Sherry's Sanctuary - Ch. 11

Chapter 11- Live and let die

As if a switch was thrown, we all jumped into action.

"We need to pack everything up and head back to Lafayette immediately," Sherry proclaimed as we both grabbed a box and headed for the door.

We hadn't taken three steps before Gabby stopped us.

"Sherry, stop for a second. What happened?"

"Dad's been in a car crash. Seems he stopped at the club on his way home and had too many. Driving back he hit another car. He died instantly, but the lady in the other car is in critical condition. We need to pack up and get back now!"

Gabby grabbed Sherry by the shoulders.

"Sherry, take a breath. You and Claude get on the road now. I'm going to Alexandria in the morning. Lafayette isn't that far out of the way. I'll throw all your stuff in my Suburban and drop it off at your place tomorrow. You go take care of your family."

Sherry hugged her tight and whispered she was the best friend anyone could have. Then we rushed to Sherry's car and hit the road.

Once on the highway, I let Sherry concentrate on driving while I started making phone calls. My first one was to leave a message for Jason to call us as soon as he landed. I followed that up with a text to him repeating what I just said. Next, I called Mike Buchannon. I put him on speaker so Sherry could participate. Sherry relayed what she knew.

He listened attentively, then responded. "Are you two ok?"

She told him we were in a little shock and the reality hadn't set in yet.

"I can understand that. I'll contact Jim over in legal. Don't worry about the company, I'll make sure everything keeps running here. Do you need me at the hospital?"

Sherry told him we were on top of it and would call him when we got more information. I hung up and was about to ask Sherry who we needed to contact next but was interrupted when my phone started ringing. It was too soon for Jason to have landed. I was surprised to see it was Kenny calling. I put him on speaker too.

"What's the news, Kenny?" Sherry asked.

"It's not good. We got here about ten minutes ago. Simon is talking with Dr. Marge right now, and there are a couple cops standing around."

Sherry asked if there is any news on the other driver.

"That's the bad news. They aren't expecting her to make it. She's in surgery, but they aren't hopeful. Claude, do you know that girl in biology class, Michelle Williams?"

Of course I knew who Michelle was. I had only been crushing on her for the last three years. But I wasn't going to admit that. Instead, I asked why he was asking.

"Her mom was the other driver."

I was dumbstruck. Are you kidding me? It wasn't enough for my father to make all our lives miserable, he had to go and kill the mother of the girl I had been crushing on for years?! Sherry came to my rescue and asked if Michelle was at the hospital.

"Yeah, she's here with her little sister, Mindy, I think. Ellie is over there comforting them now. Turns out Mindy was one of Ellie's students before she was enslaved. Poor little girl is just hanging on Ellie crying. Michelle doesn't look like she is doing much better. Sherry, I'm lost here. I don't know what to do."

"Kenny, you're doing great. Just be there to help with whatever Simon, Ellie or Dr. Marge need. We are about thirty minutes out. We'll be there as soon as we can."

I disconnected from Kenny and just stared blankly out the window. Sherry noticed immediately.

"What are you thinking, Little Brother?"

I had to smile. I loved it when she called me that.

"I'm not sure what I'm thinking. I have too many thoughts running through my head. I know we wanted to be out from under Dad, but I wasn't wanting him dead! Then I think how he had to go ahead and ruin yet another happy day. Then I think about those two girls. It's not enough that he had to kill himself. Now he's taken the mother away from the girl I..." I tried to stop myself before admitting too much, but Sherry was too sharp.

"The girl you what?"

Dammit. Still if I couldn't talk to Sherry, who could I talk to? Sighing loudly, I confessed.

"I've had a crush on Michelle Williams for forever. Now Dad's gone and ruined any chance of that happening. And I feel like shit even thinking about this. She is about to lose her mother, and I'm thinking about how I've missed my chance with her. Dad's dead, and all I feel is relief that I am free. What kind of person does that make me?"

"It makes you human."

We sat in silence after that, each caught up in our own thoughts. As we were pulling into the hospital parking lot, Kenny called back. I put him on speaker again.

"Kenny, we're pulling into the hospital now."

The silence on the other end did not bode well.

Kenny finally spoke up, "I'm sorry, Ms. Williams passed away during surgery."

"FUCKING HELL, DAD!" Sherry screamed. "Sorry, but Jesus! Kenny how are the girls doing?"

"They're a mess. Mindy is holding onto Ellie like a life preserver. Ellie also has her arm around Michelle. Dr. Marge is talking to them now."

"We're parking now, be there in a minute." Sherry found a space and we rushed into the ER.

