𝗜𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀 | 𝐁𝗼𝐛𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐲/𝗥𝗙𝗞

IX: "Kathleen"

[May 13, 1948]

The earth could've shattered, the skies plummeted, and the moon might as well have crashed into Bobby. It was three days — three days of peace with his new lover, Evelyn, and three days of unprecedented equilibrium with his parents before the darkness cast its shadows over his world.

The loss of his sister, Kathleen — more fondly called, Kick, gave Bobby the final push to tumble into the pitch-black void that he has been balancing himself on its edge for the past four years; since his eldest brother's death.

The dreadful news spreads next door to the Bellamy household. Maurice Bellamy, the patriarch, who happened to be a close friend to the senior Joe, awaited his return to the States before visiting the Kennedy home — for it would be distasteful if rumors were to spread about him visiting a married woman with her husband absent. It was only Rose; the most devoted and obeying wife but Maurice did not want to risk it — he had a reputation to take care of since he was promoted.

While Julia Bellamy, the lady of the house, visited them the first chance she got, and possibly mourned the death of Kathleen much more than her own mother. As emotions seeped out of Julia, she used a handkerchief to wipe her tears away — being the first one to shed tears between Rose and her. Perhaps it was true — perhaps, after all, the Kennedys indeed do not cry.

Evelyn contemplated on whether to visit the grieving family or to stay put in the house with her father, she paced around her disorganized bedroom with Billie Holiday playing repeatedly on the turntable.

"Hell do I even say..." She mumbled before throwing herself on the bed. With eyes on the ceiling, Evelyn sighed. She never had the chance to bond with Kathleen as she did with the other Kennedy sisters. The first and foremost reason was that Kathleen spent most of her life in London rather than Massachusetts. However, Evelyn remembered how much of a free-spirited teenager Kathleen was; always barefoot on the grass, thrusting her hand in the air as she threw a football to Jack, and not to mention the love she had for tanning by the sun — next to a swimming pool or on the beach.

Only then, Evelyn realized how they wronged Kathleen — and how they could wrong her if she ever ties the knot with Bobby.

And only then — a drop of tear fell out of Evelyn's eye. It streamed down onto her cheek. There was no more taking sides when it came to it, Kathleen had always been on the right one until her very last breath. Evelyn understood her too well — conceivably better than anyone related to her by blood.

"Merde!" Evelyn cried out, she grasped her hair with her two hands. She was in disarray when she realized they were in an identical situation as Kathleen was.

Then Evelyn remembered how wide Bobby was smiling just yesterday when they were out for a night in town. Not one soul noticed they were gone, and with Joe Sr. thousands of miles away, there was only Rose for Bobby to avoid, and that was not a problem to him. They were riding a Cadillac with a couple of Bobby's friends — who were very much in love with each other as they were; Roy and Dolly, rebels with a cause.

Whole lotta laughter filled the convertible, and dirty jokes being thrown excessively as there were no grumpy elders to wag their fingers at them. They were cruisin' down the coast, trying to find a place where they could be nobody but their true selves.

With the moonlight leading the path, Bobby and Evelyn couldn't keep their hands off each other. Their hairs were being blown out of place by the strong wind, but nothing stopped them from making out in the back of Roy's convertible.

When they finally arrived at their destination where they truly belonged, they danced and drank like there was no tomorrow. Evelyn had fallen in love with Bobby all over again, but little did she know, it was the beginning of the end of their love story.

"Ah, to hell with it." Evelyn reached for the telephone on her nightstand. She tentatively rotated the wheel to dial Bobby's digits, but quickly slammed the handset back to where it belongs.

"How insensitive can you be, crétin?" Evelyn let a long sigh out of her mouth. "Calling instead of seeing him..." She questioned herself before groaning; exhausted with the dilemma reoccurring inside her head. To go, or not to go, that is the question; Evelyn was bemoaning the pain and unfairness of going but acknowledging that the alternative might be worse.

"Evie, puis-je entrer?" Several knocks were laid on the door of Evelyn's bedroom. The girl instantly rose from her lying position to her feet when Maurice's voice echoed through the hallway, he was asking if he could enter her room. It was not the right time, but Evelyn opened the door and welcomed her father.

"Pourquoi, Papa?" Evelyn tilted her head as she asked her father. The grey-haired man sat on the bed. He looked out of the window, the sunlight reflected on his eyes; creating a certain unique color of green and coppery tint, distinguishing them from the rest of his features.

"I cannot believe she is gone." With a heavy French accent, Maurice tried to express his sorrow — hoping that Evelyn would hear his story on Kathleen. "You know, that girl— elle était un tel ange." She was an angel, he claimed. With his hands clasped together, Maurice pressed them against his mouth. He was speechless to hear how a soul as wild as Kathleen's could be reaped from a world that needed her so badly.

"When we first moved here, the Kennedys welcomed us. They sent Kick to deliver us some housewarming cookies." Maurice had a blank look on his face; not like a deer gazing into headlights, but of a man whose soul was sucked out of his body — yet his heart still beat endlessly. "Perhaps they sent her because she was the most genuine of them all." He cracked a smile before it quickly faded.

"She came in, she introduced herself, and asked me to teach her French as soon as she found out where we came from." Wow, she must've been really special for Papa to be fond of her like this, Evelyn thought to herself. Just when she thought Maurice was done, he continued. "I didn't get to teach her the language... Your mother did, for a little bit." Evelyn didn't say a single word, she listened to her father's hymn intently.

One question continued to circulate in her poor mind, how could one be so cruel to their own child? How do they use religion as an excuse to leave their child impoverished and devoid of love? — especially when that has always been the purpose? Evelyn yearned for a clue — she yearned for an understanding behind the family's cruelty and unjust treatment of any individual who doesn't follow their strict, articulate principles.

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P.S: So, this is one of those very long, detailed, and part of the "slow burn" section of the story — please bear with me for these chapters! I'll be sure to always publish exciting chapters after one of these. Thank you for reading, though! 🥺