Forever Chicago

Jonathan’s POV:
I watched as Kodie kneeled by Rose’s bedside clutching her lifeless hand.

The past two days I had fallen in love with Rose the same way Kodie had. After seeing how closely Kodie had bonded with

“Kodie,” I said kneeling beside her and collecting her into my arms, “I’m so sorry.”
…
Kodie’s POV:

Rose’s funeral was small. As I looked around it truly broke my heart to see the only people who truly got to know this amazing little girl, were the doctors and nurses trying to save her life.

As we stood over her tiny grave, I did my best not to cry. Rose’s song rang through my head.

“Don’t worry mommy’s here!” A high, and drunken Dorris stumbled over to her daughter’s resting place, dressed in the same tank top and mini skirt as she had been four days ago.

“Oh that poor thing, she was sweet.” She squealed. She stumbled up to me, “Looks like you’re not a good nurse.” She snarled.

Without contemplating what I was doing, I raised my hand and layed a hard slap across her face. She looked at me in utter shock.

Jon, Riley, Patrick and I walked directly to the car.

As I sat close to Jonathan his arm around I picked at my shoulder length hair. It brought me back to that day, as I sat with Rose laughing at her favorite book, “The Mitten.”

“You okay?” Jon said, I nodded.

“That was frigging awesome.” Riley laughed, “I would never of had the balls to slap her.”

“She asked for it.” Patrick laughed.

I smiled, “I can’t believe I slapped her.” I said running my hands over my face.
…
Days after the funeral I was still wracked with guilt.

“I think I should go apologize.” I said, as Jonathan as we layed together in bed one morning.

“You are way too good of a person.” He laughed.

“No really” I smiled, “I mean no matter what it was her daughter, she had to be a little sad.”

“I don’t know,” he said, “she seemed pretty cold.”

I fought over the decision in my head, should I apologize? Did this woman even deserve and apology?

“I think, I should.” I said getting out of bed.

“Why don’t you wait until after practice, I’ll go with you.” He sat up halfway.

“No I’ll be fine.” I said, “Really.”

“Be careful.” He said, kissing me.

As I drove to the other side of Chicago, my mind was clouded with thoughts of my own mother. She was similar to Dorris, a prostitute. She sold her body for drugs, and passed those qualities onto my two older sisters. My entire life I had been passed around from aunts, to uncles to grandparents. And now I would stare right into the face of a frighteningly similar woman, and apologize.

I knocked on the door.

Minutes passed before Dorris answered.

“Oh, it’s you.” She said.

“Hello Dorris,” I said answering the door.

“What do ya want?” she growled.

“I came to apologize for the way I treated you on Thursday. It was wrong and I’m sorry.” I said.

“You can come in I guess.” She said walking away from the door.

Needles and empty tequila bottles littered the floor. There was no furniture except a musty futon, and a mini fridge.

“You spend a lot a time with Rose?” she said in lighting a cigarette as she plopped down on the futon.

“Just about every single day, since she was seven.” I said.

“Why?” she said, “Why’d ya care about the little brat so much?”

“Rose and I were a lot alike.” I said. “We grew up in similar, less fortunate situations.”

“Your ma was a druggie too?” she laughed.

“Yes,” I said, “I guess you could say that.”

Silence filled the room.

“I have something for you.” I said, I pulled a fuzzy, purple teddy bear out of my Michael Kors purse.

“It was Rose’s favorite.” I said, “It was mine when I was a little girl.”

I watched as a tiny bit of emotion crossed over her face.

“Thanks” she said.

“I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for Dorris.” I said as I left the house.

I walked out of the house with a new sense of relief.

I got into the apartment to see Jon, Patrick, Shawzie and Bicks eating chinese food and playing x box.

“How’d that go?” Jonathan met me in the kitchen.

“Good,” I said, “She just needed a friend I guess.”
…
That night as Jonathan and I sat over the kitchen counter eating salads, Jonathan could tell my mind was elsewhere.

“Hey, you okay babe?” he asked.

“I’m fine.” I faked a smile.