The scene was just how Kenny had described it. Simon was talking to a policeman off to the side. Ellie was comforting the two girls, while Dr. Marge talked to them. A policewoman stood back with another woman dressed in a nice pantsuit. Kenny saw us and ran to give us hugs. He told us how sorry he was, then led us over the policewoman and her friend. He introduced us to Officer Kathy Bishop and Ms. Constance Hebert from the Department of Children and Family Services. We shook both their hands. Simon and the other officer joined us.

"Officer Bishop, can you tell us what happened?" Sherry asked.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. and Ms. Breaux. Around 7:15 tonight, we got a call for a multi-vehicle accident. When we arrived at the scene, your father had already passed. Ms. Williams was trapped in her car with severe injuries. Your father's car had run a red light and struck Ms. Williams' car. Early bloodwork is showing his blood alcohol level was at 0.14. The airbags in your father's car deployed, but your father was not wearing his seat belt. When his car flipped, he was thrown around inside, breaking his neck and killing him instantly. Fire and Rescue were able to cut Ms. Williams out, but it took time. She had lost a lot of blood by the time she got to the hospital. I'm sorry to say, she passed on the operating table a short time ago. Again, I am sorry for the loss of your father."

Sherry was looking pissed. "He doesn't deserve any sorrow. Those two girls over there are the one who we should feel sorry for." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to take my feelings out on you, Officer Bishop. I'm just pissed at him right now."

Officer Bishop said she understood and asked us to call her Kathy.

"Thank you, Kathy. Ms. Hebert, because you are here, I am assuming these girls don't have a father either?"

Ms. Hebert looked sad.

"No, their father was a soldier who was killed on a training mission before Mindy was born. His parents passed away many years ago. Ms. Williams had not communicated with her parents since she got married. The girls say they have never even met them. I tried to talk with the grandparents earlier, to let them know what was going on. They hung up on me as soon as they heard Nicole's name. Sorry, Nicole was Ms. Williams' first name."

Sherry asked her what was going to happen to Michelle and Mindy.

"I'm afraid they will have to go into the system. If we can convince the grandparents to talk with us, we may be able to place the girls with them, but they are both in their early seventies, and I don't have much hope for that to be a viable solution."

As white as Sherry's face had been during her phone call with Dr. Marge, it was now red. I mean rooster red. Simon saw it too, and he placed his large hands on her shoulders.

"Breathe, Mistress Sherry. Calm self. Remember training, same thing. Breathe."

It worked and Sherry calmed herself.

Dr. Marge came over to join us, and Simon went to support Ellie. Sherry turned back to Ms. Hebert.

"So, they're going to be separated?"

Ms. Hebert said that was a strong possibility. Sherry started to get red again.

"I can't accept that. My father killed their mother, and now after that loss, you are going to separate them? No, my family stole their mother from them. I am not going to let them be punished more. Ms. Hebert, is it possible for me to take them to our place? I can provide a home for them where they can stay together. If they agree to go with us, of course."

"That is a long process, but seeing as how Michelle has reached the 'age of discretion', she does have the right to influence the choice of her guardian." Ms. Hebert paused in thought. "It will require a court order, and that can take time."

Dr. Marge spoke up then.

"Connie, you can grant Sherry emergency guardianship until we get through the court system. I can guarantee you, those girls will be well taken care of with Sherry. I'll even volunteer to act as the special advocate until everything gets settled." Sherry thanked her for her support.

Ms. Hebert thought about the proposal.

"Marge, you haven't served as a special advocate since your residency. Why now?"

"I believe in Sherry that much."

Ms. Hebert stared at Dr. Marge hearing that. The two locked gazes and I realized these were two very powerful women. Finally, Ms. Hebert nodded.

"Ok, the only way this will work is if Michelle agrees to select you as guardian. Are you sure you want to do this, Ms. Breaux? It is a very big responsibility."

Sherry wanted to get the support from the rest of the household first. Kenny spoke up and said she already had it. I guess Simon, Ellie, and he had the same idea and were agreement. They had planned to talk to Sherry about taking the girls in.

"I guess we are in agreement. Ms. Hebert, I would like you to appoint me as emergency guardian, if Michelle agrees."

With that, Sherry, Dr. Marge, and Ms. Hebert went to talk to the girls. That left Kenny, Simon and I alone with the two officers. It must have been a strange sight for anyone walking in. Two police officers talking to two teens and a slave in the middle of an emergency room waiting area. My thoughts were confirmed as Mrs. Thibodeaux entered the waiting room and froze in her tracks. She glanced around at all of us and came over where we were talking to the officers. After she gave all of us hugs, including Simon I was happy to see, I introduced her to the officers. Kenny filled her in on what was Sherry was proposing to the girls.

