Fallon POV
I left work a little after six. It was an early day for me. Dr. Braum usually keeps me until 7, but he let me go early tonight. Bruce offered to come by the house after he got off, but I brushed him off. Not tonight, Bruce. I have a date with a bubble bath, a book, and hot soup.
I am looking forward to the stillness of the house. Nothing but quiet for me tonight. My family will only be gone for three days. I want to get as much peace as possible while they are gone. I prefer the quiet.
Living with my parents and my brother is rowdy. I need moments of silence to listen to the world around me. The quiet isn't something my family appreciates. They like rowdiness and chattering. I prefer calm. I am so different from them. It is not only the hair color or my facial features. It is my personality and way of doing things. Sometimes I feel like my family life is a three ring circus.
I park my car on the street. I usually sit here for a moment, but not tonight. Tonight I get out of the car and go straight to the house. I slide my brass key into the door, anticipating the relaxing night I will have. I smile briefly, thinking about soaking in the rub, eating soup, and reading a book. Tonight will be heaven.
The lock clicks, and I push the door open. I think I hear someone pulling into the drive. I put my purse and bag on the table beside the door and look to see who is pulling into the driveway. It is probably Bruce coming to crash my quiet night. I am surprised to see that it is not Bruce, but a silver unmarked police car.
I step onto the porch and move toward the stone steps. I stand on the top step as two officers get out of their car and walk toward me. I am shaking as they walk toward me. They look worried, and that terrifies me. What is going on? A sudden wave of pain rushes over my body. I feel as if I am going to collapse. I hear my mother scream, then Tad, and finally, I feel a deep hard breath that I know is my father's last breath. I feel my family dying. NO! I want to collapse but then I hear my name.
"Fallon Presley?" the tall, dark brown hair officer asks me. I can't answer him. I look at him. Whatever news he is bringing, I don't want it. He can keep his bad news.
I shake my head No and begin to cry. He hasn't told me anything yet, but I know they are dead. My family is gone. I do not want the details. I want to go into the house and be alone.
"Fallon, I am officer Wright, and this is Officer Randall. May we come inside and talk with you a moment?" Officer Wright asks me.
I nod yes and walk back inside the house. I walk straight to the living room and sit down. I don't want to be standing when they tell me. I take a deep breath in and out, in and out. I try to remain calm. Maybe I am wrong.
"Is there anyone we can call for you? Is there someone here?" Officer Randall asks. He looks around to see if anyone is in the house with me.
"No. Just tell me what is going on, please," I say as calmly as I can manage.
Officer Randall and Officer Wright sit down on the sofa across from me. "Fallon, your family had an accident on the interstate. There is no need to go into details, but they didn't make it. I am sorry," Officer Wright says.
There he said it, in a matter of a fact way. They are dead, and he is sorry. Now I am alone, permanently. How do I respond? I look ahead and say nothing for a few minutes. "Where are they?" I ask.
"They are at a hospital in Staple County. We can call the funeral home for you," Officer Wright says. Officer Wright has obviously done this many times, but when I look at him, I see my pain. He hurts for me, or at least the situation.
I do not know how I can feel what others feel, but I can. Right now, I know that Officer Wright hurts for me. He is sorry that my family is gone. He is unique like me somehow.
I look at Officer Randall, who is sitting silent. "I will call the funeral home. I can do this," I say. I am not sure how I should act or what I should say. My family is gone, and I am numb.
The two officers look at one another. I know they expect me to fall apart, and I will as soon as they leave, but not in front of them. I hear another car and then a door slam. The front door opens, and Bruce comes through the front door.
"I heard. I am here; what do you need?" Bruce asks. How did he know I needed him? How does he know my parents are gone? These are questions for later.
Bruce kneels beside me. He places his hand on my leg. "Boyfriend?" Officer Wright asks.
"No, just a friend," I answer quickly.
The officers wait around, talking to Bruce as I sit in silence. I tune them out. Until I hear my name "Fallon, Fallon," Officer Wright says.
I snap out of it and look at him. "I am sorry, what?" I ask him.
"We are very sorry for your loss," Officer Randall says.
Officer Randall and Officer Wright say something to Bruce. I cannot make it out. I keep looking at the wall in the living room. I hear the door close, and Bruce comes back into the living room. He sits on the sofa.
"Are you alright?" Bruce asks.
I snap back and look at him. "No, but I have to make calls," I say.
