The Legacy series: The Love series, the Wrapped series, and the Burning Souls series.

by Mj Fields

  ���Yes Ben, thank you,��� she hugged him.

  She stood up and went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth.

  She walked out and got busy cooking. Ben helped her. Tessa knew she was falling for him, and she was sure he was falling, too.

  ���Ben I���m so glad you���re here.���

  ���Tess, it���ll be hard either way,��� he hugged her. She started to tear up again. ���Come on girl, we have LOTS to do.���

  They made Ziti, scalloped potatoes, lasagna and chicken casserole.

  Tessa���s phone rang ��� it was her mom; they were releasing Jade and Lucas in an hour. It was four o���clock.

  She looked at Ben, and he looked at her.

  ���You���re going to be busy all week, Tessa. I looked at the calendar and saw your play was this week,��� Ben rubbed her cheek

  ���Oh, I can���t do that, I just can���t,��� Tessa began to panic.

  Ben kissed her, ���Yes, you can Tess.���

  ���No, I can���t,��� she yelled and tried to catch her breath.

  Ben kissed her again and held her until she relaxed.

  ���You can do anything Tess; you���ve already been through so much.���

  ���Three losses in six weeks��� she whispered.

  He smiled softly, ���Then it���s over Tess, they come in threes.���

  ���I have heard that, no four, Lucas���s baby��� God I can���t do this!��� Tessa cried as he held her, ���I can���t do this to you.���

  ���Tess I���m going to be here if you need me. I know that this is a horrible time for you,��� he stopped. He wanted to tell her he was falling in love with her. He wanted to just fucking stay here and help her. He knew that would be making her dependent on him, making her feel like she needed him and he wouldn���t do to her what he saw her and Lucas do to each other. It wasn���t right, and as badly as he wanted her, he knew that she was easily going to fall back into old habits. He just had to believe that she would figure it out for herself. Tessa was stubborn and him pointing that all out would just cause upset, and she���d already had enough of that. She will figure it out.

  The timer went off, and she jumped. Ben helped her get the food out and covered.

  ���Hey, girl I have to go soon. You���re going to be okay,��� Ben hugged her.

  She took a deep breath and looked at him. ���If you say so.���

  ���Oh wow, now she listens,��� Ben smiled.

  She helped him get his stuff into the truck. He hugged her and kissed her face.

  ���I���ll see you Thursday night Tessa,��� he smiled.

  ���Okay���for what did I miss something?���

  ���Opening night.���

  ���Oh, Ben that���s a long drive for an hour and a half,��� Tessa shook her head no.

  ���To watch you sing on stage, it���ll be well worth it.���

  ���Please drive safe Ben,��� she said sadly, ���Please.���

  He hugged her and kissed her again. ���I will I promise.���

  * * *

  Tessa and Alex got the food in the Jeep and went to Tommy���s first. They knocked on the door, and his mother answered.

  ���Hi, we just wanted to drop this off for you and your family,��� Alex handed her the dishes.

  ���Thank you,��� she wiped her eyes. ���We���re meeting with the funeral director in the morning, and after we thought maybe you would all like to come over and help us finalize the plans.���

  ���Of course,��� Tessa hugged her.

  They drove to Lucas���s and he and his mother pulled in beside them. Alex got out and opened the door for Lucas.

  ���Hey Alex,��� Lucas got out of the car smirking. He was obviously high on pain meds, ���Hey Baby,��� he smiled, ���Oh shit I mean Tessa, your boyfriend still around?��� he asked acting pissy.

  ���No, Lucas,��� she looked at him full of guilt.

  ���Hello Tessa,��� his mother stepped between them, ���Thank you. You didn���t have to.���

  She carried the food in the house, and Alex helped Lucas stumble in.

  Tessa followed them into the living room, with a plate of food.

  ���Here Lucas, you should eat,��� she said softly.

  ���And you should stop looking at me like you feel sorry for me Tessa, it pisses me off!���

  ���I���m sorry Lucas I just thought you might be hungry,��� she sat it down and turned and walked out of the room.

  ���Lucas, she���s just being nice,��� Alex said.

  ���Sorry man.���

  ���We have stuff to take to Jade���s. If you need anything call me, I���m here,��� Alex said.

  He looked to the kitchen and saw Tessa hugging his mom. And they left. He ate and fell asleep on the couch.

  * * *

  They had stopped at the store before they went to Jade���s. Tessa bought some parenting magazines, pickles, and peanut butter. Her hope was to give Jade something to look forward to.

  They walked in, and Jade was asleep on the couch. Uncle Jack thanked them and asked if they would stay and wait until she woke up. They sat and watched her sleep for about an hour, she woke up screaming. Tessa sat beside the couch and rubbed her back.

  ���Tessa, I miss him.���

  ���I���m sorry,��� Tessa said ���So sorry,��� she sat and snuggled with her. ���Uncle Jack can I stay the night?���

  ���Of course.���

  Alex left and headed back to Lucas���s for a bit. They didn���t talk much, but Lucas was glad he was there.