"That girl is the reincarnation of her mother. Is there anything I can do?"

I had a thought at that.

"Mrs. Thibodeaux, it's pretty late, and if the girls agree to stay with us, I don't think they will have the energy to go back to their home and get pajamas and clothes. Do you have some of Cindy's old PJ's and clothes? I think Gloria's stuff should fit Mindy."

"Yes, I think we have some clothes that will fit them. At least enough to get them through tomorrow. If they agree to come with you, I'll run home and bring some over."

I thanked her for her kindness. About this time, Sherry came back to us with Dr. Marge and Ms. Hebert. They all had the strangest look of both sadness and happiness.

"They have agreed to stay the rest of the weekend with us, and then we'll decide what to do on Monday. They want to see their mother one last time, so Dr. Marge is going to bring them back to her. Simon, which car did you bring?"

He told her the Escalade.

"Trade keys with me. Ellie and I will stay here with the girls and drive them home. Please take my car and drive Kenny and Claude home and start preparing the house for two more."

Kenny spoke up. "Sherry, I was going to run with Mom to get some of Cindy and Gloria's clothes, then she will drop me off at the house."

"That's a good idea. I hadn't thought about that. Ok, Simon and Claude, can you go home and make up the two rooms across from mine? I don't know if they will want to sleep together tonight, but let's prepare for both cases. And see if you can rustle up something to snack on for everyone. It's a little past eleven now, so it will probably be after midnight when we get there. Everyone will probably be exhausted but wired. Let's make the night as easy on everyone as we can."

We agreed and proceeded to say goodbye to the officers, Dr. Marge and Ms. Hebert. Then Kenny left with his mother, and Simon and I headed home.

===========

When we arrived at home, Simon and I immediately set about preparing the rooms. We changed the sheets, placed clean towels out, and did a quick dusting. Then we went to the kitchen and laid out all the fixings so people could make sandwiches if they desired. Kenny and his mom arrived just as we were finishing, and I helped Kenny take the clothes up to their rooms. We returned to find Simon and Mrs. Thibodeaux sitting at the table. I just observed them for a minute. This wasn't a free woman talking to a slave. It was two people having a conversation. Like Kenny, Mrs. Thibodeaux did not see a slave. She saw a man who had been there for us through thick and thin. She saw a man who provided a great role model for us, regardless of what hung around his neck. I was beginning to realize what an incredible woman she was.

Simon beckoned us to join them, and we sat and talked about what all this meant.

"Maybe good?" Simon said. "Mistress Sherry do good thing. But blame herself for father. She do what right, though. War with father over, but new challenges now."

Kenny responded as expected.

"Simon, you always know how to boil it down to essentials. I really need to learn how to do that. But Mom, what does this mean for me? With Mr. Breaux gone, I'm not needed over here, and I'll probably just get in the way. Do I need to move back home?"

"Sweetie, I think you are going to be needed here now more than ever. But let me talk with Sherry tomorrow and we will decide what's best."

Simon and I agreed that we still needed Kenny. His blushing told us how much that meant to him.

Sherry and the girls walked in as we were talking. Sherry heard the last bit of the conversation.

"Candace, if it is ok with you, I would love for Kenny to continue staying here. He is a great help."

"Of course, I'll stop by tomorrow after work and we'll work out the details. But I need to get home and get some rest before work." She turned to the two girls standing looking lost in the entryway of the kitchen. "Girls, my name is Mrs. Thibodeaux. I'm Kenny's mom. I am so sorry for everything that has happened to you today, but these are very nice people, and they will take care of you. If either of you ever need anything, just get my number from one of them and I'll be there. I'll see everyone tomorrow."

She gave Sherry a big hug, then proceeded to wish us all a good night. Then with a final hug to Kenny, she went home.

I noticed Mindy was clutching a stuffed unicorn. I walked over to her, introduced myself, and asked her what her unicorn's name was.

"Princess Penelope," she answered in almost a whisper.

"A princess? Wow, we are in the presence of royalty. Do I need to bow when I address her?"

Mindy giggled and shook her head.

"You know, Mindy, you and Princess Penelope might be able to help me with something. Can you come with me?"

Mindy looked up at her sister. She was a little afraid to go with me, but her curiosity was getting the better of her.

"Michelle can come with us if you like."

Michelle smiled and nodded to her sister, and Mindy said OK. I was surprised when Mindy took my hand. But I smiled at her and led her up to my room. Michelle and the others followed behind. Sherry shot me a questioning glance, I just shrugged innocently. When we got to my room, I asked Mindy to sit on my bed. Then I went to the closet and dug around the bottom of it. Finding my objective, I hid it behind my back and knelt next to Mindy.

