Lifeline || Evan Buckley [2]

chapter six

through the storm 

Music blared in the art studio where Sasha's paintbrush moved swiftly against the canvas. She inhaled sharply relieving the tension on her shoulders. She would've gone to the beach but decided to take advantage of the empty studio. She thought she'd be alone until the abrupt arrival of a figure came through the door.

"Shit didn't think anyone would be here." Matthew paused at the sight of her. He ran his hand into his dark curls. "Of course, you own the place."

Sasha couldn't help but laugh at Matthew's face flushed with embarrassment. "I do. But you are always welcome to freely use the studio. My aunt Ashley and I gave you a spare for a reason."

Matthew nodded shortly, striding further into the studio to set up. "Which I appreciate. A lot of people seem to want to add pieces of mine into their home or office."

"Probably tired of staring at the same wall these past several months." Sasha humored causing him to snort. "Or they acknowledged how talented you are as an artist. We've received a number of positive feedbacks about your work after the event."

"Both could be true." Matthew turned on his laptop. "What brings you here?" He glanced over his shoulder.

Sasha's paintbrush froze against the canvas. She pursed her lips. "Just need to clear my head."

"Trouble in paradise?"

"No, me and Evan are fine. His parents came to visit, and it unraveled more than the usual family issues."

While celebrating May's promotion at work, Buck had gone to see Maddie to talk since storming off at dinner with their parents.

Sasha remembered the look on Buck's face when she came back home. It was like he saw a ghost but fused with anger. He sat on the couch clutching to the beer bottle in his hand. The tv had been playing but background noise as Buck paid no mind to it. After placing a sleeping Monet down, Sasha sat by his side with a visible look of concern. She removed the bottle from his grasp to set it on the table.

Finding him in a distraught state was the last thing she expected from his visit with Maddie.

"It makes sense. It all makes sense now." Buck scoffed out, staring ahead.

She sat with him for a few minutes until he broke the silence again to share the news. As it turns out, Maddie and Buck weren't the only children of Phillip and Margaret Buckley. The older couple had a son named Daniel, the oldest of the two. Like any firstborn, they are the pride and joy of their parents. When their son was diagnosed with leukemia it broke the family's hearts. Out of desperation for a bone marrow donor and receiving negative results, Phillip and Margaret had Buck, the potential savior donor.

Unfortunately, between the cells not being able to graft and Daniel's relapse. He passed away. The grieving family chose to move away to Hershey, Pennsylvania for a clean slate. At the age of nine, Maddie was forced to withhold any memory or utter the name of her late older brother. Buck grew up with the knowledge of having one older sibling while his parents and sister grieved in silence.