remember when she left

FRIGG EVANS

"WE HAVEN'T seen you for a while Aiden," her mum said, handing dad a knife so he could cut the tomatoes. Don't hand the dad a knife when a boy's over. First parenting rule, dammit.

"Yes, it really is a shame," Anna added, smiling and wiggling her eyebrows. Gods, why were big sisters made to annoy the younger one?

Anna usually wasn't living here. She was twenty-two –five years older than her sister–  and lived in her own flat with her girlfriend soon to be fiancée, Louise. Anna had dated a lot, but Frigg could just feel that Louise was the one, in the way she talked about her. She could just feel that soon enough, she'd have a sister-in-law.

"I missed you Addy," Hope added, smiling and hugging his arm. Why this kid loved Aiden so much was a mystery to Frigg. He had nothing comforting or reassuring. He was just this tall, annoying jerk.

He gave the little girl a semblance of a smile, which was probably the best she'd get for now. Frigg couldn't remember seeing Aiden really smile since it happened. He used to grin, to laugh, to giggle. Used to. Now, he would occasionally smirk, and that was if she was lucky.

She rolled her eyes at the six-year-old and sighed. "Right. Now you've seen him, so he can leave?" she tried.

Her mum glared. "You're going to help him with his back. He got hurt trying to help you."

"They're going to the bathroom alone?" Her dad let out in a panicked voice, looking at Aiden with narrowed eyes. His wife glared at him, and he immediately stepped back. "Listen to your mum, Frigg."

Frigg huffed, giving her parents a side-eye. Why did her dad always have to lose against her mum? "C'mon Birdbrain."

Aiden followed her upstairs and she led him to the bathroom. She opened a wardrobe and looked for the first aid kit. Behind her, Aiden took his shirt off and she looked at his back and shoulders. Those were some pretty scratches. He just had to fall on the stones, didn't he? She rolled her eyes again, preparing one of the towels.

He sat on a chair, his back facing her and she put her left hand on his shoulder. She slowly and carefully cleaned up the wounds. He whimpered and quivered a little and Frigg smirked. "Aw, does that hurt?"

He groaned and she put down the towel. "Shut up Freya."

The girl smiled and took a disinfectant. She pulled some on the red marks and he yelped again. She knew she shouldn't be amused by this, but she really couldn't miss the opportunity. "Gods, I'm so regretting not recording this right now," she sighed.

He huffed, turned on his chair and his hands closed tightly on her wrists. "Fuck's sake Freya," he groaned. "I got hurt helping you!"

She rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him. "I won't be able to help you without my hands, Birdbrain."

They both glared at each other for a minute, until she broke the eye contact, and to her shame, she glanced at his chest for a moment. "Like what you see?"

He was agreeable to look at (how wouldn't he be, after the swimming?), but she wasn't about to admit it. "In your dreams, idiot."

"Pillock."

"Dumbass."

"Ninnyhammer."

"Mumpsimus."

A noise cut them off and they both turned to watch Anna laugh her head off. "What's so funny?" Frigg asked her with a glare.

Her sister just shook her head. "I'm so going to win twenty quid in a month." Aiden and her shared a confused look and he finally let go her wrists. "Mum says Aiden stays for the game night," Anna added with a smirk.

Frigg groaned. "You can't be serious."

"That's exactly dad's reaction," Anna sneered.

"Don't I feel loved," Aiden joked in a mumble. Frigg immediately faced him and put a hand on his forehead. "What are you doing?" he asked.

She looked at him in the eyes, trying to look dead serious. "I'm making sure you're not sick. You're obviously seeing things."

He rolled his eyes. "Ha ha. You're so hilarious I forgot how to laugh."

"Like you ever knew how to." She ignored his glare and thanked the sky that looks didn't kill.

They both followed Anna down the stairs and sat on the couch as her father put the Monopoly on the table. He was about to say something –probably a typical overprotective dad thing– but her mother elbowed him. "So," he started instead as he opened the box, "Tell me Aiden, how are your parents?"

She saw him tense and look at the floor. "They're fine," he finally said, his voice deeper than usual.

Her mother placed a hand on his shoulder. "It must be hard for all of you with what happened. It never really gets better, eh?"

Frigg looked away, her mind wandering. Aiden had a twin sister, Vivian. She was Frigg's bosom friend, the only soulmate she'd ever have, probably. Until she killed herself two years ago.

 She remembered that a few months after the funerals, when she bumped into Aiden and his father as the latter was yelling at his son. She didn't understand exactly what it was about, but she was certain the entire family had been completely traumatised by Viv's death.

Aiden cleared his throat, and when their eyes met, her heart sank. It was rare to see the sadness written so clearly on his face. "We- We do our best, I guess," Aiden finally said. He then looked away.

They played a little bit until Hope began to yawn loudly. "I'm not tired," she quickly said when she noticed every one was now staring at her.

"Sure kiddo," Frigg smiled. "C'mon Grasshopper, let's put you to bed."

She whined. "But I not tired!"

Aiden smiled slightly. Holy shirt. He (almost) smiled, it took all Frigg's power to restrain herself from teasing him. "I won't get you ice cream next week if you don't go to bed when you need to," Aiden commented.

Was he asking her five years old sister out? Because if so, she needed to put on her overprotective-sister hat...

Maybe Hope wasn't the only one tired in that house.

"I guess I could go to bed," Hope agreed with her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "But not because I'm tired!" Her mother took her in her arms and carried her upstairs with a small laugh.

"Well, I guess I'll be going too," Aiden said.

"You can walk with him a little bit," her father proposed. Frigg gave him a look but he just dismissed them with his hand. Apparently he'd gotten weaker after the mention of her.

Vivian and her dad used to play chess together. Everyone loved her, she was sweet, and passionate, and clever, and obsessed with those old, old boring books.

They walked in silence, side to side, and she felt his hand brush hers a few times, until they both took a step distance, keeping their eyes straight on the ground.

There was a time when he would hold her hand, or sleep on her lap, and none of them would think too much of it, it was just natural, even after all the arguing and teasing. Frigg found herself missing it.

When his house came in sight, he turned to her with an emotionless face. "Hope I won't see you tomorrow Freya."

"The feeling's mutual. Birdbrain"

"Mooncalf."

"Fire-man."