"Mindy, I have a problem. See, I have a friend who is mad at me." I pulled my old teddy bear from behind my back. "This is Prince Albert in a Can. Please make sure you always call him by his full name. He doesn't like to be called Prince Albert."

Kenny snorted when he heard this, but Sherry popped him upside his head.

"Anyway, Prince Albert in a Can is mad at me because I have been too busy to play with him lately. He's kind of needy that way," I whispered.

Mindy giggled again. She was an adorable child, and her smile was infectious.

"Do you think you and Princess Penelope could play with him so he's not so lonely?"

She nodded eagerly and held out her hands. I gave Prince Albert in a Can a stern look.

"Ok, buddy. This nice girl and her unicorn are going to be your friends, so you be nice to them, got it?"

I used my finger to push the teddy bear's head from behind to make it look like he was nodding.

Turning back to Mindy I said, "Ok then. Mindy I am trusting you with my oldest friend. If he misbehaves, you let me know and I will have a serious talk with him, deal?"

I handed her the teddy bear, and she hugged both stuffed animals so hard I thought they would pop.

"Would you like to take our royal highnesses to see your room?"

She nodded and hopped off the bed. She quickly ran to her sister and took her hand. Michelle smiled at her and then mouthed thank you to me. My heart skipped a couple beats at that. I blushed when I saw Sherry smiling at me.

We went to the first bedroom Simon and I had made up. Mindy jumped right on the bed and started snuggling the stuffed animals.

Sherry turned to Michelle and asked, "Michelle, we have two rooms set up, but if the two of you wanted to sleep together, that would be fine too."

Michelle said she would like to sleep with Mindy tonight, if that was ok.

"That's fine. Whatever you need to be comfortable. Oh, look at that."

We all looked over at the bed. Mindy was already fast asleep. No surprise, this had been a traumatic day for the eleven-year-old. Sherry placed a blanket over her, and we all crept out of the room and retreated to the kitchen. Once there, Sherry, once again showed why she was our leader.

==========

"Claude and Simon," Sherry began, "Thanks for setting up the rooms and putting out the sandwich fixings. Please everyone, make yourself one if you're hungry. Michelle, if your thirsty, there are all kinds of drinks in the fridge."

I quickly stepped in and took drink orders for everyone, as they started making sandwiches. I don't think anyone was even hungry, but sometimes stress eating takes over. When we were all seated around the table, Sherry addressed us again.

"Michelle, I know this is all very strange for you, and I will try to explain everything in a few minutes, but for right now, there is something I need to address first. Is that okay?"

Michelle said it would be fine. Sherry got up and went to the safe at the corner of the counter. She opened it and pulled something out, then returned to the table.

"All right then, first order of business." She tossed two small golden keys across the table. "Simon and Ellie, when we are done here tonight, I want you to both take those damn things off and throw them away."

Jesus, those were the keys to the chastity devices. Had my father really kept them in those torture devices for the last year?

"And then I want you two to take time for yourselves. Comprende?"

Both Ellie and Simon blushed. Michelle looked confused, Sherry and Kenny were grinning, I was lost. What had I missed? Then it hit me. I stared at Ellie and Simon. They were stealing glances at each other. Holy shit, they were in love? When did that happen?

"Bow-chicka-bow-wow," Kenny sang in the most lewd way. He was rewarded with a slice of ham hitting him across the face.

"When did this happen?" I asked incredulously.

Ellie blushed even more. "It's been building for a while, but we never pursued it as it didn't seem viable."

Simon took her hand, and I felt like an idiot for not seeing it sooner. The pain in Simon's eyes when Ellie was being beaten or my father paid her visits at night. Sherry's comments when we were out to dinner. I had thought he was just being protective of her. How did I miss he was in love with her? It didn't matter. With my father gone, they could actually be together.

"I'm so happy for you guys. You really are the perfect couple."

Seeing the love they had for each other warmed my heart. Michelle must have caught on to what was happening as she was smiling too. Ok, I was hormonal teenager, but her smile warmed my heart even more.

Sherry moved the conversation along.

"Michelle, we are all going to be dealing with a lot of changes. I've been appointed as yours and Mindy's emergency guardian. We would all love for the two of you to join us here, but if you are wanting something else, I will move Heaven and Earth to make sure you stay together and are placed in a good home. You don't need to make any decisions for a while, so I would like you to take your time and get to know us. As for who we are, we've already been introduced. I believe you know Claude and Kenny from school. And Ellie was Mindy's teacher, right?"

"She was mine too." Michelle answered. Sherry smiled at her and continued.

