"Momma? Mom are you okay? What's wrong?" Cole's concerned voice meets Aubrey's ears breaking her from her trance.

She wipes away the tears she didn't know were falling and smiles. "Yeah, I'm fine Big Boy. What are you doing back up?"

He turns away before answering, "I heard you crying, Momma, I couldn't listen to it anymore."

Silent tears now run fluently down her cheeks as she scoops him up and hugs him tight. "That's sweet Cole, but I'm fine. You go on back to bed."

He gives her a kiss on the cheek before scampering off to bed. Just then her phone rings, Jedediah. She sucks in a deep breath, wipes away her tears, clears her throat and answers it, "Hey."

"You don't sound like yourself, what's the matter?" He asks with concern coating his voice heavily.

She takes a deep breath trying to figure out what the best way to say it is.

"Sweetheart?"

"Yeah, uh, I, um, got a text from my sister," she tells him trying to keep her voice steady and strong.

On the other end of the line his face collects more worried lines. Grabbing his hat and pulling his keys from his pocket he tells her, "I'll be right there."

If it wasn't for the overwhelming emotions that cloud her mind she would smile, but a smile just didn't come with the thoughts that swim around in her mind. She stares at her phone then back at the picture of her and her family as a kid. It has always sat inside the cover of her bible, but she rarely looks at it, until now.

Before she knows it there is a soft knock at the door and then it is pushed open. Involuntarily she runs to him and wraps her arms tightly around his neck. The silent tears stream as though someone placed a water hose behind her eyes.

Jedediah kisses the top of her head and wraps his arms around her shaking body. He gently picks her up and carries her to the couch where he places her in his lap and cuddles her close to his chest. "Sweetheart, it's alright, I'm right here."

"They're-" she sobs, "they are gone."

A confused frown creases his face, but soon turns into a sad and almost depressed expression as he figures out just what she means. He pulls her tighter to him and kisses the side of her cheek. Her warm tears begin to wet his shirt, but he hardly notices as he tries his best to comfort her.
***

The next morning Jedediah finds himself waking up on Aubrey's couch with her curled up in his lap. He smiles weakly and gently brushes stray hairs from covering her face. Being careful not to wake her up he gets up from the couch, still holding her in his arms, and carries her to her bed. He gently pulls the covers over her and places a kiss on her cheek before slipping out of the room and back into the kitchen.

He searches the fridge until he finds a carton of eggs and some sausage. Just as he has everything in the skillet Cole stumbles into the kitchen. Jedediah smiles and picks the boy up. "Good morning, Cole."

"Dad! What are you doing here?" The little boy exclaims with excitement.

Jedediah quickly clasps his hand over the little boys mouth. "Shhh, your momma is sleeping." Cole seems like he's going to cry causing Jedediah to sigh. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gotten upset. Just try to be quite until she gets up, okay?"

Cole nods and lays his head on Jedediah's shoulder.

"I've got to make a phone call, so can you go play in your room a minute? I'll have breakfast ready in a few minutes."

Cole gains a mischievous grin. "You can't make it like Momma does." And with that he scampers off yo his room.

Jedediah chuckles for a second before taking his phone and dialing Raely's number. He waits impatiently as the rings come one at a time as if taunting him. Taunting him to cut off the call and go and wrap Aubrey in his arms as tight as physically healthy and let her cry into his shoulder.

A friendly yet curious, "Hello" jolts him from his daze.

He clears his throat and answers, "Rae, hi, it is Jedediah. Umm, I'm at Aubrey's she, I don't know how to say this. She got a text last night, her parents passed away last night."

There is a gasp on the other end of the line. "Oh my! I'm so sorry. Tell her not to worry about MJ and to bring Cole over whenever she needs."

He smiles and nods. "I will."

The phone call ends shortly after and he turns back to concentrate on the meal he has promised to prepare for Cole. Thoughts plague him harder the longer he idly tends to the eggs. How hard it must be to not see your parents for a year or more and then suddenly they are gone! He shakes his head and mutters to himself.

He fixes himself and Cole a plate before calling the little boy to the table.

"Is Momma going to eat with us?"

Jedediah fakes a smile. "I don't think so she's pretty tired so we are going to let her sleep." Cole seems to think nothing of it and only nods. Jedediah lets out the breath he didn't know he was holding and shovels another fork full of fluffy yellow eggs into his mouth.

Before long they have finished eating and delivered their plates to the sink. Cole informs Jedediah that he is going to get dressed before disappearing. Only then does Jedediah make his way to Aubrey's room. He gently cracks the door being sure not to make a sound. His gaze then rests upon her slender, beautiful body resting peacefully under the cloud like bedspread. Just then Cole pulls at his jeans pocket catching his attention.

"You look good in those Wrangler jeans!" Jedediah declared in a whisper.

Cole beams and tugs Jedediah into the kitchen.

Jedediah pulls the little boy into his lap. "What do you think about having a play date with MJ?"

Cole frowns. "But Momma and I go over to their house everyday. Won't she be coming too?"

"Not today."

After a moment of thought Cole nods. "Alright."

Jedediah watches as the little boy runs to his room and comes back with a little grey backpack stuffed to the top with little toys.
***

Aubrey shifts in her bed as her mind dreams.

"Jedediah! NO! You can't go now, they'll hurt you."

He puts his hands on her shoulders and kisses her soundly. "I will be fine. You stay here and I will be back in an hour."

She kisses him once more before he steps out the door and gets in his old beat up pickup. Tears roll down her cheeks as she watches his tail lights fade. Her boy has been stolen and now the love of her life is bound to get hurt.

She flip flops in her bed a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. The farther into the dream the more she turns and rolls getting tangled in the covers. Suddenly she is jolted awake by gentle shakes of her shoulders. Her eyes flutter open and lay on Jedediah's worry lined face.

A sigh of relief escapes her lips as she wraps her arms tightly around him.

"Sweetheart, are you sick?"

She glances up at him. "No, babe, I had a terrible dream."

He slips is arms around her and carries her to the couch. "It's okay, Sweetheart, I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

She smiles weakly. "Where's Cole?"

"I took him to Raely's to play with the twins. She said not to worry about keeping them and that she needed to catch up on things around the house anyway."

She smiles and kisses his lips lightly. "Thank you, babe, you are the best."

He chuckles lightly and shakes his head. "I don't know about that. There is a plate of eggs in the oven if you want to eat."

She shakes her head. "I'm not really hungry."

He frowns and kisses her forehead. "Eat something, please. For me?"

"Maybe just a bowl of cereal."

He smiles brightly and kisses her lips once again. "Good, I'll be back with it in a minute."

"Babe, wait. I'll come with you and we can sit in the kitchen."

He thinks it a bit odd, but gives her a smile and takes her hand. He pours her a bowl of Raisin Brand and adds milk before topping it off with a spoon. "There you go Beautiful!"

She smiles and grabs his hand as he turns away. "Thank you," she whispers with a smile.