Living

Chapter 27: March 15, 2021

TW: Mentions of death, sadness, and crying

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Davey, Sarah, Les, Books, and Jack stared at the gray rocks, the words making less and less sense.

                         Esther Jacobs
                  Loving mother and wife
     November 4, 1974 - March 15, 2021

Davey looked at his father.

                         Mayer Jacobs
               Loving father and husband
   December 19, 1972 - March 15, 2021

It's been one year. One year since they died.

Even though Les, Sarah, and Davey were at the hospital when they heard the news, this does it. This sets it in. They really are gone.

Davey's a bit upset they couldn't do something nicer. His parents are back in the crowd, something they hated. They hated being grouped up, their individuality being stolen by the background. They hated that. Davey hated that.

Les wished he could see them again. He'd give anything just to see them tell him they're proud, or happy, or upset. He'd be glad to have them yell at him because he did something stupid or wrong then to see them buried under his feet.

He stepped to the side, staring at the ground. I was standing on them. Les cried.

Sarah couldn't feel anything. She felt the urge to cry, but she couldn't. A year's worth of tears wasn't going to bring them back- she knew that from personal experience- but that didn't make it hurt less. It hurt more even.

She placed a hand over her aching heart and sat down, staring at her parents head stones. She didn't move.

Davey felt Jack hug him, but he couldn't bring himself to hug back. He was fine yesterday. What happened? He was fine. He had a great day, actually. Compared to this, he had a great day. It was wonderful.

He didn't scream or yell. He just fell to his knees. There were tears rolling down his cheeks as he sobbed softly, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry", he muttered, wiping his eyes. He placed his flowers in front of them. "I'm so sorry."

The Jacobs Siblings realized they weren't five anymore. Now, they're three.

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Everyone was back at Davey and Les' apartment.

The silence was heavy and still, the siblings sitting close, yet stiffly. They were comfortable like that, however, and didn't make any plans to move.

Les looked up. "We have to do that every year?"

Davey swallowed, trying not to cry again. "Maybe. Yeah."

Sarah closed her eyes and got up, walking to the bathroom. Jack and Books allowed their eyes to follow her, sadness filling them.

Jack got up to follow her. He naturally couldn't have someone sad, it's just who he was. He hated seeing people so upset, probably because he knows what it feels like.

He knocked on the bathroom door. "Sarah?"

He heard shuffling and sniffling before someone called back a, "What?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you lyin' to me?"

Sarah didn't respond. Jack sighed and knocked again. "Can you come out?"

"I'm bi."

"You have the same humor as your brothers."

Sarah laughed softly, opening the door. She wiped her eyes. "I'm probably ruining my makeup."

"That's okay", Jack shrugged, a comforting smile on his face. "It's okay to cry."

Sarah hugged Jack. She just hugged him, and Jack hugged her back.

Davey, Les, and Books walked up to them. "Hey, guys."

"Hey", Jack wheezed, patting Sarah's back. "She is very strong."

"Volleyball does that to you", Sarah muttered, causing everyone to chuckle. "You guys wanna join?"

I'm gonna die, Jack thought as everyone began to join the hug. I'm gonna die, either from love or pressure.

He didn't actually care. No one did. They were all happy to have each other. In some way or another, they all understood each other.

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Short, I know. But I feel like that's a good thing (I also couldn't write them being sad without feeling like I was being punched in the stomach)