"And the strange talking quiet one over there is Simon. Don't worry, he only looks intimidating. He's actually a teddy bear." She winked at Simon, who, of course, replied with 'Is good.' "We're a strange bunch, but we support each other. You'll probably get the full story soon, but here's the short version. A little over a year ago Claude's and my mother passed away. My father went into a tailspin afterwards, and without my mom around, there was no one to keep him in check. He made it his mission to turn Claude into something he's not. Shortly after my mother's death he bought Ellie and Simon. Things got very bad in the house, and Kenny and his mother agreed to let Kenny move in with us to help protect Claude from my dad. I won't go into everything, but for the last year the five of us have been trying to protect each other from him. Ellie and Simon were not treated well, Claude and Kenny were continually having to fight against my father's teaching, and I was stuck 100 miles away trying to control him.

"I know I am making us sound like ungrateful children, but we have been in a bad spot for a while. But even if his death freed us in many ways, it was not worth the cost to you and your sister. I can't express enough how much sorrow and shame I have for what my father has done to your family. But if you let us, we will do everything in our power to help you."

"Thank you, Ms. Sherry," Michelle said.

Her voice was like music to me. Dammit, get a grip Claude. Luckily Michelle continued and brought me back to the conversation.

"I don't know any of you that well, except for Ms. Deveaux, but you have all been very kind to us tonight. I'm not sure I'm ready to make any decisions right now, but I really appreciate all you have done for us so far."

Sherry patted her hand.

"Thank you, Honey. So, like I was saying for a while we have been one free woman, two teenage boys, and two slaves trying to survive. But we've become a family, and we would like to have you and Mindy join our family if you like. As a family, we make most of our decisions together. And on that note, I would like us all to work out some new rules for the house that are fair to all. Is everyone on board with that?"

We all agreed.

"Ok, I have a few I would like to propose right off the bat. Number one, anyone living here is family. We are there for each other, we support each other, and we always have each other's back. Number two, we respect each other at all times. There are going to be disagreements and arguments, but we keep the respect. Michelle, you will see we tease each other a lot around here, but we do it respectfully. As long as we can be respectful, we can work out just about anything. And number three, there will be no more corporal punishment in this house. Ellie and Claude, like I said, I want those devices thrown out as soon as possible. I also want you to get all the paddles and dispose of them too."

Simon was more than happy to comply.

"How do those sound to everyone as a starter?"

Kenny asked if corporal punishment included all the head pops he gets from Sherry.

"Good point. Let me add the following addendum to Rule Number Three, '... except in cases where Kenny needs a pop on the head'. That work for everyone?"

Everyone agreed they were good rules, except for Kenny. She asked if any of us had rules we would like to propose. Kenny was the first to jump in.

"I propose that we outlaw 'Master' and 'Mistress'. Yeah, that's the rule. No 'Master' or 'Mistress'. Simon, I know you will have a hard time with this, so if you must, use Ms. or Mr. Heck, Ellie's about to be your girlfriend and you still call her Ms. Ellie. But can we stop with the Master crap? I really feel uncomfortable with it."

Ellie and Simon broke up hearing all of this. Sherry and I were right behind them with our laughter. Michelle smiled at our comfort with each other. Kenny just grinned.

"Is good, Mr. Kenny. Can adapt." Simon said.

"I have one," I proposed. "Slave or free, we are equals."

Everyone jumped on board.

Simon got serious suddenly.

"Ms. Sherry, not sure appropriate, but have one. Probably not applicable now, but 'no sexual contact without consent'. Sorry, know rude, but feel strong."

Sherry smiled sadly at him.

"Simon, I think that is a very important rule. I trust everyone here, but we need to make it clear to everyone else, that in this house a person's body, free or slave, belongs to them. Michelle, please don't think we are a sex crazed group. This rule is because of my father and society's viewpoints on the roles of slaves."

"I understand, Ma'am. I've heard how slaves are treated. I have to tell you; I have never heard of slaves having a say in house rules or being treated equally in a household. It's nice to see not everyone sees slaves as non-people."

"Thank you, Michelle. And please call me Sherry. We're not so unique. Not everyone agrees with how slaves are treated, and we are finding every day that there are more and more who think like we do. The five of us have been through a lot over the last year, and each of us has been there for each other every step of the way. They may wear a collar, but to us they will always be Ellie and Simon, loved members of our family."

Michelle seemed taken aback by how Sherry stated this with such conviction. Then she smiled.

"Sherry, everyone, thank you for being so kind. I have been so scared since the hospital. I was so worried about Mindy and what was going to happen to us. If someone had told me we were going to be going to the house of the man who killed our mother, I would have thought they were crazy..." She covered her mouth; afraid she had just insulted us.

