"Mom?" Jason asked in a hushed voice as he crept closer to her bed.
"Oh Jason!" Lexa replied ashamed he had heard her crying.
"Are you okay?" he asked his little heart racing with concern for his beloved mother.
"No." Lexa answered truthfully as Jason sat next to her on her large comfortable bed.
"What is wrong?" Xation's son asked as he reached out touching his mother's hand as she held the phone up to her ear. "Who are you talking to?"
"Your grandfather.., something terrible has happened." she said trying to fight back the tears in order to be brave for Jason.
"Has something happened to grandma?" Jason asked fearing the worst, for he loved that dear old lady.
"No honey, grandma and grandpa are fine." Lexa replied putting his little heart at ease, if only for a moment. Carlo heard the conversation and he tried to get his daughter-in-law's attention as she said "Your aunts have..," she paused not wanting to tell him of the double suicide in order to protect his young, innocent mind.
"Tia Serena? Tia Felina?" his heart sank then saddened.
"Leah! Wait!" Carlo shouted into the receiver.
"Yes?" she stopped talking and listened then replied to Carlo "Okay." Lexa took the phone from her ear handing it over to the shy, dark eyed boy. "Your grandfather needs to speak with you."
Jason took the phone knowing he had about two seconds before this tragedy would be known to him. He slowly placed the phone to his ear as he stared into his mother's sad green eyes. "Hello." Jason said his voice shaking.
"Oh there's my boy!" Carlo said as a little bit of joy seeped into the raw, broken parts of his heart, for his grandson was the only blessing God would allow him now. "Jason, I first want to tell you how much your grandmother and I have missed you, my dear boy!" he said a slight elation in his voice as he went on forgetting, momentarily about the tragedy, as he asked "Did you like the set of golf clubs I sent for you?"
"Yes, I shot a 69 yesterday." he said answering the old man's question but changed the subject to matters more pressing. "Tell me what has happened!"
Lexa wiped her eyes as she took in a deep breath watching the expression on Jason's face as he received the awful news. It was strange, for as he attained the knowledge of what had transpired over the weekend, his face changed. Now it was true he had his father's dark eyes and dark hair, but Lexa had always seen her sister Leah's face in the boy; which could have been due to Lexa's overwhelming sadness of missing her dear departed sister, of this she could never be sure. But here and now a deep serious look overcame Jason and now he looked just like his father Xation Day.
"Grandpa, I wish this never happened," Jason paused "but we will come, so you will not be alone. I love you very much and we will be there soon." he paused listening to his grandfather then he said goodnight and handed the phone to the woman he believed to be his mother.
Lexa took the receiver and placed it back in it's cradle as she waited for a torrent of tears to come pouring out of her nephew, but he only looked deep into her eyes, as if he were staring straight through her. Now she felt suddenly ill at ease, for though he was being strong and quite brave, Jason was being stronger and braver than a nine year old little boy should be. "Jason? Did Carlo tell you what happened?" Lexa asked shocked by his lack of sadness.
"Yes." he replied in a still calm voice that now sounded darker and deeper.
"How do you feel right now son?" Lexa asked amazed that Jason was sitting there before her, in his spider-man pajamas, looking like a miniature version of Xation Day.
"I am very tired." Jason answered calmly. "I want to go back to sleep now."
"Come, climb in." Lexa said pulling back the covers of her bed.
"No mom, I'll be okay." Jason said with a sigh. "I want a glass of milk and then I'll go back to bed." he leaned over hugged his mother telling her everything would be alright. He lovingly kissed her on the cheek, then he rose up from where he sat and walked towards her bedroom door. Jason did not look back as he went into the hall, shutting his mother's door behind him.
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