Get Back To You

Soon Jenna woke up to a haunting reality. She rejoined with Lillian, and they worked together in processing Jade"s death certificate.

Regardless of the distant relationship with the family circle, Jenna chose to write to all of them regarding Jade"s demise. She reached out to her eldest aunt and informed the tragic news.

Jade had three kids, and Jenna"s father is the middle child leaving him with an elder sister and a younger sister.

Jenna had a few occasions where she met them for Jade"s husband"s funeral, followed by a gathering. The daughters grew distant after their father"s death, which left Jenna"s father to take in Jade, leading Jenna to live with her grandmother. Jenna never knew the reason why the daughters deserted her father or why don"t they meet their own mother.

None of that matters now, as Jenna hoped that Jade"s funeral to be a peaceful service without any family disputes. She also reached out to her great uncle, Jade"s younger brother, who is still alive. The eldest aunt agreed to pa.s.s on the information and to be there for their mother at her burial. Jenna allowed and worded to give updates.

The eldest aunt also gave the funeral director"s number to contact. Jade"s only insistence was to get buried next to her husband. Jenna learned it at the hospital on the call with her aunt.

Lillian helped in completing the paperwork with the hospital while Jenna informed the funeral director. They agreed to care for Jade"s body, starting from receiving it from the hospital till the burial. He listed Jenna, the things to purchase for the ceremony, and requested her to pay the advance to start the process.

An hour or so pa.s.sed by with making phone calls and sending information, and Jenna grew tired, mentally drained, and no energy left to move her already weakened body. She felt thankful for Lillian being there to support her in this dire situation.

**

Lillian took Jenna home, back to her apartment in Sheffield Avenue in Brooklyn.

Jenna and Jade lived in a homely place with modest touches. They did not have great decorations added to their dwelling, but simple things that touched hearts. One of the hotspots in the apartment was the picture wall that stood above the television in the living room. Jade spends most of her time there, sitting on the single couch to stare at the photographs endlessly. She often would fall asleep on the sofa itself, which Jenna used to pick fights with her grandmother regularly.

"Grandma, sleep on the bed. Your muscles will atrophy if you sleep in such a position all night!" - Jenna would raise her voice only when Jade doesn"t take care of her healthy properly.

Now entering this solitary fortress, Jenna could hear all the conversations- both happy and heart-warming, from little fight to fits, pampers, sad tears, comforts, love, and limitless affection. Jenna could overhear them all at once, and it tore her heart.

The empty living room will never have its patron anymore, and the pictures aren"t going to get observed any longer. Little by little, even her grandmother"s scent is fading. The feeling of not being able to see Jade"s face from now on choked the granddaughter.

"Thanks, Ms. Grey. You should go home," Jenna said without sparing a glance and walked to the living room to sit on her grandmother"s spot.

..

Lillian visited this place on a few occasions, and to her memory, even in those several hours she spends here, the house and its people, entertained her with the warmth that made the lonely author forget all her worries in front of Jade"s presence.

"Lillian, how are you, dear?"

"Lillian, why don"t you visit me often?"

"Lillian Grey, you are such a strange woman!"

"Lilly, dear, you ought to smile more because it is good to smile!"
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"You shouldn"t give up on love, dear."

Jade"s affectionate words moved Lillian several times. Her elderly presence filled the suffering author with parental attachment. It was only possible through Jenna that Lillian met Jade.

Despite her age, Jade had an interesting perspective on life. She enjoyed watching comedy and was funny in her way. As she matured in age, Jade reverted to some of her childhood traits and behaved like a kid. Her pure heart often reflects in Jenna"s personality. Raised with a strong virtue made the granddaughter face her life daring and courageous.

Jade"s youthful mentality could kick anyone"s depression back to its garage, and her thin voice sounds comical even without telling jokes. Her little tantrums to eat sweets could leave anyone with guilt if they denied buying her desserts. It was tough to ignore her, and most of the time, people are attracted to her charming grace.

The loss of such a vibrant character would seemingly hurt Jenna, and Lillian worried about leaving her alone.

"Jenn" Lillian opened her mouth to suggest an intention, but Jenna stopped her from speaking. She pleaded Lillian to leave her alone.