Sherry quickly told it was fine; she understood what Michelle meant.

"Sorry. What I mean is that I had no idea if it was safe to come here. But I knew Ms. Deveaux would not hurt us, and Kenny and Claude always seemed nice at school. Plus, we didn't seem to have many options anyway. But you have all been so nice. Ms. Deveaux, you really helped Mindy tonight when I didn't know how to comfort her. Kenny and Simon, you both were so supportive at the hospital, talking with the officers and making sure we had everything we needed. Sherry, you gave us options we didn't realize we had. And you were never pushy. You wanted to make sure we had options, and you are still doing that. Finally, Claude," she turned to look right at me.

I started to melt.

"What you did for Mindy tonight, I'll never forget. That was the first time she smiled, laughed or even spoke since Officer Bishop picked us up at the apartment this evening. Thank you so much for giving her a little happiness tonight. But I have to ask, Prince Albert in a Can, seriously?"

I told her that I had named the toy long before I was old enough to realize the other meanings. That's why I said he had to be referred to by his full title. She smiled back at me.

"Please know that I don't judge any of you for your father's actions. All I see are the kind people who were there for my sister and me, even when you were dealing with your own loss. I know I am going to be crying all night when all of this really hits me, but the five of you have been nothing but kind to us. I very much appreciate it."

Then the evening caught up with her. She had been putting on a strong face for her sister and to not embarrass herself in front of us. But there is only so much a fifteen-year-old girl can take, and she had reached that limit. She just dropped her head and started sobbing. Sherry and Ellie were beside her in an instant, hugging her as she held them tightly. Her cries were heartbreaking. I remembered how I felt after my mother died, and I had been prepping myself for her death for months. Michelle and Mindy had no prep. Their mom headed off to work this morning like normal, and suddenly they are orphans. I couldn't imagine how much more that would hurt.

Sherry suggested we call it a night, and Ellie escorted the still crying Michelle back up to her room. The rest of us sat at the table processing. No one spoke until Ellie returned. I asked her how Michelle was doing.

"She's rightfully upset. Tonight has been a night no child should have to experience. I ache for what those girls are going through. I'm also worried about you and Sherry. I know your feelings towards your father, but he was still your dad. Are you two ok?"

Sherry and I looked at each other. I think we were trying to determine if it was ok to say how we really feel. I decided to speak first. I needed to let it out.

"We talked a little on the drive to the hospital. I didn't want my father to die, but I'm not sorry we're out from under his thumb either. What I am really feeling is angry. It wasn't enough for him to get himself killed, he had to take their mother? We have been fighting my father for so long, and now it's just over? But it's still not over because he had to leave a complete mess behind that we have to clean up. What does the future hold for Michelle and Mindy? For that matter, what does the future hold for us?" I could tell I wasn't making much sense to everyone. I'm not sure I was making sense to myself.

Ellie caught on and asked what I meant by what does the future hold for us. The question forced me to confront what was really bothering me. It wasn't anger.

"I'm scared. We have been banded together for so long, now that my father is out of the picture, are we going to be as close? Are we even going to be able to stay together? Sherry, have you seen Dad's will? Do we even know who they named as my guardian? What if it isn't you? What if you find the commute between Baton Rouge and here too much? You will be stuck with either getting rid of all of us and moving to Baton Rouge, or you will need to drop out of medical school, and that has been your dream as long as I can remember. Do we even know who the ownership of Simon and Ellie transfers to? Then there's Jason. With Dad gone, is he going to try and fill his shoes? Are we about to start the war all over again? And then there is the really big fear; what if we can't make Michelle's and Mindy's life better? Like it or not, Sherry and I owe them a debt that can never be repaid, but I know Sherry and I will do everything we can to try. My fear is what if there are too many obstacles and we can't help? That's about it for what I'm feeling and thinking."

For once, I looked up and everyone wasn't staring at me. They were all lost in their own thoughts. I guess they hadn't thought about some my questions yet. It was not surprising that Sherry found her voice first.

"That gives us some things to think about. So, let's address what we can tonight, and make a plan for what we can't address yet. First and foremost, I was not just spouting bullshit to Michelle. We are a family. Hopefully, they will join it. I WILL NOT ABANDON THIS FAMILY. I want to make sure everyone hears this. I will not get rid of any of you, no matter what the cost. Claude, don't worry about my studying and commute. I actually have an idea on that, but I need to think it through a bit more. As for Jason, I will handle him. It will not turn into another war like with Dad. It can't, Jason doesn't have the power Dad had. He called me while we were waiting for Dr. Marge to bring the girls out. The earliest flight he can get is at elven tomorrow morning, so it will be about four before he gets to the house. That will give me time to figure out how to approach everything.