  Jade woke up screaming every three hours and Tessa held her each time.

  The next morning Tessa woke, and Jade was already up. She was sitting on the couch looking through one of the magazines Tessa had brought.

  ���This is how I���m going to get through this, huh Tessa?���

  ���Of course.���

  ���Okay then,��� Jade said. ���It hurts Tessa, really bad.���

  ���I am so sorry Jade.���

  ���You just lost Toby, and you seemed to be okay.���

  ���That was different from you and Tommy. And you are having a baby, thank God because if you acted the way I did in the beginning we would be in deep trouble,��� Tessa joked. It hit Tessa that she really hadn���t had time to grieve; on the heels of Ann���s death was Toby���s and then Lucas���s baby, and now Tommy. None of it was alright, but she couldn���t afford to waste any more time feeling sorry for herself for the things she couldn���t change.

  ���If you say so, you just didn���t get a chance to see him every day, or hug him and kiss him, or touch him every single day. You didn���t just know he would hold your hand and eat lunch with you. Or throw pebbles at your window every other night and sneak in and stay all night telling you and showing you how special you were to him,��� she began to cry. ���Tessa before the first time, he gave me a ring and asked me to marry him on one knee with flowers. We even exchanged vows in front of God. To him and I, we were forever,��� Jade sobbed.

  ���Jade you are forever. In here,��� she touched her heart, ���and in here,��� she rubbed Jade���s belly. ���In just a few short months you get to see him in your child���s eyes every day Jade. You can grieve for a while, but after that for your child ��� you need to celebrate Tommy���s life every day. By the way�
�� it���s a boy.��� She smiled and cried as she hugged Jade. ���I love you Jade, and I know you���re going to be fine. The three of us,��� she said rubbing her belly ���are going to be better than fine, we���re going to be great.���

  They left to go to Tommy���s house. Tessa drove Jade, and they held hands the whole way, except, of course, when she had to shift. They walked in, and Alex, Lucas, and Ryan were already there. Tessa had made a fruit and vegetable platter with dips and bread. Lucas shook his head when he saw her carrying in food. She ignored him knowing he was hurting, and if he needed to lash out at her then, she would let him.

  The family viewing would be on Wednesday night at seven, the calling hours would be from one to four in the afternoon and six to nine that evening. The funeral was at the church on Friday morning. They asked Ryan, Alex, and Lucas to be pallbearers along with three of Tommy���s relatives. They were going to find someone to sing.

  ���Tessa sings and Ryan���s sister plays piano. I���m sure they could do it,��� Tessa looked at the floor and swallowed hard.

  ���Tessa, would you?��� Tommy���s mother asked.

  ���Sure I will, could you tell me what song,��� she asked.

  ���Do you have any suggestions?���

  ���I will get a list for you and drop it off tomorrow if that���s okay?��� Tessa smiled sympathetically.

  Before Tessa and Jade left, Tessa looked towards the family room and saw Lucas looking through pictures with Tommy���s sisters. He looked alright. She needed him to be alright.

  * * *

  Jade woke every three hours again, and Tessa got up with her. Jade had already missed Monday and would be missing Thursday and Friday, so they decided to go to school. Tessa talked her into it.

  They walked into school together, and Alex and Lucas stood at their lockers, they were surrounded by cheerleaders and ball players. Tessa looked at them as she walked by holding Jade���s hand. They sat at lunch together. Lucas looked at the table the whole time and as soon as the bell rang he shot out the door.

  Tessa walked after him and grabbed his hand, ���Lucas how are you?���

  ���I���m fine Tessa. How���s Jade?��� Lucas asked in a very cool tone.

  ���She���s going to be okay. She wakes up every three hours having horrible dreams,��� Tessa said looking down.

  ���You���re staying with her?���

  ���Of course.���

  ���Good.���

  ���Are you okay?��� Tessa asked.

  ���I told you, I���m fine Tessa,��� he started to walk away.

  She grabbed his arm, ���Hey Lucas,��� she hugged him. He stood motionless, and she looked up at him, ���I���m so sorry.���

  ���Tessa��� I know.���

  ���Lucas don���t push me away��� We���re friends.���

  ���No Tessa, we���re not,��� he looked down into her wounded eyes. ���We can���t be. I understand that now. You need to do the same.���

  Her eyes filled up, ���Okay I���m sorry.���

  Tessa let go and stepped back and Lucas walked away.

  She walked into the locker room. She looked at her phone, she had a message from her mother and Ben, both just checking to see how she was, and she replied to both that things were fine.

  That night Tessa went to play practice. She walked out into the night air and stared up at the sky. She stood there and just breathed. She thought of everything that had gone on since September. Seven months, over half a year of her life, had been hell. And for the next seven months she had to keep it together, for Jade. She had only a few hours of sleep a night and was exhausted. She was so sick of crying and so sick of trying to please him, to no avail.

  Tessa got in the Jeep and drove home to grab some clothes. He father was there with the kids. She walked in and hugged them ���I miss you,��� she kissed them and went upstairs and threw some stuff in her bag and headed out the door.

