brothers.

69~ Results

Susan

January 13th, 2024

I hated seeing Diana so depressed. Everything was so much... better recently. Now with Monica's passing and Ivy's ridiculous outburst, she'd gone back to the way she was. Just when she was getting... happy.

I couldn't help the guilt. Ivy hated her because of us. She shouldn't have gone, but we couldn't deny her the right when she wanted to. It wouldn't be fair.

Five days since the funeral— ten since Monica died, and Diana hadn't gone out, or talked to any of her friends. Not even that boy, Tony. Even our sons had mellowed. We all knew Monica would leave us someday, but we were hoping it wouldn't be so soon. A selfish desire; Monica was ready to go.

I approached Diana's doorway. She sat at her desk, doing homework. Lonnie lied in his bed, just as sad as she was. His smile wasn't there.

Most of the boys were absent; Harry went to a friend's house, Kyle was with Nicole, and Jack with some of the boys at his college. Tommy was holed up in his room, also studying. With Shirley out of his life, he'd seemed more relaxed, but also more of an indoor person. He almost never went anywhere without that girl. I was hurt that he got hurt, but relieved she was gone.

There was only so much I could do as his mother. I couldn't completely forbid him from seeing her; that was what led to him sneaking out to her house that night in the first place. I talked to her parents, but they didn't seem to care much about the way their relationship was built.

Tommy knew very well I disapproved, as did the rest of us, but it was up to him in the end. He needed to face the consequences of his decision to stay with her for so long.

Just like I had to face the consequences of what I'd done. I had a feeling the problems wouldn't stop for a long while. I'd done a pretty... messed-up thing.

"Diana, honey?" I started. "You want to do something? It's a beautiful day."

"No, thanks, Susan. Got a lot of work to do."

"It snowed again. You sure you don't want to go and build a snowman or something?"

"No, I'm fine."

"You want to bake something? We can make cookies."

She smiled appreciatively. "Maybe later on. Not now. Thanks, though."

I sighed. "Okay. Let me know if you need anything." I headed back downstairs, where Davis was watching TV.

He looked up when I entered. "Nothing?"

"No." I fell next to him, leaning into his chest. "I don't know what to do anymore. I don't want to force her."

"Then don't," he said. "This is a hard time for all of them. Let them process it."

"She worries me. I don't want her to go back to..."

"As long as we remind her we're here for her, I'm sure she'll feel better in time."

"I hope so." My phone dinged. Opening it, I saw an email from GeneusLabs.

I sat up abruptly, startling Davis. He muted the TV. "What?"

"Did you get this?"

"What?" He read my screen, his ocean blue eyes widening. He took out his own phone and checked his email. "I... I think it went to Spam."

"Should I..."

"Open it," he said, a bit urgently. He continued searching his overflowing inboxes, filled with unopened emails from work and websites.