"Don't blame me, love made me crazy."
Jules Howard has always lived in the shadows of her sisters, being the middle child is never easy, especially when you're only half related. When a tragic accident ends the life of her parents and her eldest sib...
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At half-past seven in the morning in New York, Jules would have had a quiet morning before leaving for school. She would've made herself a nice breakfast complimented with some fresh orange juice. But in the Walter house a quiet and nice breakfast wasn't an option.
After brushing her teeth, she returned to her room to find Benny climbing half on the chair and half on the desk. He was reaching for the plug of a hair dryer that was in the socket. As he yanked it from its place, he stumbled on the desk and his leg collided with the candle beside him.
"Benny, no!" Jules rushed forward but wasn't able to save the candle. The glass hit the floor and partially broke, a large piece falling out in a triangular shape.
Her heart fell into her stomach at the sight but she helped Benny down, away from the glass and crouched to his level, checking his hands and bare skin for any abrasians, "Come here, did you cut yourself?"
"Hey, you okay?" A voice joined the room, "I heard a crash?"
Jules glanced to Alex, a knot forming in her stomach as she did so. She turned back to Benny, "What were you doing in here?"
"Mom said you borrowed her hair dryer 'cause yours broke." Benny explained, clutching the device in his hand, "I needed it."
"Okay, but will you come find me next time before coming into my room?" Jules exhaled, "You could've hurt yourself."
"Sorry." Benny said before he left.
Jules remained in her crouched position, turning to the candle sitting in ruins on the floor. Her chest was heavy as she stared at the cracks in the glass and the shattered pieces.
"Be careful." Alex spoke, drawing her back into reality. She'd momentarily gone back to the day Lucy had handed her the candle, and now it was broken, "Let me go grab a dustpan."
He exited the room. Jules reached an arm forward, picking up the triangular shard of glass that had fallen off the candle. She wasn't sure how to feel or how to react.
Obviously Benny didn't mean to break it, and he hadn't known its sentimental value. She wasn't angry at him. Maybe she was upset but she couldn't tell because as she stared at the reckage, she just felt numb.
Jules barely noticed how long Alex had left for or that he'd even come back until he spoke, "You okay?"
"This is the last thing Lucy gave me." Jules' eyes were fixated on the piece of glass in her fingertips, "The only thing I have here of her. And now it's..."
As she moved her hand, a wince escaped passed her lips. Jules dropped the shard and glanced at her thumb, where a miniscule cut had appeared along with a blemish of blood.
