her father the dirty plate and went to get her backpack, right as she was going up the stairs Justin was coming down and if she heard right, he was sniffing? Was her brother crying? The young girl had never seen or heard her brother cry. Something was definitely going on with them.
Once she had gotten her backpack from her room the small family headed out, the drive was dead quiet. Jordan wanted to find out why her father and brother were so upset, she wanted to help them but she knew they wouldn't tell her so she decided not to pursue it. Hank had arrived to his daughter's school, she leaned forward in her seat kissing her father and brother's cheeks and they kissed her head.
"Have a good day at school baby, I'll pick you up after school". Hank says to her.
"Ok. I love you guys". Jordan said.
"Love you too sweetheart".
"Love you too kiddo". Justin tells her with a fake smile.
The nine year old hopped out of the car and headed inside the school, the two men made sure Jordan was inside safely they pulled off. Justin was slumped in the passenger seat, he had a look of anger and sadness on his face. He had to hide all of his emotions till he was by himself, he was just like his father. He was never one to show his true emotions in front of people, not even his sister.
Hank drove to a flower shop and got some red roses, they were Camille's favorite. After getting the flowers, the father and son headed to the cemetery. The two finally arrived and found the headstone.
Camille Voight
Loving wife, mother, and friend to all.
Bending down the older man set the flowers down, he brought two fingers to his lips and put them on the headstone. Justin was having a hard time controlling his emotions, his bottom lip keeps quivering and soon enough tears started pouring out of his eyes. Hank heard his son crying and went over and hugged him as tears of his own came out.
After spending some time at the cemetery the father and son headed home, they were still both very upset and they stayed like that for a couple of days then went back to normal as if nothing happened.
They arrived home and Justin stormed off to his room slamming his door, Hank didn't blame his son at all because he was feeling the same way if not worse. Usually he would drink on this day but he couldn't he had his baby girl to worry about and the last thing she needed to see was him drinking or him drunk.
The time now was 2 in the afternoon, Justin hadn't left his room since they returned. Hank went to go check on his son before going to pick up Jordan from school. Justin was laying on his bed looking at pictures of him and his parents. He missed his mother so much, tears continued to stream down from his eyes.
Hank knocked on his son's door when he didn't hear anything, he opened the door to see his son going through old pictures. He then head over to his eldest child and sat down on his bed.
"I miss her so much Pop". Justin sobbed.
"I miss her to son". Hank said, his voice cracking and filled with pain.
"Why'd she have to die?"
One thing Hank has always hated was to see one of his children upset and crying, that was enough to upset him and break him. Justin sat up and was pulled into a hug by his father, he was crying into his father's shoulder for a couple of minutes. Hank pressed his cheek against his son's head, he didn't care how old his children were if they needed him he was there.
"I have to go get your sister from school".
"Alright".
Hank kissed his son's head and left to get his daughter from school, Justin never left his room. As the older father drove to get his little girl, he was trying hard to control his emotions. Once at the school, kids were running to their parents, to their buses, or walked home. When Jordan had seen her father she ran straight to him, Hank saw his little girl running towards him and he bent down and let her crash into him.
"There's my girl". He whispered into her hair.
"Are you and Justin ok now? You guys looked pretty upset". Jordan responded.
"Were fine sweetheart, let's head home".
The father and daughter headed home for the day, when they arrived home they headed inside. Hank went to the kitchen to start on dinner, Jordan headed up to her room to start on her homework. She was walking to her room she heard sniffing and crying? Her father was downstairs so the only other person who it could have been was Justin.
She had never heard or seen her brother cry, in her nine years that was one thing she never seen or heard. Ever since she was a baby when either her father or brother were upset she was upset, she put her stuff down in her room and headed to her brother's room. When Justin kept his door shut she knew to stay out and leave him alone but she wasn't gonna do that today she opened the door to see her older brother laying on his bed with tears coming down his face.
"Justin? Are you ok?" Jordan asked concerned.
"I'm fine Jo Jo". Justin hiccuped.
"No you're not".
"I would say you wouldn't understand but in this case you would".
"I don't like seeing you or dad upset and you two get like this every year on this day. Why. What happened that made you two so upset?"
"Come here Jo Jo".
The nine year old went over and sat on her brother's bed, Justin sat up so he could talk to his sister.
"The reason dad and I are upset today and like this every year is because, it's the anniversary of my mom's death. It hit us pretty hard".
"I'm sorry Justin".
"It's ok Jo Jo".
What the siblings didn't know is that their father was at the door watching when he spoke up. "Come downstairs and we can talk about it".
They all headed downstairs, Jordan sat next to her brother and Hank came over with a box of pictures and dumped them out and went through them. He handed some to his little girl. The nine year old looked at the pictures, she noticed her father and brother but not the woman.
"Is this her?" Jordan asked.
"Yup that's her. She was my wife before I met your mom". Hank answered.
"What was she like?"
"She was amazing. She was kind, caring, sweet, always looked out for others and her family". Justin answered with a smile.
"What was her name?"
"Her name was Camille". Hank answered.
"She was pretty".
"She was very pretty". Justin said.
"I always figured Justin took after his mom with the looks and took after me with everything else. Just like you". Hank put some hair behind Jordan's ear.
"Would she have liked me? Even though I'm not hers".
"She would have loved you if you were hers or not".
As she looked through the pictures, it started to make Jordan upset about her mother. Justin was older when his mother died whereas she was a baby when her mother died. She never got the chance to know Anna and she never will.
"It's alright that you both miss them, I miss them both to and whenever either of you want to talk I'm here". Hank told his children.
"Thanks Pop". Justin said.
"Thank daddy". Jordan says.
Hank pulled both his children into a hug and held them tightly, he may not have Camille or Anna but at least he had his children. The siblings may not have their mothers but at least they had their father. The small family was complete.