  Tessa pulled into Jade’s, and Lucas��� SUV was in the driveway. She sat in the Jeep for a few minutes and finally got out, took a deep breath and walked in. He and Jade were sitting with Ryan, Becca, and Phoebe at the table. She walked in and said hi and kissed Jade���s head and walked by. She went in and sat at the coffee table and took her homework out and started it. She heard them talk and once in a while laugh. She finished her chemistry and started reading. She fell asleep curled in a blanket in a chair with her book on her knees. She woke up to Jade���s screams and ran in. She woke her up and lay with her. She saw the books on her nightstand, the one���s she had given Lucas. She lay down and fell asleep with Jade.

  She went to school and sat with them at lunch and read her lines as she ate an apple.

  ���Tessa, your play, is this week.���

  ���Yep, starts tomorrow night. So I won���t be able to be at the evening calling hours Jade, I���m sorry,��� Tessa said apologetically.

  ���Oh, Tessa you haven���t slept. You have to go home tonight.���

  ���No, I don���t I���ll be fine,��� Tessa said and to avoid the argument she got up and left.

  The dress rehearsal was a success. When she got to Jade���s, they were all there again. The family viewing had been that night, and she was sure it was a rough night for Jade. She walked in, and they all sat in the living room.

  ���Hello everyone.���

  ���Hello Tessa,��� they all said, except for Lucas, he just looked at the floor.

  Tessa wondered if he was intentionally trying to avoid eye contact or if he was really falling apart. She wondered if his mother was alright and if he had talked to Audrianna and his father.

  Tessa realized she was staring at him and looked around; everyone else seemed to notice it too. She walked into the bathroom and wanted to scream. She washed off the rest of the makeup and brushed her teeth.

  ���Are you alright in there?��� Phoebe tapped on the door.

  ���Yep, I will be out in a minute,��� Tessa answered as she tried to pull it together.

  Tessa came out and sat on the floor. She grabbed a blanket and grabbed her book. Within minutes, she was asleep.

  ���Is she okay Jade?��� Phoebe asked.

  ���I think so, I���m not sure,��� Jade replied.

  Phoebe went over and felt her head.

  ���She���s warm. Hey, Tessa wake up,��� Phoebe shook her a bit.

  Tessa shook her head no. Jade went and grabbed a thermometer and stuck it in her ear. Tessa woke up, ���What was that for,��� Tessa asked holding her ear.

  ���You have a fever Tessa,��� Phoebe said.

  ���I���m fine,��� Tessa said and stood up. She was embarrassed. She walked into Jade���s room and made a bed on the floor and laid down.

  Phoebe walked in and gave her Tylenol and a cup of water.

  ���Tessa just take these, please.���

  She did and fell asleep on the floor.

  She woke to Jade���s screams and woke her up and talked until she fell asleep. It happened more that night. Tessa knew it was because of the viewing.

  * * *

  Today the drama club was putting on a scene in front of the school, it went well. She could see Lucas from where she stood as she sang. He looked right through her.

  After school Tessa went to Jade���s and for once helped her get ready. Jade wore black dress pants and a button up shirt and Tessa wore a black tank dress with a gray waist length cardigan. Both wore their hair down and straight and light makeup. At three o���clock, they left and held hands
as they walked into the funeral home. Tommy���s family sat and cried.

  ���Jade I���ll be in the back if you need me.���

  She went down the line of chairs and hugged each one and gave her condolences.

  She came to Lucas and looked at him and took a deep breath and hugged him.

  ���Lucas I���m very sorry.���

  Lucas returned her hug and said ���Thank You.���

  His cheek touched hers, ���Tessa you���re very warm come with me.���

  * * *

  Lucas grabbed her hand and walked outside and opened his SUV door. He told her to get in. He drove to the pharmacy and got out.

  ���I will be right back.���

  He returned with some sort of thermometer, Tylenol, and water. He opened the package and read the instructions; he ran it across her forehead and read it.

  ���You have a 101 temperature, take these,��� Lucas handed her two Tylenol and opened a water bottle and handed it to her.

  He pulled out of the pharmacy and turned left.

  ���Lucas you���re going the wrong way.���

  ���No Tessa, you are going home.���

  ���No Lucas, I need to be there for Jade.���

  ���You have been, and now you���re sick, someone else can stay with her tonight.���

  ���Lucas, please turn around. I���m not going home.���

  Lucas pulled into her driveway and reached across her and opened the door.

  ���Out Tessa now,��� she looked at him confused, ���Now damn it!���

  She got out and went inside and cried.

  She sent a text to Cassidy

  - hey Cassidy could you pick me up before the play? I���m without a vehicle… T

  - of course��� C

  Tessa grabbed some chicken bouillon and heated water; she drank it and felt better. She ate a couple crackers and went and started a load of laundry. She lay on the couch and snuggled with Chewy and fell asleep. Her phone alarm went off, and she jumped up. She made a thermos full of hot water with bullion. She brushed her teeth and grabbed the Tylenol and put it in her bag.