Coming Home [H.S.]

001

-four months later...

"Aurora!" My Mum's singing voice called out from downstairs, I slowly lifted my sleeping head from my desk, a paper still stuck to my face. The last thing I remember was putting the letter I wrote together. I couldn't have been asleep for too long since it was only mid afternoon.

I was up the majority of the night, I couldn't help but toss and turn, and because of it I haven't gotten that much sleep. I've been exhausted. The nights have been filled with insomnia and nightmares. All of which have been just great for my energy levels. I'll be just fine though.

I wasn't sure if I was hearing things or if someone called my name, but I heard my Mum call out my name for a second time. Her voice blanketed by the thick walls of my bedroom.

I instantly knew what it was for..

I jumped up as fast as I could and tripped outside my room. Yes, I was still living at home, turns out the apartment I had wasn't actually what I wanted. It also had a pretty bad leak in the ceiling. I used that as an excuse not to go through with the lease. I honestly could have found a new place by now, but with Louis being gone I figured I'd stay a little longer so that Micheal wouldn't be here alone.

I know for a fact that I am just making excuses at this point, but I think it's valid. I didn't want Micheal to live by himself with Mum and Dad. I think it would be weird being in a house that's so quiet. So I'm staying to make Louis being gone easier.

Micheal says he's doing okay.

I don't believe him though.

He smiles, and jokes like usual. He'll come with me to restaurants, come with me to the movies. He teases me just as much as before. But somethings missing from him. He isn't all there. When it becomes late at night and I'll always catch him going into Louis' room and sitting on his floor looking around. He doesn't cry hysterically, he just gets teary eyed, and after a while he goes back to his room. I think he should cry though, it would help. He misses him alot. Micheal is my brother, my best friend, but Louis is his other half really. They do everything together and they always seemed to be close by. With Louis gone, deployed who knows where, it's starting to take a toll on him.

I want to help him, and distract him, so I've been dragging him to places with me. He was reluctant at first, he's sweet and thoughtful. He felt like he was intruding on things, he didn't want to bother me. So I've had to reassure him time and time again that I didn't mind him tagging along.

First, it was out to this new diner down the street. It had tacky leather seating, but it had a small band playing every hour so we gave it a try. I remember that one very vividly because he dumped an entire bottle of carbonated soda on some bastard's head. Then proceeded to knock him square in the jaw until he was unconscious. He deserved it though, the sick bastard was trying to sneak his hand up my dress. All honesty, I was surprised Micheal didn't kill him right then and there. Me and another older man had to pull him off of the beaten man before the cops got involved.

He was gonna feel that in the morning.

I'm just gonna say this now though. If Micheal didn't step in, I would have done something much worse than a broken jaw and soda drenched shirt...

We ended up laughing so hard over it once we left. I profusely apologize to Micheal, I honestly didn't mean for the day to turn out that way. Especially since I planned for that day to be something good for him. But him being the angel he is, brushed it off. He mentioned that it wasn't my fault the world was filled to the brim with creeps. I always feel safe with my brother, yeah he's the definition of a teddy bear. But he can go ballistic when needed. Kinda like a real bear I guess. But in the end I won because he said he actually had fun. Which is what I was going for. We've been doing things like that ever since.