"But you are right that we need to see the will as soon as possible. We need to know where everything stands. Tomorrow's Sunday, so I'm not sure how we can get a copy. Mike would probably have one on file for business purposes. I'm supposed to call him later, so I'll ask him if he can get me a copy. Hopefully we can review it before I have to deal with Jason. Most of the other fears we can't do anything about until we see the will. The one thing we know we can do something about is Michelle and Mindy. This is our fight now. We do everything we possibly can to give them a safe and stable home. Our goal is to make it right for them."

"Damn Sherry, are you sure you want to go into medicine? You should be running for president. I'll vote for you... in another three years," Kenny laughed.

The rest of us joined in. We decided to go to bed so we could be up early for the girls. I told Ellie and Simon to sleep in a bit and Kenny and I would take care of breakfast in the morning. Ellie started to protest before being cut off by Kenny.

"Don't argue, Ellie," he said, "or I will tease you and Simon relentlessly in the morning."

Ellie gave him a scowl but agreed. We all said goodnight and went our separate ways.

============

Around two that morning, I realized I wasn't going to get any sleep that night. I had too many things rushing through my mind. I was tired of thinking about everything. Honestly, I was just tired of thinking. I decided to go downstairs and watch some TV. I was pretty sure Simon wouldn't be there. I was getting comfortable on the couch, flipping through the streaming services, when I heard someone coming down the stairs. I was surprised when I saw Michelle enter the living room.

"Can't sleep?" I asked her.

"Mindy woke up a little while ago and it took a little while to get her back to sleep. I really don't want to try to sleep, right now. Too fresh, you know?"

"Yeah, I wasn't able to sleep either. Please have a seat."

She thanked me, but did not sit. Instead, she walked over to the mantel looking at our family photos lined up there. I turned on the lamp beside me and turned off the TV. She looked back at me and smiled.

"This was your mom and dad?" She asked, pointing to their wedding photo.

I confirmed.

"She was very pretty. I see the resemblance between her and Sherry. What was she like?"

I pondered how best to respond. I decided on just speaking from the heart.

"She was probably the best person I have ever known. She never thought of herself, just wanted to make life better for everyone around her. Since she has died, I have been learning more and more about her. Turns out she was very well known around town for her volunteer work and just helping people. She was everything I hope to be some day."

"It's apparent you love her a lot. Ummm..." she seemed to be wary of asking her next question.

I told her she wouldn't offend me.

"Thanks. I'm not sure how to ask this, so I'll just ask. How did you get past it?" The tears could no longer be held back and she started crying softly, covering her face.

I was lost. I know she had asked me a question, but all I was seeing was the girl I had a huge crush on in pain.

"Michelle, can I give you a hug?"

She didn't look up, but did nod. I pulled her in and just hugged her. She was in such pain, and again, it could all be laid at the feet of my now dead father. Sherry was right, our family owes them.

Michelle calmed down and finally sat back up. I was a little happy to see she didn't move away, though. Before I did something stupid, I went back to her question.

"I still haven't gotten past it. Just last month, Sherry, Kenny, Ellie and Simon gave me a photo of my mother. They had touched up the photo and made this amazing metal frame of lilies. The point is, when I saw the photo, all my feelings came back and almost overwhelmed me. The most innocent little things can trigger a flood of memories, so I guess I haven't gotten over it yet.

"But I can say that our little group here has done more to help me deal with the loss than anything else. I was thinking earlier tonight about what you are going through. With my mom, I had months to prepare for her death. It was hard, but I was able to prep myself. It was also a form of cancer. It wasn't something done to her. What my father did to your family puts you in a very different situation. He took her from you with no time for you to prep. It wasn't a lingering disease that gives you no one to blame but nature. The blame for all of this falls on him. I'm sorry, you don't need me dumping my own crap on you."

She told me it was ok, and wanted to hear what I was saying.

"What I am trying to say is that the pain never goes away, but you do learn to live with it. But whether you decide to stay with us or not, find people who you can rely on. I did and they have helped me when I couldn't go on. And be there for Mindy. Sherry has taught me how much healing can occur just from helping someone else."

"Your sister seems very smart. She can be a bit intense, though," Michelle said shyly.

"You have no idea. We actually didn't really get along until after my mother died. It's kind of a long story."

Michelle giggled and said she really didn't have anything else to do. So, I told her about Sherry and I bonding that fateful Saturday, almost a year ago. Then I just started telling the whole story of our lives over the last year. I did leave out some parts, as I felt they were not my story to tell, like what Simon and Ellie did to be enslaved, the sexual abuse of Ellie, and other private matters. She understood, and told me it was nice that I kept their confidence. By the end I was sure Michelle would hate our father even more. I was wrong.