For a second, Lillian believed it to be the right idea. She informed Jenna to take care of herself and call for any support. Jenna sluggishly nodded, and Lillian left.

As she descended the stairs, there reappeared once again the unsettling emotion. It disturbed the author, doubting the decision she made.

"Is it alright to leave Jenna alone now?" - Lillian asked herself.

"Maybe it is best to give her s.p.a.ce and then visit to check on her," - a part of her kept suggesting doable ideas.

Lillian came out and saw the end of the sunrise that welcomed the city and its slumbering people. The subtle sounds of people waking up to their daily routine, along with the soft stillness, cleared Lillian"s head. However, she already signaled for a cab as a habit of being on the road. When the sound of the horn hits engrossed Lillian, she apologizes to the driver and rushes back to Jenna"s apartment.

Her steps quicker and restless until it reaches the right door as soon as possible. She waited outside, catching the heavy pants and a concerned self, she knocked on the front door.

Twice or thrice, there came no answer.

A mixture of mortifying thoughts lean towards the disturbed mind, and Lillian waited no more. She checked to see if the door was open, and it was.

Pardoning herself as she entered, Lillian looked for Jenna.

Jenna is not at the same spot where she retired after returning home. Lillian"s gaze hurriedly roamed inside the room, and she caught a glimpse of pair of legs spotted near the carpet. She moved closer to observe Jenna silently crying while holding on to a blanket found on the couch.

Lillian knew very well that the blanket belonged to Jade. She interrupted the sobbing Jenna to her alarm.

"Ms. Grey!" Jenna yelped still sobbing wet tears.

"Finally, you"re crying," Lillian whispered.

Leaning down to meet Jenna, it is Lillian"s first time seeing her favorite editor crying in such misery. Jenna"s been through plenty of tight spots while working with Lillian. However, she never saw the girl cry sorrowfully. It"s almost too depressing to watch, and she took Jenna to a rea.s.suring hold.

Lillian opened the closed shutters to let the morning light into the glooming house.

The searing daylight hurt Jenna"s itching eyes, and she saw the dawn fully bloom to her sight. It is the first morning she"d ever witness with the feeling of no family left for her. When her parents pa.s.sed away, Jade stood with Jenna so close that the young Jenna still received the warmth. However, now, there is no one left by her side. Her family is gone, and for once, Jenna felt truly abandoned.

How unlucky of a soul she is in this world! - she thought to herself.

The dream of living in solitude for the rest of her life started to eat Jenna alive. She found herself getting tainted by depression, and a sudden smack from behind her head woke her up from drowning to distress.

"Enough sulking by yourself! Losing Jade is the worst thing, but Jade wouldn"t like to see you falling into the abyss by yourself. I did not pledge to your grandmother, only to see you grieving as if you are left alone in this world," Lillian said.

Jenna turned away from the sunlight and found Lillian Grey standing behind her.

"I thought I already told you."

Lillian glared.

"That I"m your family too!" she said.

Jenna"s tears continued raining without her consent.

"I think I packed decent," Lillian added.

"What?"

Jenna saw Lillian holding her travel bag. She studied from the exposed gap that it seems to carry her clothes.

"I am not leaving you alone. I know that I am by no means related to you by blood, but I don"t care. You are my favorite editor and the only one. I considered you my family long ago. Jade would only wish for me to take you under my care and watch you grow from now on," Lillian expressed.

Seeing Jenna breaking apart in front of her eyes, saddened Lillian.

"You"ve been under my care for a long time, and you are going to continue to be," she stated loud and clear to the weeping ears.

From birth, Jenna was with her parents until they disappeared to heaven. Then Jade stood by her side to watch her grow to a responsible adult. Seeing Jade disappear left Jenna alone in the dark. Thrown into such bottomless pit, Jenna suffered shortly from not able to see. Wherever she turned, it was pitch black and eerie. Soon to her notice, she heard a distant call, crying her name as loud as possible. Following the voice, Jenna climbed to meet a sluggish Lillian standing in her comfy casuals, calling Jenna desperately for immediate a.s.sistance.

Jenna grasped on to the extending hand and escaped the dooming fall.

A forehead flick from Lillian stung her to reality.

"Let"s go. You"re coming with me," Lillian said.