IRREVERSIBLE (BXB)

BREAKFAST

SKY'S POV
I woke up groggily on the sofa, my pillow clutched tightly to my chest. The faint morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow in the room. As I reached for my buzzing phone, I realized it was already 8.

I sat up and found my sister looking at me, as if staring into my soul, which seemed creeping.

"Hey," her voice was gentle, filled with concern. "I hope you're okay. I was worried about you last night."

I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. "Yeah, I'm fine," I mumbled, my voice still thick with sleep. "Just tired, I guess."

Hilda looked at me deeply, her eyes searching my face. "Are you sure everything's okay, Sky? You can talk to me, you know."

I forced a smile, trying to reassure her. "Yeah, I'm sure. I was just feeling a bit emotional last night. You leaving today and all."

Hilda nodded, her expression somber. "I know, Sky. It's hard for me too, you know. But we have to be strong for each other."

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, blinking back tears. I wanted to tell Hilda how much I missed our mother, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. She was trying so hard to be strong for me, and I didn't want to burden her with my own grief.

To lighten the mood, Hilda nudged me playfully. "Or were you thinking about your man all night, huh?"

I rolled my eyes, playfully shoving her away. "For Christ's sake, Hilda, leave me alone. We're just friends, okay? Mystery friends."

Hilda's expression turned serious, her eyes welling up with tears. "Sky, I'm leaving today. I'm going to miss you so much, brother. I love you." And with that, she broke down, burying her face in my chest.

I felt my own tears threatening to spill over as I hugged her tightly. "I'm going to miss you too, Hilda," I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. "I love you."

We sat like that for a while, wrapped in each other's arms, until Hilda finally pulled away, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "Come on, Sky," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Let's eat. I'm starving."

I nodded, grateful for the change of subject. We made our way to the kitchen, Hilda chattering away about our dad as she prepared breakfast.

"Sky, don't be so harsh on yourself," she said gently, stirring a pot on the stove. "He's our dad, after all. We have to forgive him."

I poured out my heart to my sister, Hilda, the weight of my words seemed to hang heavy in the air, each syllable laden with pain and bitterness. "No, Hilda, I'll never forgive him," I declared, my voice trembling with emotion. The mere thought of our father's cruel words about our late mother sent a shiver down my spine. How could he have been so callous, so heartless, to tarnish her memory in such a way?

"He called our late mum promiscuous," I continued, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "She has hit you and also hit me so bad," I confessed, the memories of our tumultuous childhood flashing before my eyes like a series of painful snapshots. "He has hurt me beyond repair."

Hilda listened in silence, her expression a mixture of sadness and understanding. She had borne the brunt of our father's wrath just as much as I had, perhaps even more so.

"He has never been a father to us," I whispered, my voice breaking with emotion. "Someone I could run to, someone I could confide in." Tears welled up in my eyes as I spoke, the weight of years of unspoken pain and resentment finally spilling over.

Hilda reached out to me, her touch gentle and reassuring. "Hush, dear," she said softly, her voice a soothing balm to my wounded soul. "It's okay. We'll get through this together." She hugged me and calmed me down.