Chapter 1.2: A Wake and Letting Go

     "Patrick," Rachael said knocking on his door the next morning.  "Patrick wake up, the Wake is going to start in a couple hours."

     There was no response so Rachael opened the door.

     Inside the room was empty.  Rachael looked at the bed in dismay, it didn't look slept in so where could Patrick be.  Downstairs the doorbell rang announcing the arrival of her uncles to help set up for the Wake.  Rachael closed the door and went to let them in.

     Rachael found her sister outside playing on the monkey bars.  In her dress no less, Rachael shook her head in exasperation.

     "Becky, " she called, "come inside before you get your dress dirty.  People are arriving."

     "Don't want to," she yelled.

     "Not today, Becky.  Come inside."

     The day was long, and seemingly endless.  With a parade of people stopping to give condolences.  People their mom worked with, people she knew and fans that had followed her career.  Rachael nodded at their words but paid little attention to the people in front of her.  Every time the door opened to let in a new mourner, her heart dropped a little more when it wasn't the one person she wanted it to be.

     Carl Sharp had been her boyfriend for the last three months.  He was a year older, a senior at school and he was the school sports star.  Their relationship was strained lately, he wanted to do more than kiss and make out and Rachael wasn't ready to go farther.  She felt him pulling away and sometimes she thought she saw him checking out other girls.  Every time she would confront him about it though he would tell her he wasn't and spend more attention on her for a time.

     Despite her doubts she needed his support to get through this torture and wished he would hurry and show up.

     Hours later the guests had left and only uncle Matt and uncle Michael stayed behind to talk with the kids.

     "Where's Patrick, Rachael, I haven't seen him today?"  Matt asked.

     Rachael turned to look at her sister play with one of her dolls in the corner of the room.

     "I don't know.  Perhaps we could talk in the kitchen?" she said getting up to lead the way into the other room.

     After checking to make sure none of her siblings had followed she looked at her uncle.  "He wasn't here when I went to wake him this morning.  He's gone a lot lately," she said wrapping her arms around herself, "sometimes we get a call from the bar where he's passed out drunk at night."

     Matt wrapped her in a hug.  "He's going through a tough time right now.  Your mother was his true love.  Losing her is like losing a part of himself."

     Rachael sniffed, "It's hard losing Mama right now.  I don't want to lose Patrick as well.  He's still the closest thing to a dad I've ever had."

     Matt rocked her side to side and  made soothing murmurs before saying, "Hopefully in time he will remember he has you children to take care of.  Until then all you can do is keep going.  Michael and I will be here for you until then."

     "Is it clear to come in," asked Rhonan from the doorway.  Wiping the moisture from her eyes Rachael turned to see him standing there holding piled up plates.

     Stepping forward to take them she said thanks and took them to the sink to begin washing.

     "Call if you kids need anything," Matt said while walking out.

     "Thanks Uncle Matt," Rachael called over the running water.  With Rhidian and Rhonan helping they picked up all the plates and wrapped the leftover food.

     "You two should head on up to bed," Rachael said after the last of the food was put away.

     "What about you," Rhidian asked.

     "I'm going to turn in after I get this last load clean and check on Becky."

     "All right.  Goodnight then Ray." "Yeah, goodnight Ray."

     "Goodnight boys."

     Rachael checked on Becky sleeping in her bed before walking around the house one more time to find any misplaced plates and such.  She had just finished the last plate and was turning off the sink when she heard a tap at the glass doors.

     Carl had finally decided to show up.  Rachael angrily stalked over to the doors.  Yanking it open she barely managed to stop the door from hitting the wall before turning on her boyfriend.

     "What are you doing here at this hour," she hissed at him.

     She stepped back when he stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

     "Whoa, babe.  What are you angry about.  I made it here didn't I."

     "Angry.  I'm not angry, I'm furious.  I needed you here today. I needed you to be here for me," she said tapping herself on the chest.

      "Hey," Carl said putting his hands up defensively, "I told you last week that I couldn't make it.  I had other plans today that  I couldn't change."

     "And what are those plans.  You won't tell me anything, so I know where I stand on your list of priorities.  Dead last."

     "That's not true," he said stepping forward and holding her by the hands, "we're having fun and I take my fun very seriously.  You know you're kinda sexy when you get all mad like that."

     Rachael couldn't hold back the growl of annoyance as she snapped, "shut up." Jerking her hands away she grabbed him and pulled him down to kiss. "Just shut up and kiss me already," she said at his lips.

     This kiss wasn't at all like their usual kisses.  She would have described them as pleasant and all but this kiss.  Wow, this kiss was edgy, dark and thrilling.  Carl didn't just let himself be kissed, he took command of the kiss.  His lips were hard against hers, demanding entrance and when Rachael let out a little gasp he slipped his tongue in to tease along hers.  Rachael felt herself responding, hesitantly reciprocating the action.

     Carl's hands drifted down to her lower back, a hairs breadth from butt and Rachael found herself holding her breath, waiting to see what he would do next.  He pulled her closer to his body until she was slightly bowed back by the force of his kiss. 

     He was hard and hot against her.  Rachael gasped for breath when he pulled his mouth down to kiss along her throat.  Her eyes drifted closed as she squirmed against him, trying to hold on through the fire he was igniting within her or to put it out.  Anything to make it better.

     "Carl," she gasped as he kissed back along her jaw to her ear.  "Please, Carl," she pleaded though she didn't know what for.

     He stopped only long enough to take her by the hand and pull her up the stairs towards her room.  For a moment her steps halted as the reality of what they were going to do started to hit her.

     Before she could think over long about it Carl was kissing her again.  The fire from the kitchen that had started to turn to embers was fanned back to life with a vengeance.  Rachael opened the door to her room and let Carl carry her inside and around to the bed.

     Sitting next to him Rachael couldn't look away from him as he brought his hand up to brush back a strand of hair.

     "Beautiful," he whispered before kissing her again.

     Rachael leaned into the kiss and let go.  Let go of all the reasons why she shouldn't do this, of all  the hurt from losing her mom, of the stress of taking care of her younger siblings and fighting to keep their family from falling apart.

     Rachael lay back as Carl kissed her over and over.

                                                                                                                                                        

Random Ramblings

   Oh my gawd, teens can now woohoo.  I don't care if they call it 'messing around' in the game you know what's going on under those covers.  Pretty cool addition to the game in my opinion.  Makes it more like real life without going overboard by letting them try for babies in my opinion.  Finally spent more time playing around with the teen age and this is what I discover.  I just sooo had to bring it in to the story.

   Anyways I got a little more risque there writing than I would have thought possible for me, but wow it just came writing out.