“Say you love me.”
“Liam we need to finish—”
“I’m not letting you up until you say it.”
She made a face into the camera. “Does it count if you are forcing me?”
“Yes, because I know you mean it anyway.”
“You are so—”
“Say it—”
“Oh my God, fine! I love you, Liam. I, Melody Nicci Giovanni Callahan, LOVE YOU! Are you happy now?”
I smiled just as hard as I had back then. “Yeah. I’m over the moon because I love you too.”
The video cut…and I drank.
DAY 5
“Liam.”
“Mel?” I whispered, turning around, but instead it was my mother kneeling beside me. She put her hand on my head and I just turned back over, coming face to face with too many bottles to count.
“Liam, we can’t hold out on the funeral any longer, it’s in two days.”
“Go then, I’ll stay here,” I whispered, reaching over to find a bottle with anything left in it.
“Liam, your children—’
“Can you lock the door behind you, Ma? I’m tire
d.”
She brushed my hair back, kissing my forehead. “No one else on this planet understands this pain like I do. I know you feel like you are being burned alive, but you have too much to do. Your kids need you, I need you too. You wouldn’t let me leave you when your father left and I won’t let you do it now either.”
My tears rolled over my nose and onto the ground beside me. “That’s because I’m selfish, Ma.”
I had nothing more to say.
Again she kissed my forehead. “I swear after the funeral it will be different.”
How? Why? What was the point?
DAY 6
“It has been six days since the death of beloved Illinois governor Melody Callahan and the world is mourning. Some of our viewers may not remember this, but I was in the UK after the death of Princess Diana, and the cloud that hung over that country is very present here today. Outside the Callahan mansion, people of all walks of life, and not only from Illinois, have come to pay tribute, leaving flowers, candles, and teddy bears, some even leaving Cubs jerseys—Melody Callahan’s favorite team—outside the family gates. Her funeral tomorrow has drawn not only politicians, but also the likes of Amelia London and Noah Sloan, long-time family friends of the Callahan’s who have both commented on this tragic loss. Many are coming from all over to pay respect to this great woman…”
The news had been saying the same thing all day. I hadn’t meant to turn it on, but I couldn’t find the damn remote…none of that mattered. None if it did. Placing the bullets in the revolver, I held it up to the side of my head. I could feel myself shaking…it was almost over…the pain…everything would be over.
All I needed to do was pull the trigger.
Closing my eyes, the last thought in my head was—
“It’s Donatella, Melody Callahan’s daughter—she’s running out of the house.”
A chill went up my spine as I turned back around to the television. Rising up to stare at my daughter as she ran to the gates, I watched as one by one she ripped everything down, tearing the posters and pulling off the teddy bears.