“Kodie,” he said, “We both know that’s not true.”

“I’m fine, really,” I said, “Dorris just reminded me of my mom, and my sisters and that stupid stuff, and it’s kinda sad.”

“I know Kode,” he said, “But you got me.” He made a dorky face.

I laughed.

“That is true,” I said, “And you are more than enough.”
…
“Hi!” I said, as Patrick’s sister’s burst through the door.

“Kodie!” they shrieked as Jessica, Jacqueline, and Erica enveloped me in a group hug.

“The guys should be back from practice soon.” I said.

“Okay,” Erica said as we all sat down in the living room, “Tell us everything that’s happened in the past two months.”

It seemed like forever since I had seen Patrick’s sisters, they normally visited more often but
Patrick’s current situation didn’t allow him to want to be around his family.

“Well Patrick’s really been rough since him and Paige broke up.” I started, “He’s been drinking a lot more, and I don’t know he just seems so sad.”

“He’s called me crying almost every night.” Jessica said.

“Well, we’ll cheer him up.” Jacqueline said, “Let’s just do fun stuff.”

“So how are you and Jonathan?” Erica asked.

“Good,” I said.

“Do I see a wedding in the future?” Jessica laughed.

I just laughed it off.

Jonathan and Patrick walked in from practice greeting everyone and plopping on the couch next to all of us.

Patrick still looked miserable.

The six of us sat awkwardly in silence, the majority of us looking at Patrick.

“So how was practice?” I said trying to break the silence.

“It was good.” Jonathan said.

“Yeah fine.” Patrick said before getting up and going to his room.

“I’m gonna try to talk to him.” Jonathan said following him.

Jonathan’s POV:
“Hey Kaner come on man,” I said knocking on the door, “It’s Jon.”

He opened the door and moved aside.

“Look Kaner, I know you’re not really over Paige but you can’t just shut the world out, you gotta move on Pat, Paige has.”

“I, I just can’t, I see her face everywhere. I still love her man.” He said as keeled over the edge of his bed, leaning on his knees.

“Did you tell her that?” I asked, “Look if you really love her than get your ass over to her apartment and tell her.”

Kaner laughed, and I smirked.

“Thanks man.” He said as he got up and left.

“Where’s Pat go?” Jessica asked as Jonathan returned to the living room.

“Paige’s” he smiled.
…
Patrick’s POV:

I knocked on the door to Riley and Paige’s, I had run over so fast I had no idea what I was going to say, but I didn’t care, I just wanted to be with Paige again.

Riley answered,

“Hey Pat.” She said.

“Hey, is Paige here?” I panted.

“Yeah,” she’s in her room, “Come on in.”

“Patrick?” Paige said as I entered her room.

“Look Paige,” I said, “I don’t know about you but these past two months have been the worst of my life,” the words spilled out, “And if you don’t take me back I don’t know what I’ll do because you are the only girl on this Earth for me, and I would rather spend the rest of my life chasing you, than go another day without kissing you because I love you Paige and I always will.”

She stood up from her bed and moved closer to me, “I love you so much.” She said before she grabbed my face, as I kissed her slowly and deeply.

“I missed you so much,” she said, through tears as we sat on her bed, “And I don’t ever want to go withoutyou again.”

I held tightly to Paige never wanting to let go.

“I love you Paige.” I said looking into her pale blue eyes.

“I love you too.” She nuzzled into my neck.

I felt the blood in my body start to flow for the first time in months and Paige and I clung to each other. How did I ever let her go?
…
Kodie’s POV:
Hours passed, Jonathan and I hung around nibbling pizza and watching movies with Patrick’s sisters.

“What do you think they’re doing?” Jessica asked.

“I think we all know what they’re doing.” Jacqueline said hitting her over the head with a pillow.

Jonathan slipped his hand down my back climbing lower and lower, I smirked and rolled my head into his chest as his hand reached its destination.

Around 3am we decided Patrick wasn’t coming home that night, and Jonathan and I slipped into our bedroom for a little reunion of our own.

Notes

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