I stand, look around for a moment, and then I feel it. I feel a wave hit me. It hits me so hard it knocks me back into my seat. I feel the truck hitting the car, I feel the pain, and I feel their death. I hear the screams of my mother. I listen to her call my name and feel her eyes on me. FALLON! My mother screams my name.
I can't breathe. I begin to hyperventilate. "Fallon," Bruce calls out to me. He rushes over to me. He holds me, rubbing my back, trying to calm me. "Breathe, Fallon, just breathe," Bruce says.
I lay my head on his shoulder. "They are gone. They are really gone," I cry out. Bruce holds me, rubbing my back until I calm down enough to catch my breath. I feel calmer with Bruce. He is always there for me.
I close my eyes. With my eyes closed, I see the red-haired people again. I feel a calm rush over me. What are they trying to tell me? Who are they?
"Fallon," Bruce says.
I open my eyes. "I need to call my Aunt and the funeral home. I need to eat something. I need to think," I say. My thoughts wander off for a moment as I try to think about everything I need to do. Everything is racing through my mind.
"Calm down; I am here to help you," Bruce says, taking my hand and pulling me closer to him.
I wanted a peaceful three days here in the house alone, and now, I am permanently alone. I should've gone with them. Then I would be with them, dead with them. That is not what I need to be thinking. I need to think rationally. How do you think rationally when your family dies? There is no way to be rational right now. All I can think is ... think is not fair!
I pull myself together and wipe the tears from my face. "There are papers on my father's desk. I will need those and a will. I know my parents had their affairs in order, but Tad. I have no idea what he would want. He is only 15. He had his life ahead of him, and now he is gone," I say.
Bruce remains calm. He listens to me. Bruce has never thought that I am weird or strange. He knows that I sometimes dream or feel things before they happen. He knows I zone out and listen to the silence. Bruce has never judged me. Right now, I need him. I might think I want to be alone, but I know I need him here with me to face the coming days.
"Bruce, how did you know I needed you?" I ask him.
Bruce touches my face. "I felt you calling to me. I dropped everything and rushed to you," Bruce says.
He felt me calling to him. How?
Fallon POVThe days go by quickly and slowly at the same time. I feel as if I am floating. Every day I move slowly, and time moves fast. I cannot stop thinking of them and why they are gone. Nothing in life seems fair right now. Everything is in a daze.The funeral, my extended family, and then time alone all seem to run together. My bitch aunt and her daughters try to bully me about every part of the funeral. Lucky for me, my father left detailed instructions about their last wishes. She had no say over anything I did for my family.Tad was the hard part for me. He was only and had15 no last wishes. So I followed my parent's wishes for him too. All three were given a small service and then cremated. My Aunt let it be known to everyone that she should have my mother's ashes. I am not separating my family. I want to keep their ashes together and with me."You are a selfish little bitch. I want my sister with me," My Aunt yells at me.My Aunt repeatedly caused a scene. She wanted everyo
Fallon POVShock doesn't even cover the way I feel. I am in shock, but somehow it all makes sense now. I never felt like I belonged here. Mom, Dad, and Tad have always loved me and treated me like I belonged, but I knew I was different. I guess I am different from them. Did Tad know? I wonder if this is what my mother wanted to talk to me about when she came home from her visit with my aunt."We should find them," Bruce says as I walk out of my dad's office. He is still my dad, no matter what the papers say. He raised me. I am a Presley, and nothing will change that.I stop and look at Bruce. "What do you mean?" I ask him. I know what he means, but I want to know why he thinks we should find them. What if they abandoned me and did not want to know me? I am sure there is a reason I was put up for adoption, and honestly, I don't think I can bear the reason right now.Bruce drops the papers he is holding on the desk and rushes to me. "We should find your parents, your family, and see wha
Fallon POVI walk down the stairs to Bruce. He is singing in my kitchen, and I believe he is cooking. I stop at the entrance to the kitchen and listen. I listen to the noise coming from the kitchen, the sounds of joy. Can I be joyful now? Is it wrong for me to be thinking about joy? I smile for the first time in days, and I feel guilty about it."Hey! I didn't mean to wake you. I am cooking. I guess that is obvious. I was planning to bring you breakfast when it was ready," Bruce stammers. He looks cute and sweet as he cooks breakfast for me."You didn't wake me," I respond. I go into the kitchen and sit at the family-sized table.A table for a family, but there is no family anymore. There might be a lost family. I want to find this other family, but I don't want to disrespect the family that raised me. There is a lot to think about today."I planned to bring breakfast for you, but since you are here, we can eat together," Bruce says. He suddenly realizes he has already said that. He i
