I can do this.
Keep calm, Jayelle.
You can do this.
Deep breath. You and Andy are Cathedral's best.
Breathe.

The room stayed silenced for at least five minutes. The silence broke when my blonde preteen looked to me with tears brimming her eyes, her lip quivered. She said quietly, and with a wavering voice, "you promised you wouldn't leave again."
Dagger through the heart #1.

Sara then spoke, while tying up her curly hair, "Of course she's leaving Mary. I told you she was. She always does."
Dagger #2.

My stayed quiet. But lowered her head in her hands. Looking away from my mother, I turned to see Karolina standing on the couch, looking around at the three teary eyed girls, and knowing something was wrong. She made a few short, confused noises and then had tears in her eyes too. Poor child. She had no idea what was going on, only upset because everyone else was crying. Andy noticed her starting to cry and picked her up. Once she was on his hip and had her face buried in his neck, he walked past me, telling me he was taking her to her room. I was thankful, he always knew exactly what to do. Once they were out of side, I closed my eyes, dropped my head, and took a few controlled breaths. "Listen," I said authoritatively, "I don't want to go either, neither does Andy. And I'm sorry you don't understand, and that I can't tell you anything. Just trust me when I tell you that I'll always be back. I love all of you. We want to keep you safe." My mother and the two sniffling girls looked up at me. I hated myself for what I just said.
I could never promise that we'd be back.

Notes