"I know it will sound strange coming from me, but I sorta feel sorry for your father," she stated.

I asked her how she could feel that way.

"From what you described of him, I think he really did want what was best for you, or at least what he thought was best for you. I think it's sad when someone let's their beliefs cloud them so much they don't see what they have. I know we have known of each other for years, but we have never really talked. Tonight is the first time I have had a chance to get to know you, Sherry, Kenny, Simon and Ellie. And even in this short amount of time, I can tell you are good people. I think it is sad that your father had an opportunity to be a part of your lives, but never took it. I guess I feel bad for people who go through life sad and miserable, never realizing what a great thing they have right in front of them."

Ok, this was a different way of looking at things. But she did have a point. I had tried for years to get my father to see me for who I was. I had given him opportunity after opportunity to become a part of my life. But he didn't want to become a part of my life. He wanted me to adapt to his life. Suddenly my anger at him wasn't as intense. But the disappointment in my father rose exponentially. I was very careful with how I responded.

"I never thought of it that way. I guess I had too much anger towards him for how he treated Simon and Ellie, I just couldn't see past it. Do you think if we had done things differently things would have worked out differently?"

"Probably not. My mom is... was a nurse. She and I been really close since my father died. She would come home sometimes really sad. She would talk about how sad it was to see families that could not get along arguing in the room while one of them is dying. I asked her why the families couldn't come together for each other during those times. You know what she told me?"

I shook my head.

"She said 'Sometimes people just can't see past their own stupidity'. When Sherry told me tonight that the five of you are a family, that meant a lot to me. Mom always told me that 'Family comes first'. She made me promise that no matter how mad Mindy and I got with each other, we always had to remember we were sisters, and nothing could ever change that. When you told me about what was happening with your father, I guess I was sad for him that he could not see what he was missing."

Wow, she could give Simon a run for his money with insightfulness. I must have been grinning because she asked me what was so funny.

"No, no. I'm not laughing at you," I explained quickly. "It's just I had never thought of looking at my father like that. I was thinking how insightful you are, and it reminded me of when I met Simon for the first time. I had thought he was the most insightful person I had ever met. Just now, I was thinking you could give him a run for his money."

She smiled.

"Thank you, that was very nice to say. I haven't had a chance to talk much with Simon, he was with the police officers most of the night. But can I ask, what is up with the way he talks?"

I laughed and said she should ask him. I couldn't do the story justice.

"Ok, I think I will. Hey, do you have the picture of your mother you were talking about? Could I see it?"

I told her sure and jogged up to my room to grab it. When I handed it to her, she took her time admiring the frame, gently running her fingertips over the leaves, and really studying the picture itself. She seemed strangely fascinated by it. She realized how long she had been staring at the picture and handed it back to me.

"Sorry."

I told her there was nothing to be sorry for.

"I know. This is a beautiful picture. When you said they touched it up, I was expecting a little airbrushing, but this is incredible work. And this frame is gorgeous. You said they made it?"

"Simon made it in the garage, Sherry designed it. Kenny did the photoshopping and Ellie helped with getting the background right. It was a team effort by all of them and is probably the best present I ever got."

Michelle had taken the photo back and was staring at my mother's face again.

"She was a beautiful woman. She looks so familiar though. I guess I'm just tired and seeing the resemblance to Sherry."

She yawned then and I suggested she try to get some more sleep.

"No, please. I'll just start thinking about Mom again. Can I sit here with you? Maybe watch some dumb movie or something?"

I told her sure and jokingly asked her if she liked martial arts movies.

"Depends, are we talking the old classics like Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, or the more modern Jet Li and Donny Yen movies?"

I about had a 'nerdgasm' when I heard that. She laughed at my shock.

"Believe it or not, my mother was addicted to the fighting movies. Especially those old Shaolin Monk style movies. She never studied herself, but anytime there was a kung-fu or karate or any other type of fighting movie, she would drop everything to watch them."

Ok, this was too surreal. Michelle like martial arts movies? I mentally kicked myself for not getting to know her sooner.

"Well, you definitely have taste, so ladies' choice. Any particular one you prefer?"

"I don't know if you can find it, but I like the more comedic ones, like Jackie Chan or Sammo Hung. Do you by chance have The Big Brawl?"

She did have taste. Most hate Jackie Chan's first 'American' movie, but it is the perfect one for just letting your brain go. I knew which streaming service was carrying it. Simon, Kenny and I had watched it just a week earlier. I started up the movie, and Michelle rested her head on my shoulder.

As hard as it was, I was a perfect gentleman.