Loveless

Chapter 6

As I walk through the house I can’t help but be amazed by how pretty it is. I get to the entrance of the living room and take a deep breath. When I enter there is a man sitting in a chair who looks to be 6’4 and maybe a little older than me. There is another man sitting next to a woman who looks about the same height as the other, but a lot older. He looks similar to Connor. The woman next to him is tall and very pretty. She’s about 6 foot and although she is thin she seems to command the room, even just sitting. All their heads turn to me as soon as they notice I’m there and the woman stands. “Hello! You must be Mrs.Hart.” The man she was sitting next to stands and she continues: “I’m Elise and this is my husband Kye. This is our second oldest son Travis.” She smiles as she motions to the man sitting in the chair. “T-thank you so much Mr. and Mrs. Demming. M-my trip was good and thank you for letting me stay in your amazing home. It is immaculate!” I was so nervous now that I was standing in front of them. It seemed like Connor had to have been the runt of the litter. Everyone here was so tall and muscular. Connor was only 5’11 on a good day and he was never very muscular. “Well dear, why don’t you have a seat? I know you have some information for us.” I look at my feet as I make my way across the room, to a chair that faces all of them. As I sit, they are all staring at me as if I hold the key for eternal life... Which by the way they look like they already have! “Um, so I’m s-sorry to inform you b-but Connor passed away 2 weeks ago in a robbery at a bank we worked at.” I shelter myself in fear of their reactions but as I look around they seem in shock. “I know that it seems like a lot to process, especially since you guys probably haven’t talked in a while, but I want you to know that for as long as I’ve known him he lived a very happy li-” Travis stands and interrupts: “And how long did you know him? Huh? We haven’t heard from him in almost 20 years and now some b***h comes in and tells us he is dead and she is his wife, but doesn’t even have his last name!” I feel tears starting to run down my face. I’m the one in shock now. I knew they might have been upset but I never expected that. “U-Um I-I was with Connor for the last 14 years a-and we even have 2 kids together. I only knew him as Connor Hart so I took the last name he carried.” His brother looks amazed as he sits back down not knowing how to respond.

His mother turns to me “So you two were married for quite some time and even had children?” She looks at her husband “I always thought he would have come back.” She starts to cry while her husband comforts her, before he speaks up. “Well Mrs. Hart it’s good you broke this news in person. I will have our oldest son informed and tell him to come right away.” I start to stand but Elise tries to recover herself to continue talking to me. “Do you have any recent pictures of him? We haven’t seen what he looks like since he left.” I nod as I start to pull out the pictures. I hand her the small stack. “The top one is from our wedding day and the rest is a mix of o.. well, your grandkids and us over the last couple years.” She smiles as she looks through them and passes them to her husband “What are their names?” I smile knowing this is helping her calm down. “Our oldest, her name is Emma and our son his name is Elijah but we call him Eli.” She smiles looking at the photos, still crying slightly. “They are beautiful.” Her husband looks at the pictures and I can see the slightest pain in his eyes. He stands and walks toward me. “Thank you dear, we will cherish these photos. I would like you to know that you and your pups are welcome at our house anytime.” He hugs me and I go stiff at first but as the hug continues I relax and hug him back. “Thank you sir, I would love to ask you some questions but I want to give you time to process the news. I will be in my room, thank you again for letting me stay here.” As I close the door to my room I can't help but cry. I don't know if it’s a release from stress or the fact that I just delivered the news that crushed me for weeks. I crawl into bed. Even though it's only 2:00pm I felt drained and exhausted.