LUCARIAH

The One Where I Remember Him

(Ezekiel POV)

Six years. That's how long ago our lives changed. For the better, or for worse? I've yet to decide. Every time I stand at the alter, I feel a heavy weight on my chest because it isn't me waiting for my bride.

I'm slacking. I know I am. Dad got remarried to a woman that couldn't compare to our mom in any way, shape, or form. And he loves that about her. Christophen is dating the person of his dreams, someone sweet and so, so kind. And Jericho has us gathered today to celebrate his union with his new wife.

I wish it were me, but I can't find it in myself to move on. Back then, when I still lived in my home town, under my mom's roof, I believed I'd be the first of us to go through the motion. But the woman I'd planned my future with decided not to stick around to get there.

It's been years and I've yet to let go. It's one of the reasons I decided to leave when my dad did after our parents divorce. I couldn't handle the thought of living in that small town any longer. Every street corner reminded me of her.

The memory of her lose is something that plagues my waking hours, haunts my moments of slumber. I remember the heartbreaking, earth shattering pain that accompanied the phone call that tilted my world on its axis.

"Darla Greenwick was pronounced dead at 6:00 pm. Announced a hero after sacrificing herself in order to save Lucariah Calloway."

Lucariah. It's been forever since I last seen him too. Some nights I lay awake thinking of the bright eyed little boy that roamed our halls. He must be so grown now. Already twelve if I wasn't mistaken.

I haven't bothered to check up on him since we left, and as far as I'm concerned we all decided to erase that part of our lives. In everyone's eyes we were just three brothers living in our father's large estate.

I looked around the reception hall and sighed at the teary eyed guests placed before us. I was Jericho's best man, stood just a few steps behind him. To my left stood our youngest brother, Christophen, and dad was not too far behind along with a few of our closest friends.

I turned back to the reason I was in this stuffy suit at the perfect moment. "-and do you Sophia Waters take Jericho Calloway to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

Sophia parted her lips for her response, cut off by the blaring sound of my dad's phone.

We turned wide-eyed stares at the old fool as he dug his cell out his pocket. "Sorry!" He called out, declining the call, "I'm sorry!"

Ignoring the interruption, we turned back in time to see the bride mouthing an 'I do' to her groom. A special private moment, just for the two of them. The crowd gushed at the sight.

I, once again, longed for the future I was denied.

"I now pronounce you-" The priest was cut off by the same blaring ringer.

"Dad," Christophen gritted out.

"I'm sorry!" This time dad stepped off the alter to answer the call. Returning a few minutes later looking pale and rattled. I kept an eye on him, watching the way he kept checking his phone and fidgeting in place.

I raised my brows, a silent question, 'what happened?' He pretended not to notice me. I cleared my throat rather loud and repeated the expression. Jericho elbowed my side with a scowl, before quickly regaining his composer just in time.

"-you may now kiss the bride!" Everyone erupted into cheers the second the couple of the hour locked into a passionate kiss. Everyone...except our dad.

My stomach sunk to the floor as he stared off into oblivion. Something was wrong. Seriously wrong. Dad would never be so absent on a day that was so important to one of us if it wasn't a matter of life or death. And something tells me the call was just dancing along that line.

As all the guest filtered out to the after party; Lith- our step-mother, Christophen, Ambrosia- his girlfriend, and I stayed behind with dad.

"What's the matter, Evan?" Lith spoke softly, placing a hand on his chest. His eyes fell to his wife, but that was the only movement he made. "He needs water! Chris, go get some," she demanded. Christophen grabbed a hold of Ambrosia's hand and dragged her away in search of some sort of refreshment. Anything that could drag him out of this shock he's found himself in.

"Dad, what's going on?!" I shook his shoulder as he continued to stare off with a vacant look in his eyes.

"Lucariah," he mumbled. I stumbled back a step. It felt as though someone stuck a knife through my chest a twisted it. The blood drained from my face in an instant.

"Luca," I breathed out.

Lith had her brows drawn tight as her eyes bounced between my dad and I. "Lucariah? Who's Luca?"

And suddenly the knife twisted further. No one bothered to mention our little boy to the new people in our lives. None of these people surrounding us on this day know the Christophen wasn't dad's last child. They didn't know that dad had someone so young out there. With nothing but the house they'd left him with and a mom they wanted nothing to do with.

"My brother," I sighed, "our baby brother. Lucariah. Dad, tell me it's nothing bad. Tell me that call was for something good," I practically begged.

"Brother," Lith said slowly, the confusion evident on her face. She didn't know what to think in that moment. All she's ever been told was that dad was once married, they had a few children- the whole nine yards- they stopped working with each other and dad took the kids. Emphasis on the kids as they still referred to Lucariah as a baby all those years ago.

"Luca's in the hospital," dad choked out. The sound of something falling followed by the sound of splashing water had me spinning around to see Christophen with a look of shock written on his features. Ambrosia carrying the same pained expression I assumed I carried.

Which begged for the question; did she know of Lucariah? Did Christophen actually keep his memory alive? But I couldn't possibly ask that now. Not when a news this huge, this heavy was dropped. Casting a shadow of silence around the room.

And we still had to tell Jericho, I realized. Jericho; who was probably out having the time of his life with his new bride. We couldn't possibly do that to him, not on his big day. That wouldn't be fair.

"What happened to him?!" Christophen demanded. His face twisted as if he were fighting back the urge to cry. I couldn't possibly understand why; we still didn't know what was wrong.

"He...I don't know," dad blubbered, "Samantha was yelling about cars and his brace broke- whatever that means- and casts and crutches, I think she even said something about coma's. But I don't know! I don't know; someone else was yelling and it was accompanied by more yelling. And I think I heard a baby crying in the background and I thought it was him. But then I remembered he's a big kid now. And there was a little girl's voice yelling about not leaving until he wakes. So...it must be a huge deal and she said she'd send me the address and she has-" His phone pinged at that vary moment.

He flung himself into motion, fishing his car keys out his coat pocket. Before he could rush off, Lith put a forceful hand on his forearm. "Wait just a minute, Evan Calloway!" She snapped, "you're not going anywhere until you tell me what exactly is going on?! Who is Luca? And don't give me half an answer like Zeke did."

Dad sunk to the ground, urging us all to join him. We formed a small circle, with Lith sitting as far from our father as she possibly could without making it obvious.

"He's my son," dad started off, "the last kid Samantha and I had. He's twelve." Lith opened her mouth to say something, but he continued on as if he didn't notice. "He has the fluffiest head of inky black hair, and eyes so big they cover half his face- I swear. And they're the darkest shade you could imagine. He was only six when we left. I wanted to take him; I truly did. But, Luca was a little momma's boy, how could I do that to him?"

Lith had a soft spot for children, she always said she wanted fifty. Dad's description of Lucariah melted her heart, I could tell, she was no longer angry for being left in the dark. More so, she was hurt and maybe even a little intrigued.

"When can we see him?"