Fallon POVI lay in bed, thinking about tomorrow. I am going to New Orleans to visit my uncles. I wonder if they missed me or if I matter at all. Does it really matter? I have a family. No, I had a family. None of the extended family ever wanted me. Now, I know why. They knew I was adopted. My being adopted is probably why Aunt Tricia and the evil spawns hated me so much. Who really cares what they think? NOT ME!Bruce helped me accomplish everything today. I dropped all the paperwork off at the lawyer's office and the bank. The bank gave me a new card for the family bank account. There is so much to do when someone dies. You have to erase their existence. At least, that is what it felt like to me. I felt like I was taking their names off their belongings and adding mine. It hurt me to the core.I wasn't expecting everything to be taken care of so easily, but Dave, my dad's lawyer, made it easy. I have a few weeks before I turn 18, but thanks to Dave everything is going into my name w
Fallon POVAt seven in the morning, Bruce and I are loading the car with two small bags. I should be worried or anxious, but I am neither. I honestly want to get this over with and find a light at the end of all this. Is there a light? I have to think that when this is over that, I will have a better understanding of my life and my family, both of them. I get into Bruce's fire engine red mustang. "This car says a lot about you," I say, joking with him. I know he loves this car, and I love to pick on him about it being a chick magnet."It says I am single, and no one wants me," Bruce snaps back.I touch his shoulder, and he smiles. I remind myself that we work together and he is only a friend. I don't see him any other way. Besides, he is my only friend, and I don't want to be alone in this world. Bruce is all I have left. I can't screw that up."Some day, Bruce. Some day you will find the woman of your dreams. I only hope she likes me and lets us remain friends," I say. In a way, tho
Fallon POVAs we drive into the city, I feel a sense of urgency. I am not sure why I feel so urgent, but I do. I look around, thinking I will see the ancestors leading the way or watching me, but all I see are rows and rows of buildings. "Are we staying in the city or away from the city?" I ask Bruce.Bruce looks behind him and then moves over into the other lane. He takes an exit as I continue to look around and wait for his answer. "We are staying in a hotel in the French Quarter. It is close to the magic shop. My sister is meeting us there. I think you will love her. You and Libby have a lot in common," Bruce answers.The traffic is getting more hectic, and people are walking out into the street. I should be afraid. This is my first time in a big city, but instead, I feel at home and peaceful. Odd that someone who likes the quiet would enjoy the hustle and bustle of a big city. Of course, my mind could change tonight when I am actually walking around the city.Bruce pulls into a s
Fallon POVBruce and I step out of the hotel onto Royal Street. We are in the heart of the French Quarter. The music is coming at us from all directions. There are street performers dancing up the street. I have never seen so many different types of people. I watch them for a moment taking all of it into my soul. People are dressed in costumes, posing in the streets for tourists. I understand why people come here. As we walk down the street toward the little magic shop, I close my eyes for a moment and let my heart listen to the music. I am in heaven. "It's beautiful. I cannot believe what I am hearing and seeing," I say.Bruce stops. "Not as beautiful as you," he says. He touches my chin and gives me a half smile. I smile. I have been in New Orleans for maybe an hour, and I already feel peaceful and at home. The noise doesn't bother me. Bruce stops in front of a storefront that is boarded up and closed. His expression drops from happy to upset. "This is it. But there is nothing h
Fallon POVBruce and I leave the Z brothers and the little magic shop. I do not feel like I know any more now than I did when I left home, but I have a book with my family history. I guess that is something. Maybe there is something in this book to help me sort out my past."You okay?" Bruce asks me.I look up at his blonde hair blowing in the wind. The wind seems to follow us around. It is not windy, and I am not cold, but something in the breeze calls out to me or maybe him."When will you tell me who you really are, Bruce?" I ask him.Bruce pulls my hand to his lips and gently kisses the top of my hand. He looks into my eyes, and I see something different. The wind continues to blow through his hair, and his eyes seem to change."I am nothing to fear. First, a drink and dinner, then we will dive into who I am and your family history," Bruce says.We will go down Royal street to a small side street that seems to turn from pavement to cobblestone. It is not a street, more like a smal